Byzantine on Nostr: 👇👇 "if you think china is bad wait until you find out what the US is doing in ...

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"if you think china is bad wait until you find out what the US is doing in Africa and the Middle East"

"if you think the US is bad wait until you find out about how China treats Tibetans and Uyghurs"

"If you think chinese citizens are surveilled, wait until you learn about FATCA"

"If you think US citizens are forced to stay citizens, wait until you try to get your net wealth out of china"

quoting note1cq0…77hh

For those interested in #china, the following is a note I sent out to clients earlier today.

At this stage, the only logical conclusion to be drawn is to categorize this Select Committee as what it truly is; a platform for political grandstanding. This investigation into BlackRock and MSCI is just the latest example and we can all agree there's more to come.

It is extremely clear at this point that under the leadership of Representative Gallagher there’s absolutely no genuine intention to hold hearings to critically assess the complexities of the US-China relationship. There is no agenda to actually understand the dynamics at play nor any evaluation of how American leadership should constructively address the rapid rise of a multi-polar world led by China. Then again, none of this was ever the Committee’s mission to begin with.

The sole agenda is one based on the premise that China – or more specifically the Chinese Communist Party – is a national security threat. To this end, the Committee has set out to hold hearings based on two defining criteria: (1) hearings will fully adhere to the premise, without any allowance for debate, that China is a threat and (2) invite only those individuals who are in complete agreement with the Committee’s position. No exceptions. The level of orchestration is easily on par with anything that comes out of the Great Hall of the People

The Select Committee’s approach is simply counterproductive. Focus and attention by American Congressional leaders needs to be directed towards the Rules-Based International Order which is splintering right before their very eyes. Resisting this reality is futile, but attempting to force that Order’s continued maintenance on other nations will only hasten its demise.

I do not agree fully with the premise that China and the Communist Party is some existential threat to America. I do, however, recognize and agree that America does require a comprehensive China strategy, one which takes into account all possible scenarios. What I am unwilling to accept though is a blanket policy based on direct confrontation. I shouldn’t have to make such a statement given the results of twenty years of American adventurism and yet it’s actively avoided by the Committee. The fact that the members war-gamed out a scenario where China invaded Taiwan, and nationally televised it, proves the point.  

Perhaps most importantly is how the actions of the Committee demonstrate a political environment wholly intolerant to the idea of debate. When it comes to China, American foreign policy actors have coalesced into judge, jury and are now on the precipice of executioner. There are none left who even dare to object. For me this is not the American way, at least not how I grew up. A debate is how the best possible outcome is achieved. Congress was established after all as a house meant to fostered debate, so I say Semper Fi Representative Gallagher … Semper Fi