Cheney Criticizes China and Russia
Dick Cheney is at it again, traveling the world and seemingly doing his best to make enemies out of nations that compete with the United States in the world economic, political, and military arenas.
Nine months ago in May 2006 Cheney, speaking at a conference of leaders from Baltic and Black Sea nations in Vilnius, Lithuania, sharply criticized Russia on it’s human rights record, for back sliding on democratic reforms, and for using it’s gas and oil reserves as a political weapon.
Russian President Vladimir V. Putin was less than thrilled by the remarks made by the US’s roving ambassador of ill will. Unfortunately under the leadership of the Bush administration the US relationship with Russia is rapidly descending to cold war levels.
Now Dick Cheney has used his trip to Australia as an occasion to very publicly criticize the Chinese for their continued military buildup. In the first part of his speech he did praise the Chinese for their constructive role in moving negotiations with North Korea forward. He should have stopped his Chinese comments right there.
As one who lived in Taiwan and Hong Kong for six years I am very respectful of Chinese work ethics, the ability to manage complex tasks, and the ability to be good friends when there is mutual benefit to be gained from the friendship. I am also very aware that the Chinese are very thin skinned when it comes to public criticism, as are most nations and for that matter people.
You can bet your bottom dollar that our Chinese friends are a little less our friends after Cheney’s comments. With United States military spending far exceeding that of China and every other nation on this planet the Chinese must be quietly furious at Mr. Cheney’s remarks. According to Wikipedia “The current (2005) United States military budget is larger than the military budgets of the next fourteen biggest spenders combined, and nearly seven times larger than the official budget of China.”
As the Chinese continue on their quest to overtake the US as the world’s largest economy it is reasonable to expect that they will continue their military buildup. From their point of view, and Russian President Putin’s, they see the US as a nation that is determined to dominate the world and they are taking steps to protect and to enhance their gains in economic power and influence.
Dick Cheney and his comments serve as a reminder that the US indeed has a dangerous collection of chicken hawks sitting in the White House. Their arrogant approach to interacting with other nations continues to bring much damage to the United States standing in the world community.
To those who say “so what, the US first now and forever” I say consider the prospects of Russia and China and perhaps a few other nations who were former friends of the US forming a close knit “coalition of the willing” against us. Chief chicken hawk Dick Cheney seems determined to bring that dangerous possibility into a reality.
