The narrative around U.S. tariffs on China often casts America as the instigator, with some—particularly on the right—labeling China’s retaliatory measures as near acts of war. This view misses the core issue: our reliance on China is a self-inflicted wound, a toxic co-dependence that has eroded America’s sovereignty. Beyond trade, China’s aggressive acquisition of U.S. farmland, its growing influence through BRICS, and its systemic theft of intellectual property (IP) and personal information threaten our national security and independence. Rather than leaning on global orders to counter these threats, the U.S. must resolve its dependence through self-reliance, prioritizing principles over associations to avoid entanglement in a flawed global system.
China’s strategy has never been about mutual benefit. Drawing from Sun Tzu’s The Art of War, it seeks to weaken opponents by fostering dependence. Since NAFTA in 1994, the U.S. has outsourced its industrial base to a nation that exploits child labor and manipulates markets to dominate supply chains. The result is a hollowed-out America, tethered to Beijing’s agenda. Tariffs are not the problem but a belated attempt to reclaim agency. China’s response—retaliatory tariffs, currency maneuvers, and diplomatic posturing—betrays their discomfort at losing control.
China’s acquisition of U.S. farmland, estimated at over 384,000 acres with a 30% increase from 2019 to 2020, is a direct assault on our self-sufficiency. Purchases like the 2021 Fufeng Group deal near Grand Forks Air Force Base in North Dakota, close to military installations, raise concerns of espionage or sabotage. This land grab aims to control food production, undermining America’s ability to feed itself. As Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins emphasized, this is a “national security issue” requiring immediate action.
Through BRICS—comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, and new members like Egypt and Iran—China challenges U.S. dominance by pushing de-dollarization and alternative financial systems. Representing 45% of the world’s population and 28% of global GDP, BRICS amplifies Beijing’s influence. If Canada and Mexico, key USMCA partners, deepen ties with BRICS through trade or China’s Belt and Road Initiative, the U.S. risks economic and geopolitical encirclement. Mexico’s “nearshoring” trend, with firms like Tesla shifting production from China, is promising but vulnerable to Chinese investment, potentially six times higher than reported, which could exploit USMCA loopholes to bypass tariffs.
China’s intellectual property theft, costing the U.S. $225-600 billion annually per the Commission on the Theft of American Intellectual Property, cripples innovation. The 2018 indictment of Fujian Jinhua for stealing trade secrets from Micron Technology exemplifies how China bypasses R&D to bolster its industries. Similarly, the 2014 hack of the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, attributed to Chinese hackers, compromised data of 21 million federal employees, risking national security through potential blackmail or intelligence leaks.
The theft of personal information extends to citizens, with the 2015 Anthem hack, linked to Chinese actors, exposing 78.8 million Americans’ Social Security numbers and medical records. Such data can fuel identity theft, fraud, or disinformation campaigns. Platforms like TikTok, suspected of funneling user data to the Chinese Communist Party, have prompted bans in multiple nations. These breaches erode trust and strengthen China’s geopolitical leverage.
This isn’t a left-versus-right issue, though media framing since JFK’s era thrives on division. Corrupt elements in both parties dismiss these concerns as “propaganda,” but the stakes are clear: right versus wrong. Globalism, seeded by events like the Federal Reserve’s establishment and the Titanic’s sinking in 1912, has prioritized interconnectedness over independence. China’s land grabs, BRICS maneuvers, IP theft, and data breaches are not gestures of friendship but steps toward dominance. If our freedom to act independently provokes such hostility, were we ever truly free?
The red pill is stark: clinging to global trade illusions ensures a slow demise. The blue pill—accepting dependence—guarantees a point of no return, where we lose control over our land, food, security, innovation, and privacy. Relying on global orders like the G7 risks entrenching us in a system that dilutes sovereignty for the sake of compromise. Instead, America must forge a path of self-reliance, rejecting the globalist framework that has enabled China’s advances.
To break free, the U.S. must rebuild its industrial and agricultural capacity through domestic investment. Legislation like the CHIPS and Science Act is a start, but we need aggressive incentives for manufacturing, from semiconductors to pharmaceuticals, to eliminate reliance on Chinese supply chains. Restricting foreign ownership of farmland and critical infrastructure is non-negotiable—states like Arkansas have begun this by forcing divestitures, and more must follow. Cybersecurity must be fortified with federal privacy laws and strict penalties for data breaches, alongside bans on platforms that harvest user information for foreign governments.
Rather than countering BRICS through global coalitions, the U.S. should focus on bilateral trade agreements with trusted partners, prioritizing mutual sovereignty over multilateral entanglements. Strengthening domestic food production through subsidies for American farmers and innovation in agritech can neutralize China’s land grab. To protect IP, stricter enforcement of trade secret laws and sanctions on offending firms are essential, coupled with incentives for R&D to keep America at the technological forefront.
China’s rebellion against our push for independence—through trade retaliation, land acquisitions, and theft—is a wake-up call. The fight isn’t just about tariffs—it’s about ensuring America remains a sovereign nation, not a pawn in Beijing’s long game. By rejecting global orders and embracing self-sufficiency, we can reclaim our land, secure our data, and restore our economic strength. The path is clear: choose independence, or perish slowly under the illusion of global harmony.