Rumsfeld Issues a Sharp Rebuke to China on Arms (NYT)

[Career Prole]

SINGAPORE, Saturday, June 4 - Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld, in an unusually blunt public critique of China, said Saturday that Beijing's military spending threatened the delicate security balance in Asia and called for an emphasis instead on political freedom and open markets.

In a keynote address at an Asian security conference here, Mr. Rumsfeld argued that China's investment in missiles and up-to-date military technology posed a risk not only to Taiwan and to American interests, but also to nations across Asia that view themselves as China's trading partners, not rivals.

He said no "candid discussion of China" could neglect to address these military concerns directly, and criticized China for not admitting the full extent of what he described as its worrisome military expansion.

"Since no nation threatens China, one wonders: why this growing investment?" Mr. Rumsfeld asked.

Article

How can any responsible reporter write an article like this without mentioning our own profligate military spending?



http://www.sensiblepriorities.org/budget_analysis.htm

[Media_Lies_Daily]

1. Words spoken to inflame the NeoCon faithful, nothing more.....

Excellent graph, by the way! :-)

[Career Prole]

2. It's not my graph, but yes it's an excellent visual!

I put the link where it can be found along with it.

I always get mad when I hear our government getting on any other government about defense spending...probably because no reporters ever say, "Hey! Where do you get off talking about oversized defense budgets?!"

[suegeo]

3. Rumsfeld is a nazi

.

[anarchy1999]

4. How much longer is the world community going to put up with the US

schoolyard bullying tactics. I don't believe for much longer.

I myself am tired of it. Just who in the hell do we think we are? If I'm thinking this way, what is the world community thinking?

[Career Prole]

8. Makes one wonder, doesn't it?

I feel strongly that when other world leaders meet the topic of discussion often turns to what to do about the U.S.

I don't believe those conversations took place nearly as often before 2000.

[Warren Stupidity]

14. who's going to stop them, er us?

Look at that graph again. Right now "we" are the only people who can stop "us".

[Capn Sunshine]

15. The HUGE chink in the armor

To finance this insane military buildup of ours, we have financed huge deficits with sales of our Treasury Bonds. A responsible gov't used to have a "cap" of foreign ownership at under 15% to avoid being manipulated financially. Currently foreign ownership of US Bonds is at 43% and rising.

Think about this for a second. If the rest of the world, or even the larger payers, decide to crash us, it would actually be possible without firing a shot. In fact, it would be vastly cheaper than an arms buildup for them: They dump about 30% of their US Bond holdings on the market, and it's game over for US hegemony AND financial dominance of the world, forever.

World War 4 might be fought on the trading screens as we watch our national economy crater beyond repair.

I think I will put this post in GD as a topic. Thanks for the inspiration.

[Warren Stupidity]

16. totally off topic

but one of my kids got in trouble with a paper he wrote because his moronic teacher thought that the phrase "chink in the armor" was derogatory to chinese people.

[Warren Stupidity]

17. So I've wondered about the 'dumping option'.

The problem is that it works both ways. If one of our large creditors dumps 30% of their holdings and tanks the value of t-bills, doesn't that devastate not just our economy, but everybody else's too?

[Doctor_J]

5. No one of consequence listens to him anyway

just some Dimestore Cowboy talk for the mediawhores to slobber over.

[The Night Owl]

6. So, basically, Rumsfeld really misses the Cold War with the Soviets. (NT)

[LiberalVoice]

7. And what the fuck are you gonna do about it Rummy?

Nothing...because you cant.

"Since no nation threatens China, one wonders: why this growing investment?" Mr. Rumsfeld asked."

And the Chinese govt is supposed to explain to you why they make every decision? :eyes:

[Career Prole]

9. I wasn't comfortable with the "world's policeman" role.

The "world's scold" definitely chafes.

[Dover]

[Dover]

10. THEIR worrisome miliatry expansion? LOL!

I'm worried that the U.S. aggression demands that other countries expand their military.

But of course, we're always looking to promote a healthy market for the products of our military industrial complex. Hey, this new Cold War is kinda lucrative.........imagine that!

[cliss]

11. A very worrisome development:

I sense a lack of fear; a lack of respect, on the part of the Chinese. I see statment after statement from some department in China, which basically tells the U.S. to "shove it".

Pay attention to Chinese statements when they are released. They are very succinct, to the point, and they don't mess around. They don't threaten wildly, like CondaLoser does.
:smoke:
These past few years, the Chinese have issued statements like, "The US needs to understand....", and "It is imperative that Washington.....X".

They don't take RumsFailed seriously. They consider him an old fool. You can tell.

Now, this is what I call a dangerous situation. China senses weakness on the US's part. If things heat up, they might start escalating their rhetoric, and then...

[Career Prole]

12. Good point...this "administration" of ours

doesn't take it very well when someone tells them they're wrong.

[daleo]

13. Excellent graph

Yes, this is like a fifth of Scotch a day alcoholic criticizing someone else for having two glasses of wine with their dinner. But then, hypocrisy is the Republican's stock in trade, especially this BFEE incarnation of them.