President Obama’s deep bow to Japanese Emperor Akihito this week went further than a simple sign of respect. The near-90 degree tilt taken by our chief of state symbolizes a subservient American-Japanese relationship. Though I would not go so far as to call this treasonous, as some bloggers have, I would say that a greeting representational of an equal relationship between America and Japan would be much more appropriate. However, this deep bow could have been accurately directed at Hu Jintao, China’s head of state.
The Wall Street Journal reports that Obama’s endeavors in China have been less than successful due to a strong arm from the Chinese government, which is tightly restricting the president’s plans. This overbearing position taken by the Chinese government should be expected. Shi Yinhong, a professor at People’s University in Beijing summed up the issue well when she said, “The U.S. is not able to force its agenda on China anymore.” Debt has undermined our position of power. Hari Sreenivasan of CBS News reports that the U.S. owes China about $800 billion dollars, and Stephen Green, head of research at Standard Chartered Bank in Shanghi, stated on NPR in 2008 that this number was probably closer to $1.3 trillion. Either way, China has one of the largest stakes in the U.S. debt.
The U.S. has become subject to a communist country that has little respect for basic human rights, children and women. Consumerism has driven governmental and personal spending out of control. This, in turn, has led to the loss of international influence, which was once used to better the condition of humanity. America has become a nation complacent, if not downright submissive or dependent, in the world stage, as seen in the case of our president’s bow.
Alexander Fraser Tytler, a noted historian, postulated the nature of government as the tyranny-liberty cycle. This cycle describes government in five sequential stages that repeat over an approximately 200- year era: liberty, complacency, dependence, tyranny and revolution.
It appears from recent events in China and the general climate of American politics, including the current social policies of the left, that we exist between the stages of complacency and dependence. By the nature of our government, individuals who make different incomes are not treated equally. Individuals in higher tax brackets, and subsequently under greater government control, tend to believe we are further along in the cycle. These individuals say we are drifting into the realm of tyranny. Whether we are in a stage of dependence or nearing tyranny, this nation is far beyond the stage of liberty.
I am not advocating a revolt, and I oppose tyranny. If Tytler is right, however, the only path to a return to freedom is by way of the dark side of liberty, through tyranny and revolution. They key to successful government in the tyranny-liberty cycle is to move quickly through the painful stages and prolong the good stages. Since we have moved beyond the stage of liberty, it is crucial that we move quickly through the remaining stages to bring us back to freedom. At this point, I am a progressive in the most literal sense. Let tyranny come to the masses. Let revolution pass. For, in the end, liberty shall return.