by Lawrence Kadish
Having lost a generation, a nation, and an empire to opium introduced by Imperial Britain during the 1800s, no one knows better than the Chinese that a drug scourge can bring a country literally to its knees.
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| (Image source: iStock/Getty Images) |
In a recent national poll, more than half of responding Americans believe that China is deliberately exporting fentanyl to the United States for the purpose of harming, or even destabilizing our nation.
Were that true, some might reasonably describe that strategy as an act of war.
For China, it would be historic payback time.
Having lost a generation, a nation, and an empire to opium introduced by Imperial Britain during the 1800s, no one knows better than the Chinese that a drug scourge can bring a country literally to its knees.
So, it should not surprise anyone that they have become a center of illicit fentanyl manufacturing, with drug traffickers exporting the killing chemical to the one nation China must strategically injure if they are to make good on their intent to dominate the rest of the 21st Century: the United States. More than simply turning a blind eye to those who are creating the drugs, the U.S. House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party reported this spring that China is directly supporting the creation of fentanyl and other drugs by offering "tax rebates and other financial benefits" to those manufacturers, as long as those drugs are sold outside of China:
"According to the report, Chinese officials encourage production of precursor chemicals by giving 'monetary grants and awards to companies openly trafficking illicit fentanyl materials.'"
One does not have to be a CIA analyst to appreciate the "why" behind such an action.
The cause and effect have not been lost on the American public. That recent poll, undertaken by the nationally respected polling company McLaughlin & Associates, revealed that a stunning 52.4 percent of Americans suspect that the Chinese are exporting the deadly drug for the specific purpose of destabilizing our society. Some 19.4% disagreed and 28.3% did not have an opinion.
When asked if our diplomatic relations with China should be dependent on Beijing shutting down those fentanyl mills, 54.5 percent of those polled emphatically said yes, while 21.3% said no and 24.2% did not know one way or the other.
The national survey also revealed that more than a third of Americans know someone whose life has been harmed or taken by fentanyl. More than some dry accountant's statistic, when approximately 100 million Americans know first-hand how this drug is destroying lives, then it is time to recognize the extent of the crisis. To underscore the threat, medical authorities say 2023 saw more than 112,000 fentanyl-related deaths in our nation. They warn that it has been more pervasive than the crack and opioid epidemics of the past.
While our two major party presidential candidates currently address issues that range from inflation to the border crisis, they need to be prepared to speak to this calculated assault on our nation, our society, and our future. They need to state what direct and affirmative action they will take if assuming occupancy of the Oval Office to make it clear to China that more than tariffs, sanctions or exports, our relationship with China will be judged by how and when they shut down this flow of poison.
Ironically, this poll is being released at a time when U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan is in Beijing to try and improve the contentious relationship between our two countries.
There is no public acknowledgement that China's fentanyl assault on the United States will be on their agenda, but it needs to be. Few nations know better than China what drugs can do to a society. They still reflect on what they describe as a "century of humiliation" created by the introduction of opium into their empire.
It is clear they believe it is now America's turn.
Lawrence Kadish serves on the Board of Governors of Gatestone Institute.
Source: https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/20907/china-funding-fentanyl-murders
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