The United States attracts more criticism than other great powers "precisely because it holds itself to a higher standard," said the South Africa-based journalist Dele Olojode. "Nobody holds China to that kind of standard." This is a wonderful statement on the use of soft power. The current levels of economic inequality make the U.S. an unattractive model. Engaging in reform to make today's poor into tomorrow's middle class will be another front in battling the appeal of the PRC. On that note, we must take a second look at the relationship between the state and the market and realize that we must not always worship the market and sometimes use the state.
If China hopes to steal our lead in science and technology, then we must invest more in education and research and development. Scoring a win in this field would be big in winning coverts around the world. In the Cold War, the SU shocked the world when it was the first to travel into space with Sputnik. This led to the leadership of the U.S. space program and an emphasis on education, another forgotten part of the Cold War. At this critical moment in our history, President John Kennedy said: "what we must overcome that psychological feeling in the world that the United States has reached maturity, that maybe our high noon has passed, maybe our brightest days were earlier, and that now we are going into the long, slow afternoon" I don't hold that view at all, and neither do the people of this country."
To further push the conflict out of the military realm, we must engage with China on a diplomatic level. There are things we can work on to make the world we live in a more secure one, a basic need for the world's people - regardless of the government they live under. One is bringing together China, the U.S., Russia, the U.K., and European Union together for arms control talks to downsize the world's nuclear and non-nuclear arsenals. Being a leader in arms control would also win the hearts and minds of the impressionable minds of the world. In time, those who live under authoritarian and totalitarian regimes would agitate for a more democratic form of government.
This is one path that our country might take. The other is to pay attention to advocates of more military buildups and watch arms races breakout throughout the world, a path that would enrich the military-industrial complex. That path is easily promoted because it is quite easy to understand and repeat. However, we must not give up on an alternative vision! Justice and arms control are our most valuable weapons in this fight!
Jason Sibert is the executive
director of the Peace Economy Project
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