Russia China alliance a product of failed U.S. foreign policy.

U.S. FOREIGN POLICY HAS BEEN A DISMAL FAILURE

WHY ARE WE STILL LISTENING TO THESE PEOPLE? 

We recently have watched as Communist China has openly aligned itself with Russia. This is the culmination of the decades old failed policy of the United States.

The friendly overtures to China which began 50 years ago were partly intended to be a way of isolating the communist Soviet Union. It was also hoped that if they experienced the benefits of capitalism and free trade that they would become a good member of the world community. Both those objectives were realized until the Soviet Union broke up and there was a change in the world political environment. The  policy was now in need of a rethinking and it seems it all became overshadowed by economic opportunity and no clear direction.

The Soviet Union was at that time no longer a military threat. It was an opportunity for much improved world political relations. Remember, the much touted peace dividend, the U.S. almost balanced its budget, something that will now look like a dream indeed.

At a time of increase environmental and other regulations on business, China was in a position to provide lower cost products not only to the U.S. but to the world. In the U.S. building a plant, going through all the hoops just to get it built and under production and then dealing with more taxes, regulation and labor problems was becoming an ever increasing risky proposition. It was much more enticing to be able to engineer a product, get bids from China on production and delivery and skip all the mine fields here in the USA. Then the product could be distributed from a warehouse here. Obsolescence and a change in demand could be dealt with much more efficiently and with less risk.

The U.S. made China into the greatest manufacturing center in the world, while we let our ability to manufacture fall into disrepair. It was all a matter of huge profits of buying from a third world producer and selling to a wealthy developed country. Simple economics. 

At the same time Russia engaged with the west, negotiated nuclear treaties for the downsizing of nuclear weapons. Financial experts helped them shift from a controlled economy to a free market. There was much cooperation. Russia could have become an ally, but this was taken by the U.S. as an opportunity to consider Russia as insignificant on the world stage and that it was an opportunity to use our only super power status to shape the world in the image of those who thought they knew what was best for the world. We then took a duel effort, to on one hand keep Russia economically and politically isolated and then set out on shaping the world to our design.

The focus then became the middle east. First, encouraging Saddam Hussein to engage in a 10 year war with Iran. Supported and supplied with funding and equipment. When this ended, we baited Saddam by convincing him we would not intervene in any claims he had on Kuwaiti oil fields. This is all available from congressional hearing testimony by April Glaspie ambassador to Iraq. We then proceeded to destroy Saddam's military power. This war and the subsequent stationing of U.S. troops in Saudi Arabia led to the 911 attack.   Then the war in Afghanistan.

Next was war with Iraq with intelligence that insisted that there were weapons of mass destruction endangering the world. Then the destruction and occupation of Iraq. Followed by revolution aided by the United States in Egypt, Syria, Tunisia, Libya, and Ukraine. Both China and Russia were watching. And also the middle east countries were experiencing and taking note of the duel sword of U.S. foreign policy. An ally today but maybe an enemy tomorrow. 

Our dealings with Russia deteriorated into a policy of demeaning, insulting, and disrespect with  accusations based on domestic political advantage. This coupled with a policy of NATO expansion and positioning of weapons on the Russia border has culminated in the destruction of Ukraine. Who very well was encouraged by our policy experts to never negotiate or give 1 inch to Russia. Did Ukraine believe we would back them up?

Trump's voiced hope of de escalating tensions with Russia was met with vitriol and outrage by the opposition and our foreign policy experts to the point they hoped they could force him from office. At the same time he engaged with China with a civil, friendly and respectful approach to create equality in trade rules with China. This was met as fear of reducing profits of U.S. special interests.

Our policy with China is now becoming similar to that of Russia, thinking that insulting disrespecting and minimizing China will force them to bend to our demands. The best solution to dealing with China is to make the U.S. homeland a competitive and lucrative place to do business rather than a nightmare of hoop jumping, taxes and regulation. 

China, Russian and  the middle eastern countries have watched how are foreign policy has destabilized the civilized world. Our belief that we can buy friends with grants and other monetary enticements without the trust and relationship to back it up are failing.  We have now, by our policy, created an adversary that we will find very challenging to deal with. Will there be a change to real diplomacy or a doubling down of these failed policies?