Opinion 52% of Americans see China has the biggest threat to the US

[RemyR]

IMO the biggest threat to America is the two party system. Externally yeah I’d say China especially long term.

 

[Ezekiel 25:17]

Like some have already mentioned, the US is its own biggest threat.

 

[MicroBrew]

IMO the biggest threat to America is the two party system. Externally yeah I’d say China especially long term.

I think the size of this country - territorial size and pop. size - makes a 3rd party pretty dam unviable. 3rd parties have more influence in Western Europe, but those countries are far smaller.

 

[freakroor]

poor diet and lack of exercise are doing much more damage to USA than china is, in terms of death and suffering. not to mention stress.

 

[Yehudim]

IMO the biggest threat to America is the two party system. Externally yeah I’d say China especially long term.

We've had a two party system longer than we didn't have a two-party system, and the parties have rearranged many times, and are in the process of rearranging.

We'll be fine and we're already seeing a lot of cooperation on things like infrastructure, foreign policy, and to a much lesser extent climate change. I think the media amplifying those differences are a greater threat.

For example, our supreme court is undergoing a lot of media scrutiny on Roe v Wade, completely ignoring that they've been sending out unanimous rulings, and that the perceived partisan divide doesn't really exist. Which is what you'd expect when you put in professional, qualified people on the job, instead of worrying about their ideology.

Things are going great in a lot of ways, but you wouldn't know that if you aren't closely following what is actually going on.

 

[Andy Capp]

IMO the biggest threat to America is the two party system. Externally yeah I’d say China especially long term.

 

[Zazen]

Japan was never considered a threat like China, because Japan's pop. is tiny compared to China, it is not expansionist, is a US ally, is not building up a war machine to challenge the US, did not engage in the kind of espionage that China engages in and is not a fascist dictatorship like China.

Yellow Peril has always been rooted in our psyche. Imagine if China had 900 bases scattered across the world? They would have been bombed into oblivion ten times over already.

You're also downplaying how many people feared Japan's rise back in the day. If Japan wasn't so feared why did our government cripple their economy with the Plaza Accord? They aligned the timing perfectly while Japan was in its bubble. You can't deny that had a big part in Japan's stagnation that it never truly recovered from. There's also fact that a lot of racist rhetoric was used during that time, calling something a rice burner for example. Kinda mirrors how people mock Chinese products but if we don't stop being complacent they are going to be known for quality soon instead of crap.

 

[Jack V Savage]

Yeah, and back in the 80's it was Japan who was going to own us all.

Yeah, China's not a threat to America in any concrete sense, and obviously both countries have greatly benefitted from opening trade with each other, but they're a threat to the world in the sense that as their economy grows, they have more say in how things work, and big businesses have to cater to them (and they are pretty awful from a human-rights perspective).

If people took the threat rhetoric more seriously, they'd be pushing for a big immigration expansion, but a lot of them same people who claim to be the hardest on China are also anti-immigration.

 

[kenetics]

- A recent survey conducted by the Ronald Regan Presidential Foundation and Institute finds that 52% of Americans view China as the biggest threat to the U.S.

- This % figure is up 15% from Feb, an increase of 28% from 2019 and an increase of 21% from 2018.

- Russia was considered the next biggest threat at 14%. Iran was number # 3 with 12% followed by Afghanistan at 5%.

The survey found 52 percent of Americans view China as the biggest international threat to the U.S., up 15 percent from this past February.

The number is up more than 20 percent from 2019 and 2018, when 28 percent and 21 percent respectively saw China as the biggest threat to the U.S.

https://thehill.com/blogs/blog-brie...ricans-list-china-as-top-threat-in-new-survey

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In March , Pew published this article

Roughly nine-in-ten U.S. adults (89%) consider China a competitor or enemy, rather than a partner, according to a new Pew Research Center survey.

Many also support taking a firmer approach to the bilateral relationship, whether by promoting human rights in China, getting tougher on China economically or limiting Chinese students studying abroad in the United States. More broadly, 48% think limiting China’s power and influence should be a top foreign policy priority for the U.S., up from 32% in 2018.

