"The impediment to action advances action. What stands in the way, becomes The Way." Marcus Aurelius, Stoic Philosopher
May 27, 2020
By: Linda Case Gibbons
The toughest part of the Pandemic won't be jump-starting the economy, although that's going to be plenty tough.
It's going to be doing without Chinese.
And that doesn't mean your Kung Pao chicken takeout.
It's all the "stuff" we've grown to love. Inexpensive fun things we're used to buying at our favorite stores, WalMart, TJ Maxx, the Dollar Stores, at cut-rate prices.
All labeled "Made in China."
It's gonna' be tough weaning ourselves away from all that.
But when China exported the Wuhan Virus to us, then threatened to cut off the antibiotics it manufactures for the U.S., all because we called it the "Wuhan Virus," Americans took umbrage.
Well, maybe not umbrage, but they started to notice.
That China was a Communist country.
And that, "Damn it! China makes our antibiotics?"
Yes, they do.
And high-end products. Gucci. Tommy Hilfiger. Rachael Ray and Wolfgang Puck's cookware.
And provides about 80 percent of our seafood.
It's all kind of gotten away from us.
But who can blame American companies like Apple, Nike, Tommy Hilfiger and others for wanting to use cheap Chinese labor, so they can rake in more money from Americans?
You could, but they don't think you should.
After all, contemplating a market with 1.37 billion people would turn any business owner's financial head.
Hilfiger's website defends the manufacturing decision by citing the ways in which they support local communities.
In China.
Martha Stewart said she planned to expand her business back in 2015, by focussing on China's middleclass consumers. And manufacturing her cookware in China. That was something she's always done.
Doesn't that sound wrong?
It's the same reason Hollywood is so accommodating to China. Envisioning millions of ticket sales.
It's why LeBron James was so snarky to Rockets general manager Daryl Morey when Morey tweeted support for Hong Kong protestors.
To quote Rep. Ilhan Omar, "It's all about the Benjamins."
The upside of being divested of our basic liberties for 57 days is that the Pandemic made Americans realize, then ask, "How the heck did China get such a powerful foothold in our country?"
The answer is China had a lot of help.
"The Obama foreign policy has been one of appeasing Islamist dictators and bowing to the Chinese and the Russians," Michael Savage wrote in "Trickle Down Tyranny."
Previous administrations, elected politicians never called China a threat.
Before Trump.
Before Trump China charged the U.S. tariffs of 25 percent, while the U.S. charged them 2. Trump equalized the tariffs between the two countries, and China was furious. So were the people who had thrown their lot in with China.
Like Joe Biden. Bill Gates. Michael Bloomberg. And so many of our elected officials. Apologists for China.
Actually, the Pandemic hasn't been all bad. In fact, it's been great for us ordinary folk. We saw that the media "stars" look just as bad as we do without "Hair and Makeup."
But the fact is our economy has been ruined. Our social fabric shredded. And we need a way back.
This month, Arnold Schwarzenegger, of all people, gave us a way, in a 2020 Commencement Speech.
And ironically, his approach is in the same spirit as his nemesis, Donald Trump.
The former California governor told about a heart surgery he had that went wrong. How he had to fight his way back to health.
He did it, he said, by spending his time in recovery visualizing what he wanted. He wanted to be on the set of Terminator 6 on August 1.
He did it by declaring small steps, small victories. Walking. Breathing.
And he quoted Stoic philsopher Marcus Aurelius to graduating students:
"The impediment to action advances action. What stands in the way becomes The Way."
The Pandemic has placed unthinkable obstacles in our path. But it has also opened our eyes to so many things.
About our leaders.
About China.
And what we must do next to save our country.
Unwittingly China has handed us a gift.
China's Pandemic has given us "The Way." And unfortunately for some, it includes getting rid of China.
Hold the line, America.
Where We Go One, We Go All
Stay strong, Patriots.
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