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Each
year the people of the United States write a check to subsidize China, one of
the most brutal, anti-American regimes in the world. Lately it has been in
vogue for everyone in Washington to eagerly denounce the egregious abuses of
the Chinese people at the hands of their communist dictators. Yet no one in
our federal government has been willing to take China on in any meaningful
way.
Very
few people realize that China is one of the biggest beneficiaries of American
taxpayer subsidies. Thanks to the largesse of Congress and the
President, China enjoys subsidized trade and the flow of US tax dollars into
Beijing's coffers.
I
offered an amendment before the House of Representatives last month that
would have ended the $4 billion subsidy our nation quietly gives China
through the US government's Export-Import Bank. The bank underwrites the
purchases of goods and services by the Chinese government and others around the
world. Unfortunately, only a minority of Democrats or Republicans supported
my measure. Apparently, many members of Congress are happy to bash China, but
don’t mind lending her U.S. taxpayer money at sweetheart interest rates.
Some
of your money went to fund a nuclear power plant in Shanghai owned by the
China National Nuclear Corporation, a state-run company. Many US-based
multinational corporations benefit directly from Export-Import Bank subsidies
to China, including Boeing, Westinghouse, and McDonnell Douglas. So
it’s not hard to understand that business trumps the feelgood rhetoric
condemning China.
There
is no constitutional authority for Congress to make loans to any country, and
certainly no basis for giving away the hard-earned cash of Americans to
communist leaders who brutalize their women and children with forced
abortions, and persecute Christians for their faith.
In
reality, there is very little the federal government can do about conditions
in China. Under our Constitution, the federal government simply does not have
the authority to point a gun at Chinese leaders and force them to respect the
principles of liberty. It
just doesn't work that way.
I believe that by
engaging the Chinese people, opening personal dialogue, and seeking to change
their hearts and minds, we soon will see that regime collapse. The laws of
economics dictate that a communist system cannot stand for long. But in the
same way, I firmly believe there is a higher law which dictates that people
exposed to the principles of liberty will not for long allow themselves to
remain shackled to an oppressive government. Economic freedom, i.e.
capitalism, now has a strong foothold in China. The Chinese people may
soon demand political, religious, and personal freedom as well. But in
the meantime let’s stop sending tax dollars to support a government we
claim to despise.
Ron Paul
www.house.gov/paul
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other articles by Ron Paul
Congressman
Ron Paul of Texas enjoys a national reputation as the premier advocate for
liberty in politics today. Dr. Paul is the leading spokesman in Washington
for limited constitutional government, low taxes, free markets, and a return
to sound monetary policies based on commodity-backed currency. For more
information click on the Project Freedom website.
Published
with the authorization of Dr. Paul.
Copyright
Dr. Ron Paul
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