Today, 67% of Americans have “cold” feelings toward China on a “feeling thermometer,” giving the country a rating of less than 50 on a 0 to 100 scale. This is up from just 46% who said the same in 2018. The intensity of these negative feelings has also increased: The share who say they have “very cold” feelings toward China (0-24 on the same scale) has roughly doubled from 23% to 47%.

https://www.pewresearch.org/global/...toward-china-on-human-rights-economic-issues/

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Americans see China as biggest threat because they aim to ‘replace’ US: KT McFarland

New poll finds 52% of Americans find China as greatest national threat

https://www.foxbusiness.com/politics/china-biggest-threat-replace-us-kt-mcfarland

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Edit
Iran is at 4% . North Korea is 12%. The Hill article has a typo.

That's because the media is telling you to be afraid of china.

Remember they said the same thing about Iraq and Afghanistan?

 

[Darkballs]

Soo... Was Trump right all along about China?

lol... Ironic isn't it.

No.

It's a myth that the previous administration was soft on China, and big tough Trump brought the pain.

The reality was Trump tore up a well negotiated trade agreement (TPP) that actually had China shitting itself and legit worried as it let us walk right into their economic backyard in places like Vietnam, and take major manufacturing gigs right out from under them. And when Trump shitcanned that deal, he sent those same Vietnamese factories right over to China. And what did we get in exchange? A stupid tariff war that cost us just as much as it did China, particularly in food exports. And did China give a fuck? They were delighted! This shit regime doesn't give a fuck if a couple thousand of their own citizens go belly up under US tariffs. They still get the cheap labor from next door that they really want, with the bonus of getting those nations more indebted to them. And all the while Trump has to beg Xi for the occasional tariff relief, usually in the form a glowing tweet regarding Xi's handling of Covid, and then has the nerve to boast that he negotiated a deal, that was often something even worse off, on the US manufacturing end, than it was before he took office.

In short, Trump wasn't tough on China. He was just stupid.

 

[Jack V Savage]

No.

It's a myth that the previous administration was soft on China, and big tough Trump brought the pain.

The reality was Trump tore up a well negotiated trade agreement (TPP) that actually had China shitting itself and legit worried as it let us walk right into their economic backyard in places like Vietnam, and take major manufacturing gigs right out from under them. And when Trump shitcanned that deal, he sent those same Vietnamese factories right over to China. And what did we get in exchange? A stupid tariff war that cost us just as much as it did China, particularly in food exports. And did China give a fuck? They were delighted! This shit regime doesn't give a fuck if a couple thousand of their own citizens go belly up under US tariffs. They still get the cheap labor from next door that they really want, with the bonus of getting those nations more indebted to them. And all the while Trump has to beg Xi for the occasional tariff relief, usually in the form a glowing tweet regarding Xi's handling of Covid, and then has the nerve to boast that he negotiated a deal, that was often something even worse off, on the US manufacturing end, than it was before he took office.

In short, Trump wasn't tough on China. He was just stupid.

This is similar to a discussion I recently had with @Lead (on immigration). Republican voters don't want policy X that can reasonably be expected to deliver result Y. They want symbolic actions that demonstrate that they hate the right people. That's a predictable result of the media landscape on the right. Most Republicans know that Fox, Breitbart, etc. are propaganda, but they believe that the real media, academia, and gov't data collectors are playing the same game but on the other side. There's no more belief in objective reality or faith that anyone else is trying to solve problems.

 

[Denter]

There is no reason that the US and China should go to war. Literally every point of friction is well below what would justify a war, it's ridiculous to even talk about it. That said, crazier things have happened, especially if there are accidental exchanges of fire or shoot-downs of aircraft, where neither side feels they can credibly back down, but we should never let it even get to that level of tension.

 

[Yehudim]

No.

It's a myth that the previous administration was soft on China, and big tough Trump brought the pain.

