Last week I spoke again of my extreme concern over China’s long-term intentions. There is a long history totheseconcerns that I would like to share with you here.Decadessince,I had german friends, Fritz and FriedaMix,to whom I visitedand stayedwith home in Germany,and they visited us when they were in America. We also continued the written correspondence and we walked and talked for hours. Coming from a German-speaking family,I had an intense interest in people, history,Language,and culture.
They werea number ofyears older than me, and given their age andvery different lifeexperiences, I found them extremelyinteresting. However, none of them wanted to talk about a subject, it was their life under Adolf Hitler.Despite their reluctance, I sometimes forced the problem. I thought to myself, Art, these dear friends have been through somethingfirst handthat you will only read in history books. The day may come when you need it.
So like I said, I would insist on it and they would give in. In such a discussion,I remember it like it was yesterday, Fritz took several deep breaths, his face took on an air of what Ican only be described as agony, as if he had been transported somewhere else, then pulled himself to the edge of the chair and slowly, distinctly spoke the words: KRIEG KRIEG WAR (WAR WAR WAR). From there he relatedsome of his experiences.
Friedawas also affected. Shetold that no onewas allowed tosay anything against Hitler or the Third Reich.So,everyone kept their mouths shut except for a neighboring family, who just couldn’t help themselves. At that point, Frieda just lost her. With her elbows on her knees,his face buried in their hands,and her tears were running down her face,she told about the night the SS came and tookthe whole familya way. They never heardagain from them–not a word.
The parallels between Germany before WWII under Hitler and China today under Xi Aredisturbing. Given my family heritageandmyGerman friends who endured the pain of one of the lowest pointssin human history, make me aware ofI knowparallels.I see the devastation coming; I see a malicious China repeating the German plague. I see in Xi the same quest for domination that Hitler exhibited.
I see in China telling the world that they want peace, while simultaneously increasing their military strength by 10% per year even if no enemy threatens them.Nowthey or theyuse this power to take over the South China Sea, in contravention ofinternational law.Germanyinsisted on his peace Iattempted,sowalked his troTheps in theRhineland,in violation of the Treaty of Versailles.I see China spyingall theircitizensanddeny themtheir civil rights, just like Germany. I see China lying to the world, saying that Hong Kong will remain free under them, when it makes no more sense than Hitler thought when he told Englands Chamberlin that his intentions towards Czechoslovakia were limited and peaceful.
We see Chinaconfining more than a million of its citizens in concentrationcamps, including Germanyalso done.
Thecruelty, immorality, deception, intimidation, militarism and tacticsofXi Jinping and the Chinese Communist Partyreflect thoseHitler and the Nazi Party.
Before attacking Poland, Hitlercontinue accordinglyto the world that he wanted peace, fearing the consequences of awakening potential enemies toreal intentions. Then hforces attacked Poland, andhe is no longertried to maintain the sham. We see China currently inthis maintains a fictitious step, but more and morecare less aboutwhat their potential enemies think about their behavior.I see itas presaging their entry into a dangerous sfloor, how to decidetake Taiwan, or forbidunauthorizedtransit of their South China Sea.
Germanyhe ownssa strong Christian tradition, drawnthe best oftheirCatholic heritage, ofnotables such asSaint Augustin,and ofMartinLuther, andother. To the enduring shame of the Germans,Hitler,and the Nazis, threw away all that is exemplary and commendable, and tapped into the lowest of human nature.
Likewise,Xi Jinping and the CCP havediscarded the best of Chinese tradition,as expressed in the teachings of Confucius, who is widely regarded as one of the most important and influential individuals in human history. He taught personal and governmental morality, correctness in social relations, justice and kindness. Confucianism has become an integral part of the Chinese social order. X’s government is out of step with who the Chinese people are and will fail, just as Hitler’s quest for domination failed. Yet it remains to be seen whether the world will rise soon enough toXi orwill do as with Hitler hold on to fight against the scourge until massdeath and destruction were inevitable.
Likewise,with Xi and the CCP. The world can and will beat them, but the question is whether the world will rally the leaders to do it now, when the price is lower, or later, when theCostis of an unimaginable size.
From the bible:Love is patient, love is kind. He doesn’t envy, he doesn’t brag, he’s not proud. He does not dishonor others, he is not selfish, he does not get angry easily, he does not keep any record of wrongs. Love does not rejoice in evil but rejoices in truth. It always protects, always confides, always hopes and always perseveres. Love never fails.According to 1 Corinthians 13: 4-8
