To the editor:
Saturday, AP writer Matthew Pennington expressed concern in SDN over the Chinese military and economy. He found threatening the South China Sea man-made islands, and increased Chinese naval force. He suggested sending ships to o show our presence. China’s buildup has been going on for most of the Obama/Hillary years, yet our number of combat naval ships has been allowed to decline. We are over 100 ships below reediness level. We are at a point where one Washington Times article stated, “We are marginally able to defend our nation.” Yet Hillary promises we will be there to defend the countries we have promised to protect. How, when there is some question we have the naval force to do so?
The Chinese have long been building up their naval fleets, in anticipation of protecting what they see as their right to control the South China Seas. What did they read while preparing — Alfred Thayer Mahan’s “The Influence of Sea Power upon History.” Yes, the same book that was so important to our own John F. Kennedy, who understood military affairs, as Obama and Clinton do not.
Also, if concern over possible industrial espionage by China is an issue, as the writer indicated, why did Obama on Oct. 1 transfer, against the advice of both Congress and the military, full control of the formerly US Internet, to the UN? It has as the head of that division the Chinese. The government did not even make sure they owned rights to the .gov and .mil domains! We now have handed over the whole Internet, with no guaranteed freedom of speech or religion. Censorship in China is the norm. Hillary Clinton said at a televised rally, she will make criminal, online dissenting discussion of global warming. She later added any dissenting political discussions would be blocked. Should we fear China, or maybe our own politicians? What next — Cyberwarfare?
The writer worried about our debt. Foreign loans make up about 34 percent, of our national debt, with China and Japan holding the most. Over half of the 34 percent is owed to a host of other countries. Actually SS is the majority domestic holder.
Yes, we do need to work on relations with China, but a bit more reality is in order about our domestic issues.
Linda Weber
Sidney