The reality was Trump tore up a well negotiated trade agreement (TPP) that actually had China shitting itself and legit worried as it let us walk right into their economic backyard in places like Vietnam, and take major manufacturing gigs right out from under them. And when Trump shitcanned that deal, he sent those same Vietnamese factories right over to China. And what did we get in exchange? A stupid tariff war that cost us just as much as it did China, particularly in food exports. And did China give a fuck? They were delighted! This shit regime doesn't give a fuck if a couple thousand of their own citizens go belly up under US tariffs. They still get the cheap labor from next door that they really want, with the bonus of getting those nations more indebted to them. And all the while Trump has to beg Xi for the occasional tariff relief, usually in the form a glowing tweet regarding Xi's handling of Covid, and then has the nerve to boast that he negotiated a deal, that was often something even worse off, on the US manufacturing end, than it was before he took office.

In short, Trump wasn't tough on China. He was just stupid.

You’re correct that was a mistake by Trump but to consider Obama tough on China is laughable.

Obama slowly recognized the threat of China and made concrete steps to counter them but was slow to adapt and generally weak in his use of tools. After all, the big issue with the South China Sea was under his watch when he allowed China to gobble up the Philippines EEZ.

Again, he started the freedom of navigation drills but it was very late and very sparse.

Trump shot himself in the foot at times but mobilized public opinion against China and his policies live on under Biden because they were correct and are paying dividends.

 

[MicroBrew]

You’re correct that was a mistake by Trump but to consider Obama tough on China is laughable.

Obama slowly recognized the threat of China and made concrete steps to counter them but was slow to adapt and generally weak in his use of tools. After all, the big issue with the South China Sea was under his watch when he allowed China to gobble up the Philippines EEZ.

Again, he started the freedom of navigation drills but it was very late and very sparse.

Trump shot himself in the foot at times but mobilized public opinion against China and his policies live on under Biden because they were correct and are paying dividends.

When Obama took office, the US was still amicable with China. Corporate America was oh soo cosy. To overcome this innertia , it takes time. Obama also wanted the US to move away from a cosy relationship with the Saudis. Now I give Trump credit for being tougher than a typical American pres. would have been, but at the same time he hurt the US and helped China by pulling out of the TPP. TPP would have hindered China's hegemonic attempts. Trump wanted to undo everything Obama did, regardless of whether it hurt the US and allies or not.

 

[Darkballs]

Obama slowly recognized the threat of China and made concrete steps to counter them but was slow to adapt and generally weak in his use of tools. After all, the big issue with the South China Sea was under his watch when he allowed China to gobble up the Philippines EEZ.

Obama didn't allow anything. The Philippines cut a deal with their fishing rights. It's on them. What exactly was the US to do when two nations negotiate a deal? Regardless, this deal changes nothing on how EEZ's are recognized under international law. Philippines' EEZ is still their's, and their decision to rent it out is on them.

Again, he started the freedom of navigation drills but it was very late and very sparse.

Well how hard should we go? The only point to navigation drills are for a show of force, and to deny that China has some sort of exclusive right to the seas in question. I think those two were met. If you think we needed more Naval exercises in the region, I'd be curious as to what you think was enough, or what other objective you hope to reach.

Trump shot himself in the foot at times but mobilized public opinion against China and his policies live on under Biden because they were correct and are paying dividends.

Mobilize public opinion? Well he did it in two separate directions. Sure Trump would get on state and awkwardly pronounce "Chyyyyyna," but the guy was also tweeting out more praise for Xi than any other previous president. You can't say trump was working hard to put the Chinese on everyones shit list, when he couldn't negotiate a tariff deal without first shamefully buttering them up.

And that's failing to mention the trump administrations near total silence on the Uyghar camps.

