Some Advice from Machiavelli about China

[Valin]

PJ Media:

David P. Goldman

5/8/12

 

Machiavelli says somewhere that if you injure an enemy, you not do so unless you plan to inflict a severe injury, because men will avenge themselves for small injuries, but cannot avenge themselves for severe injuries. That suggests a two-part question: Is China an enemy? And do we want to injure China? If the answer to both these question is “yes” (although that would not be my answer), why should we administer pinpricks to the Chinese, as in the case of Chen Guangcheng?

 

 

(Snip)

 

All right, class: Who wants to ruin China? If so, how do you propose to do it?

 

(Snip)

 

Remember Machiavelli: if you propose to injure an enemy, you had better injure him severely. It’s not clear that China is an enemy, or should be an enemy. It will never quite be a friend, and it may be a competitor, but we can’t ruin China. We can ensure, however, that America has an unquestionable technological edge for the conceivable future, and that America remains the dominant player in every strategic theater of importance. China will respect strength, but nothing else. If America asserts its own economic and strategic power, China not only will listen to us, but will emulate the things that make us successful — as it did by accepting a limited amount of market freedom. If the U.S. maintains its strategic dominance, China will learn that it must emulate our political institutions as well.

 

(Snip)