The price of freedom - by Annette Weir

 

This week the world witnessed a stunning display of military might and ceremonial pageantry as the Chinese government welcomed President Trump for a Summit Meeting. The Sino-American gathering was an excellent example of the respect President Xi Jinping has for our President and the country he represents. I don’t remember another US President being showed as much respect. Perhaps, that’s because Donald Trump has shown more courage and daring than his predecessors when dealing with world leaders. In addition, this past January, Trump exhibited US power on the world stage when Venezuelan dictator and international drug-trafficker, Nicolas Maduro was captured in a flawless predawn military raid in Caracas and transported to a prison in NYC.   

Such a magnificent display of military might was the backdrop for the meeting in Beijing, where Trump and XI discussed the serious issue of dealing with Iran and forcing that Middle East regime to open the Strait of Hormuz, the vast waterway that handles 20% of global oil exports and liquefied natural gas. Although the well-publicized trip gave our country a glimpse of the Trump Administration’s capacity to plan, organize, and demonstrate diplomacy on a grand scale, there was much more than merely flag-waving to see during the trip to the communist nation. 

Many observers on social media, me included, couldn’t get over how pristine and clean everything in the streets and subways were.  No graffiti, no homeless, and no drug addicts lying around in the streets.  Of course, it’s important to note that such revolting activities are not allowed in authoritarian governments. The Chinese simply don’t tolerate such forms of degeneracy. Their methods of eliminating it may not be viewed by Americans as the proper way to treat the “unfortunate.” Nevertheless, many Americans are equally outraged by what liberal policies have forced them to deal with for decades. We can all remember when President Xi visited California in 2023, after Governor Newsom quickly cleaned up the streets to make a good impression on the Asian dictator. Of course, once the charade was over, the usual suspects returned to their toxic nesting spots.

Another thing that stood out to me was the manner in which every citizen seemed to be dressed. No pants hanging around the behind, and no signs of the subculture fashion, known as Goth, that has altered the looks and behavior of some nonconformists, as they roam about the streets, mainly in our urban areas. Why do I bring this up? Well, when you see what China is able to do, then look at the stark differences here in the USA, it makes you wonder if some of their policies might be better than ours. I’m not saying that communism is a better system because many of their actions are inconsistent with a free republic. However, when you see the discipline of the Chinese children, for example, who are far advanced academically from the children educated in the United States, it speaks volumes about how much ground we’ve lost in the culture war. This brings to mind something I watched on a television program about the black market of selling babies to couples that are incapable of giving birth to their own. The show pointed out that Chinese babies were often preferred, even by non-Asian couples, because they were considered to be smarter than US children. That gives one pause to wonder what’s happened to our education system.

Recently, the Secretary of Education brought up stats that showed the American children were further behind in education this year, than last. She went on to say that almost 30% of them don’t even show up for school! And to think that our government is paying something like $40,000 for each student is outrageous. Plus, these young people will be voting – how’s that for a scare?

Our country has always enjoyed the comforts of living free, where we could say or do what we wanted, as long as we didn’t break the law. Yet, we have experienced all too often the opposite. Violent street protests, which are anything but law-abiding, including assaults on police, have become all too common examples of the dangers of freedom without limitations. I can only conclude that while there were some things that I saw about how the Chinese people live, it made me think about how twisted things have become in our country because of our “freedoms.”  With the moral decay, homeless people plopping themselves wherever there’s an open spot, addicts shooting up and defecating in the streets, etc., it makes a person wonder how we got into this mess, and why we can’t seem to get out of it!