The reason we are still moving on tariffs is, what other choice do we have? You see that's the problem when a new President just shows up and shitcans the previous deal. The #1 fear for the nations partnered in TPP was, what if the US just walks away from the deal? Remember we are asking these nations to take a risk and helping them develop a more complicated manufacturing and export process than they'd have to if they just went with a closer neighbor like China. But we did it. Got it off the ground and running, and then a few years later the Trump administration killed it. So what did those nations do, they pivoted right back to China, often at great or unnecessary costs to themselves. And they did it because the US just said fuck it, and tore up the previous contract.
So what is going to entice these nations to come back to the negotiating table? More promises that this won't happen again, when there is the real possibility that another republican administration could just tear that next agreement.

Bottom line, the Obama administration didn't put us in this corner. Trump did.[/QUOTE][/QUOTE]

 

[Yehudim]

Obama didn't allow anything. The Philippines cut a deal with their fishing rights. It's on them. What exactly was the US to do when two nations negotiate a deal? Regardless, this deal changes nothing on how EEZ's are recognized under international law. Philippines' EEZ is still their's, and their decision to rent it out is on them.



Well how hard should we go? The only point to navigation drills are for a show of force, and to deny that China has some sort of exclusive right to the seas in question. I think those two were met. If you think we needed more Naval exercises in the region, I'd be curious as to what you think was enough, or what other objective you hope to reach.



Mobilize public opinion? Well he did it in two separate directions. Sure Trump would get on state and awkwardly pronounce "Chyyyyyna," but the guy was also tweeting out more praise for Xi than any other previous president. You can't say trump was working hard to put the Chinese on everyones shit list, when he couldn't negotiate a tariff deal without first shamefully buttering them up.

And that's failing to mention the trump administrations near total silence on the Uyghar camps.

The reason we are still moving on tariffs is, what other choice do we have? You see that's the problem when a new President just shows up and shitcans the previous deal. The #1 fear for the nations partnered in TPP was, what if the US just walks away from the deal? Remember we are asking these nations to take a risk and helping them develop a more complicated manufacturing and export process than they'd have to if they just went with a closer neighbor like China. But we did it. Got it off the ground and running, and then a few years later the Trump administration killed it. So what did those nations do, they pivoted right back to China, often at great or unnecessary costs to themselves. And they did it because the US just said fuck it, and tore up the previous contract.
So what is going to entice these nations to come back to the negotiating table? More promises that this won't happen again, when there is the real possibility that another republican administration could just tear that next agreement.

Bottom line, the Obama administration didn't put us in this corner. Trump did.

[/QUOTE][/QUOTE]
We were the mediators for the deal and are a treaty ally of the Philippines. When China refused to back out of the Scarborough Shoal, we ought to have evicted them. I’m not quite sure you know what you’re talking about, I’m not talking about the legal squabbles in international courts. Im talking about the Obama admin cutting a deal to make both parties leave while the court case was pending.

That you’re talking about legality shows some form of naïveté. Oh, I'm sure Filipino fishermen feel great that their EEZ is Filipino as China can decide whether they use the area or not.

Re: naval exercises. Trump got it right. China has stalled on the South China Sea and isn’t fortifying new areas. Unfortunately that wasnt the case under Obama.

You mention a lot of other revisionist hack bullshit like Trump being silent of the Uyghur’s which don’t even deserve a rebuttal.

And to pin the blame on either Trump or Obama is hack analysis. Nothing more, nothing less. I give Obama a lot of flack for essentially encouraging them militarily, but it has been bipartisan aiding and abetting for China’s rise since Bush Sr.

We’re not really in a bad situation or corner vis a vis China right now anyways, since Biden has formalized and professionalized a lot of the Trump chaos, keeping the good and throwing out the bad.

 

[Boxingfan998]

The biggest threat to USA is itself.
Namely the ideologies formenting in social science departments all over the country, and the politicians and "journalists" they yield. The same political & mediatic establishment has constantly used the threat of the other, or jingoism, effectively to focus the Americans away from internal problems.

 

[2gps125]

Americans or Anglos? I doubt Blacks and Mexicans view China as a threat.

 

[Yehudim]

Americans or Anglos? I doubt Blacks and Mexicans view China as a threat.

This is your brain on identity politics.

 

[ocfightfan]

In actual fact that biggest threat to America is American leftists.