The reality is China smells blood

HOW CAN anyone say that to rely on the United States and Japan for our nation’s defense against Chinese aggression will cost us our independence? (“It’s complicated,” Opinion, 6/12/15). Somehow the Inquirer editorial’s definition of independence got twisted.

The editorial seemed to have left off a very important fact—that is, that our country is poor and weak. Poor and weak countries always lose wars, they lose territories, they get invaded and, most of the time, the citizens are degraded as well into lower-class citizens.

The reality right now is that China smells blood; and at the same time it can sense the fear among our leaders because they know that we do not have a fighting chance.

Let us simplify matters and ask ourselves: What caused this conundrum that our fragile nation is experiencing? Redundant as it sounds, the answer is the nonstop corruption, the self-serving leaders, the gangsters in our government.

Our country is unable to purchase advanced weapons systems for defense purposes because the funds just go to the pockets of government officials and their gangster friends. The question right now is: Can we still reverse the course? Sad to say, it seems as if we are predestined to where we are headed and that it’s maybe too late to change course. So it will really be China’s call if it decides to impose its will in the region.

For our “friend,” the United States, this will be just another proxy war.

On the other hand, if China decides to back off and respect international laws, will our nation experience an epiphany and change its attitude toward those who make our country weak, poor and defenseless?

—JOSE SANTAMARIA,

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