By George Landrith, Frontiers of Freedom
A recent Department of Defense (DOD) report reveals that the communist Chinese regime has surpassed the United States in missile development and the number of warships and air defense systems. China is progressing towards their goal of achieving dominance in the next 20 plus years. It has long been the totalitarian regime’s plan to surpass the U.S. and become the dominate economic and military power in the world.
If the Chinese regime is successful in dominating the world, it will not be pretty. They brutally repress anyone who has a critical word to say about their grotesque excesses. They imprison political dissidents in “re-education” camps where they are routinely killed. So imagine what will happen if this murderous totalitarian regime becomes the world’s preeminent super power. They may not be quite as bad as Marvel’s supervillain, Thanos, but it would be close.
To put into perspective the realities of China’s progress towards its goal of world domination, they now have the world’s largest navy, with approximately 350 combat ships. The US Navy’s current battle force is 295 ships. China also has more than 1,250 ground-launched ballistic missiles and ground-launched cruise missiles — some with a range of over 3,400 miles. In contrast, the US conventional ground launched ballistic missile has a range of 185 miles. China also has an impressive integrated air defense system.
Most experts still believe the US military is more powerful given the high-tech nature of its defensive systems, but the gap is closing rapidly and if we don’t act now, it won’t be long before China surpasses us.
China has also set out to corner the world market on international shipping. As Napoleon’s ill-fated foray into Russia taught, you can have the greatest military in the world, but if you cannot properly supply them, even a relatively weak opponent will eventually defeat you. China wants to dominate international shipping because it will give them both economic and military power. The global trade fleet is about 41,000 ships. China builds almost 1,300 ships a year. The US builds only eight.
Some may not see international shipping as a national security issue, but it clearly is. Our military needs American sealift capability to move their supplies and equipment around the globe and the Jones Act provides it. It simply isn’t a serious plan to subcontract that work out to the Chinese or some other unreliable nation.
The Jones Act is designed to ensure that we have the shipping capacity and trained mariners required for our national security needs. It also helps protect the American homeland. The Jones Act simply requires that ships used to transport goods between two American ports, must be American ships with American crews. Notably it does not prohibit foreign ships from making a stop in American ports.
Some have made sport of vilifying the Jones Act, arguing that it was originally passed 100 years ago and is too old for a modern world. That argument makes me wonder how they feel about the Constitution and the guarantees of free speech and due process, which are more than twice as old.
Ask yourself these important questions — if we abolished the Jones Act, would you be comfortable with Chinese ships sailing up and down the Mississippi loaded with spies and high-tech electronics gathering intelligence and intercepting communications? Would allowing China to have a constant presence in America’s heartland, on the more than 25,000 miles of inland waterways, make America more or less secure? Would abolishing the Jones Act help or hinder China in achieving its goals of world domination? These are a few of the things that America must consider before listening to those who say the Jones Act is too old to be of any current value.
China’s totalitarian government wants to make itself our master and is working towards that goal. We ought not cooperate or make that easy for them. That is why I’ve advocated for keeping our defenses strong and second to none. It is also why I steadfastly argue for maintaining the Jones Act. We need a robust missile defense. We need a strong military. And we need the Jones Act.
George Landrith is the President of Frontiers of Freedom
