Military Officer - March 2008 - (Page 14) yourviews MILIT ARY J A N U A RY 2 0 0 8 $4.50 THE OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF MOAA | ONE POWERFUL VOICE® W W W. M O A A . O R G OFFICER Technical Knock ut DARPA’s Tactical Technology Office brings the future to the front lines 56 “Shortsighted leadership … in politics and business is largely a mirror of our society.” — Cmdr. Ollie W. McClung Jr., USCGR-Ret. Jan_Cover.indd 1 more true today. … Today, “American” businesses are fast losing any patriotic CHARM OFFENSIVE identity — in addition to Can China’s leaders attract more allies with honey? 74 being even more shortsighted than politicians, McCarthyism Revisited viz. most CEOs are concerned priIn “Technical Knockouts” [January marily with the next quarter’s finan2008], Mark Cantrell refers to “Mccial reports and stock performance; Carthyism” as part of the dark side many corporations conceive of themof the 1950s. The only thing dark selves as “global” versus American. about McCarthyism was the media’s One can add to this bleak outlook success in painting McCarthy as a the potential movement of the world kook and keeping the public from economy away from the U.S. dollar knowing the truth. as the world’s currency standard. If —CWO4 Les Auth, USNR-Ret present trends continue, within less Merritt Island, Fla. than a decade the euro is likely to supplant the dollar. China’s Charm There are, of course, some bright I greatly appreciated [“China’s spots in our economy. Americans Charm Offensive,” January 2008]. It continue to spend more on entertainseems that leaders in the U.S. are eiment, electronic games and gizmos, ther too politically correct or simply sports, pornography, weight-loss unwilling to face the reality of Chiproducts, and such. In short, the na’s movement toward surpassing us rather short-sighted leadership of in power and influence. the USA in politics and business is I am reminded of one Chinese largely a mirror of our society. It leader several decades ago who said seems that there are some historic something to the effect that, whereas, similarities here, Rome, maybe? the U.S. looked ahead to the next —Cmdr. Ollie W. McClung Jr., election, China looked ahead to the USCGR-Ret. next generation. This contrast is even via e-mail MOAA’S WISH LIST What are your priorities for 2008? MOAA has a long list of legislative goals 31 12/7/07 4:29:43 PM “China’s Charm Offensive” [was] both simplistic and misleading. I am neither a historian nor an authority on China, but several recent events hardly suggest friendship: 1) China’s refusal to allow an American vessel to dock in Hong Kong … ; 2) China’s refusal to allow two American vessels caught in a turbulent storm to dock in Hong Kong … ; 3) China’s massive investment in major American corporations … ; 4) China’s reported supplying of weapons to terrorist states we are fighting and who are killing American servicepeople; 5) a report that certain key American and electronic parts are being supplied to Chinese corporations said by the suppliers to be unaffiliated with government elements unfriendly to the [U.S.] but which some knowledgeable Americans claim are tied to military elements in China and could be used in weaponry aimed against the [U.S.]; 6) China’s disregard [for] human rights … ; 7) the lead-containing toy and clothing scandal … ; and 8) finally, a news report … claim[ing] that American pharmaceutical companies are unknowingly dispensing medications which may contain some ingredients made in China and then routed through other countries so the American companies are unaware of their source. … With friends like these, who needs enemies? —Lt. Cmdr. S.G. Leibow, USNR-Ret. Tallahassee, Fla. Thank you very much for your excellent professional series article, “China’s Charm Offensive.” [Author] Kurlantzick certainly lays it on the line how China’s orchestrated efforts 14 MILITARY OFFICER MARCH 2008 http://WWW.MOAA.ORG
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