To the Editor:
Donald Trump isn’t the first loose cannon to become the president of the U.S.A. Almost three decades ago, the arms race or Cold War broke the economy of the U.S.S.R. and ironically, the same phenomenon is straining the limits of the United States.
Why do the Republicans have to demonize China? Many of them have millions invested in China because of its stability and cheap labour. To add to this drain on her economy, earnings “offshore” are not taxable in the home country of the U.S.S.
China sacrificed 22 million of its people in World War II to help secure our freedom during the Japanese expansion. We criticize China for her development of thermal plants, yet it has invested $64 billion in solar energy to this day.
Our then-prime minister Pierre Elliot Trudeau led the free world and recognized mainland China in the United Nations. President Richard M. Nixon followed suit and made a state visit to Red China, as it was called.
Surely our nations have learned that peace and negotiating are much more logical than confrontation and war, paying much higher dividends in the long term. We don’t have to travel down that dark road again, simply since our political ideologies are different.
Chairman Mao and Mikhail Gorbachev instituted radical changes by making overtures to the free world after years of isolation. Russia is still struggling with a myriad of economic challenges.
Both China and India are emerging as world economic powers and the complexion of our society is radically changing. It is not the time to demonize such a large nation as China; it is time to respect our differences and build a future based on diversity.
Angus Campbell
Thompson
