Pentagon Wins Gold for Olympic-Scale Stupidity

According to the Asia Times, the Pentagon has demonstrated in stunning form just how stupid they can be.

The US Defense Department's annual report to Congress on the Chinese military contains a curious statement: "If Beijing chooses to use force against Taiwan prior to the 2008 Olympics, China would almost certainly face a boycott or loss of the games."

If the Chinese Communist Party's politburo members in their enclave in Zhongnanhai are screaming for doctors to treat their laughter-induced bellyaches, it is entirely understandable. This pious declaration from Pentagon hawks is too priceless for words.

How can one compare Taiwan, a self-governing island of 22 million people, to two weeks of running, jumping and shooting?

It's easy when you're not only a hawk, but also a dumb-ass.

One is priceless, the other a mere US$1.6 billion worth of infrastructure: sports venues, hostels and roads. . . .

Restoring Taiwan to the motherland, even over the very long run, is neither an empty slogan nor a political ploy by the Communist Party politburo to keep the masses in line. Feelings about Taiwan across the country are as strong as the sentiments against the Japanese, if not stronger.

In short, China can afford to lose the Olympics, but not Taiwan. As Chinese officials have repeatedly said, China would spare no cost to prevent Taiwan from splitting from the motherland. It is true that the Chinese nation sees the success of the Beijing Summer Olympic Games as a source of national pride, but this does not mean it will give up on matters of principle.

Principle? What's a principle? --Donald Rumsfeld

Beijing has long appreciated Washington's understanding and acceptance of the one-China policy, especially the earnest intent behind the formulation of the Anti-Secession Law just over a year ago. For historical reasons, however, the US had to continue standing behind Taipei. The United States would inevitably be drawn into any war between mainland China and Taiwan.

Implicit in Zoellick's words is the US view that it does not want to go to war with China for the sake of Taiwanese independence, particularly if such a war is provoked by Taipei.

But, noooo! The Pentagon has to go out of its way to fan the flames.

The secondary message: No war, please - not for the next 20-30 years at least. For that time the US can remain the world's superpower, global cop or whatever it wants to be, so long as it does not go out of its way to step on China's toes.

Now, is that too much to ask?

Within these parameters there can obviously be a lot of give and take. China's domestic savings totaled 15.863 trillion yuan ($1.98 trillion) at the end of April, according to the People's Bank of China.

$1.98 TRILLION in SAVINGS!!! Read it and weep, America!

Meanwhile, our Congress had to raise the debt ceiling that much a few weeks ago just to accommodate America's mushrooming bankruptcy!

[China's savings is] unimaginable wealth.

And you would think ours was unimaginable bankruptcy. But, it's not only imaginable - it's REAL!

Buying Boeing airplanes by the hundreds is no problem [for China]. With many other high-tech purchases China can keep many, many Americans in high-end jobs.

It is mainly the low-end jobs that are migrating from the US to China and elsewhere. There, too, China can eventually work together with US industries to keep some jobs in the United States. But to threaten China with loss of the Olympics over Taiwan?

What on earth were those imbeciles thinking?

It would appear the Pentagon hawks have heard neither of former treasury secretary Lawrence Summers nor of his views on the precarious position of the US economy or even its military power when the dollar is at the mercy of China and other Asian countries.

China alone will be holding more than $1 trillion in US dollar assets a full year before the Olympics.

One false move and America's economic goose is cooked.

When China and the other holders of US debts decide to abandon them, the dollar will go down the drain. That was the essence of Summers' "balance of financial terror" pronouncement.

The Pentagon hawks obviously are not economists. Nor were they paying attention to Summers; perhaps not even to Zoellick.

Indeed, all the facts seem to point to their being utterly bereft of brains.

Chen Shui-bian is counting on such ignorance or lack of attention on the part of the Pentagon hawks. He wants American blood spilled.

And if the so-called 'hawks' have it their way, it will be spilled - on a number of fronts.

Don't let them do it.