RedBlueThoughts

We are witnessing a war between the US and China. This is not a shooting war. This is a brand war.

There seems to be a proliferation of news against Chinese products. ABS-CBN reports on BFAD warning the public against buying “defective” Chinese products. They started reporting about formalin-filled candies then shifted to appliances, motorcycles and even microphones. There is, obviously, a campaign to create chinophobia. During the Cold War, the US dangled the “Red Menace”. Now, US strategists are warning of the “Yellow Plague”.

This is racist, if you will agree. Its a war founded on capitalism. The West is engaged in this war because they are being hurt by the intrusion of the East into their own territories. Because of globalization, Chinese products are flooding every nook and cranny of the world. Some are superior; most, are not.

In the 80’s, the US engaged in a war against Japan. Since Japan has effectively branded itself as a “tech-minded” country, the US failed to break the Japanese hold. Now, its China. Various epithets have been hurled against Chinese products. “Its cheap”, “Its defective”, “Its copies” and “counterfeits”–these are some of the things being hurled against Chinese products. The West wants to project itself as “quality”; while the Chinese, well, it is “inferior” and “crass” and ” poor quality”.

This war would be won soon by China. First, China is beginning to improve their production. Second, as it improves, it also cascades to how they make their products. Eventually, they will achieve total supremacy. And the Yanks will be hard put trying to contain them. What’s left as an option to stem the spread of the Yellow Plague?

War–its the game that the US loves.

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