My wife is a dyed-in-the-wool Southerner; at least she used to be. When I was offered the job of running the Wildwood Leader back in the 1970s, I told her of the offer. After her tears, she responded, “I’ll move to the North, but I won’t have my children there.” She was good to her word, and each time we were about to have another child, she would go to Louisiana to her family’s home to give birth.
I tell you this because I want you to know how devoted to the South she was. That sentiment was extremely strong 50 years ago, and residual animosity toward the North because of the Civil War was still alive and well.
That said, she will tell you that she is glad that the North won that war, because it would have been bad for America otherwise; slavery would not have ended, and the nation would have been divided in two. Consequently, we would not have the wonderful and powerful nation which we enjoy today.
This brings me to the topic of Independence Day, which we will celebrate this coming Tuesday, July 4, when we severed our ties to England. We treat this as an unabashed good, and in many ways it was. England’s treatment of her colonies was abysmal. Under the leadership of our unimaginably dedicated and resourceful Founding Fathers, those 13 colonies cobbled together what was to become the foremost nation in the history of the world. Had we remained under England’s thumb, that might not have happened.
But here is what I am driving at: The world has changed in the two and a half centuries since our war of independence. Back then, the two vast oceans which separated our continent from the rest of the world afforded us insulation from enemy powers. That insulation is far less formidable today, given the advancement of war-making technologies. And today, we face an adversary in the Chinese Communist Party, which is intent on becoming, by 2049, the dominant world power.
If they had become the friend which we had hoped they would develop into, their 1.4 billion people versus our 330 million would not concern us. But they are turning increasingly hostile toward us, and, unlike America, China is annually increasing their military spending significantly. If China were a democracy, it would likely not desire to take on America. Democracies answer to people, and people generally prefer peace to war. No, China is an autocracy, which rules its own people.
In addition to their military challenge, they steal our technology, and otherwise ignore the rule of law which they and all other nations claim to support.
America used to have a huge navy; we don’t anymore. China now has more warships than we do, and they are working to establish a military presence around the world, including in Cuba. What do they need them for? Now, when we sail through international waters, they physically challenge our right to do so. Where is all this leading? I fear no place good.
In my view, it is a wonderful thing that our Civil War ended with the preservation of our nation. In our war of independence with England, with whom we share a common language, culture, and legal system, would political reuniting with them be in our best interest? Perhaps the military alliances we are crafting with the British Commonwealth are sufficient for our mutual protection. A problem is, alliances are weaker than national bonds, and China knows that. Thus, I ask the question, should we work to undo the war of independence, and reconstruct a form of the British Commonwealth, pulling together England, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand? A coming back together of the Commonwealth would cause a bellicose China great pause.
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From the Bible: How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity. Psalm 133:1
