Red-handed

Corruption has been around as long as politics have been around, which seems to be pretty much since the beginning since the Old Testament is full of politics, often of the lying, sneaking, and back-stabbing variety.  As a missionary in Russia and then in a couple classes in college, though, was when I was introduced to corruption.  It didn’t seem to play a large role in the American politics that I knew from the 1980s and 1990s.  Russians, though, constantly complained about corruption, and textbooks and articles in college expanded my understanding of the scope of corruption all around the world.  Sadly, as time has gone on, corruption has continued to expand and not retract like most hope it would.

Red-handed: How American Elites Get Rich Helping China Win by Peter Schweizer (ISBN: 978-0-06-306114-9) chronicles corruption among American elites as it pertains to China.  The book shows how many facets of American society are compromised because of their deep, corrupt financial ties to China.  Both major political parties (already for decades) have been selling out to China along with big business, the green lobby, the American entertainment industry, and even America’s sports leagues.  While the Clintons and the Bidens headline the political corruption, the Bushes and Mitch McConnell are also exposed.  Politicians and diplomats consistently use their time in office to make connections with high-ranking Chinese, then cash in on public service, brokering Chinese access to American halls of power.  Some, like the Clintons, Bidens, and McConnells, don’t even bother waiting until they’re out of office.  The worst part about it from an American security standpoint is that many of the deals involve dual-use technologies, defense industry, and hi-tech products that, when protected, protect America’s edge and advantage in the world.  The NBA has sold out to China for the billions of dollars it can make there.  In turn, players, coaches, executives, and even fans are prevented from expressing certain views.  The same holds true for Hollywood, where anti-American messages are de jour, but the studios must walk on eggshells when it comes to China, Taiwan, and Tibet.  A short section at the end talks about what can be done and passes out a little praise to the few to whom it is due.  Ultimately, American political discourse is constrained, and American national interests are subjugated to a country that does not, according to the statements of its own leaders, believe in a positive-sum game, but a zero-sum game, and it’s willing to do what it takes to be the one on top.

The book was very interesting and worth one’s time.  Schweizer is a long-time crusader against corruption in government and has written a number of tomes on the subject, including Clinton Cash.  Schweizer is not political in his writing or research: all sides are fair game, and this was particularly evident in this book.  I also appreciated the look beyond politics and into the culture and business worlds, which play a major role in American life and in American politics.  Politics in America would not be what they are if it wasn’t for the way those on top in the cultural and business worlds acted.  The book is well researched (the scores of pages of endnotes point to this), although all the names and figures can seem a little convoluted at times.  If one reads for the overarching points, this does not inhibit the reading experience.  The facts and figures are there for those who want the minutiae, though.  The other strong point of the book was that it explained what some of the risks are from this corruption, which helps us understand the immediacy of the concern.  The prescriptions at the end seemed realistic, although maybe too little, too late.

 

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