This Week The US Has “No Greater Friend than China”

They’re baaaack – the Chinese are here on a state visit.  Time for the President to practice his favorite line to deliver to heads of state:  “The US has no greater friend than….”

The problem with communicating with Chinese leadership – especially these days –  is determining who is really in charge.  Is the civilian government the final word or is the Red Army?

Communist Party politics and infighting over promotions may affect the military’s decisions to pass information to the [civilian] leadership, leading to misunderstandings and tensions with other countries, said Huang Jing, a professor at National University of Singapore’s Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Diplomacy. [businessweek]

Gates has pointed to the fact that this week’s visit by the Chinese has a underlying purpose on the part of the US.  No matter the agreements reached in trade or any other areas of mutual concern, keeping our military machines in sync is important.

Gates said that while he had no doubt about Hu’s control of the government, the lack of communication was one of the main reasons why the U.S. wants to improve high-level dialogue with China on military issues. Hu is also the head of the Communist Party and the Chairman of the Central Military Commission.

Who is in charge here is a question the Chinese are no doubt beginning to ask:

• The military is armed.  The citizens are armed.
• The President speaks to the nation; Sarah Palin speaks to the nation.
• The Speaker of the House cries; the President kow tows.
• Former President Clinton is called upon in emergencies to fix Obama Administration policy.
• Secretary of State Clinton is kept out of the country in case it is attacked and a leader is needed at home.  It doesn’t matter where Joe Biden is hiding.
• The last major industry, the  entertainment industry, is under pressure. Britain has outsourced its show hosts to US television.
• Our enemies triumph. Muslims Build Mosques near the destruction of Ground Zero
• Disruption of education is rampant. Schools have to make up snow days and shooting  days.
• The currency is so undervalued, citizens use gallons of gasoline to pay for everything rather than currency.
• All is for sale here including information.
• The US army is never home.  Re-enactment regiments greet visiting dignitaries.
• To remain live representatives of a free nation, elected officials have to wear body armor to protect themselves from their constituents.
• We pass laws one year and seek to repeal them the next.
• You can’t drink the water.
• Most Chinese here live on reservations known as “China Town.”
• The number of independent voters in the nation is huge.  The number of independent candidates is not.  The US has been on a political diet and has a disappearing “middle.”
• Howard Stern does not color his hair; he hates Jay Leno. This last is the most important information on file here this week.

What other nation can make a secure agreement with the United States of today?  Obama himself may not be here in another 2 years.  Perhaps Sarah Palin needs to meet with the Chinese dignitaries.  Then again, she has more in common with Chinese dissidents.