IR Debate No. 2: Can China and The U.S. Coexist Peacefully?

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I have chosen Argument 2, which is that "The United States and China Can Coexist Peacefully." I have two reasons to believe this, the first of which is simple. Argument 2 is right because it is happening now. The United States and China are coexisting peacefully as I write this.
 
My second reason is more complex. Although they have different types of government, China and the U.S. have many similarities. Both countries persecute religious groups for their faith. China kills Uygher Muslims and oppresses Christians, and the U.S. locked worshippers out of churches in 2020. It is worth noting that at the moment, China and the U.S. do not persecute religous groups with the same degree of severity. However, the American dike has a hole in it and will follow China's lead if no change occurs. 

Furthermore, both countries are able to order their populations to imprison themselves. The first shutdowns in the U.S. were issued by states beginning on March 15, 2020, and some states were not liberated until late 2022. In China, the first quarantine orders were given on January 23, 2020, and portions of the country are still restricted three years later. 

Also, the citizens of both countries have given their governments the power to tell them what to wear. Specifically, I mean what to wear on their faces. Although some masks can be helpful in slowing the spread of diseases, the government should never have been allowed to force people to wear them. 

The U.S. is slowly but surely adopting collectivism. Collectivism is "any of several types of social organization in which the individual is seen as being subordinate to a social collectivity such as a state, a nation, a race, or a social class" (Brittanica). This can be seen through the reasoning they fed us in 2020, that we must give up some of our liberty for others. It allowed the American government to get away with restricting and mandating the people. Individualism, on the other hand, used to be a popular sentiment in the U.S. The Brittanica Encyclopedia defines it as "political and social philosophy that emphasizes the moral worth of an individual." America was founded in individualism. In his "Study of The Law in the United States," Congressman and Supreme Court justice James Wilson wrote "Without liberty, law loses its nature and its name, and becomes oppression." The Chinese people have lost their liberty, and Americans will too unless we wake up. 

I shall conclude with a fitting quote from Thomas Jefferson: "under pretence of governing they have divided their nations into two classes, wolves and sheep."  China violates personal liberty more brazenly, but America is catching up. These global superpowers can coexist peacefully because their leaders have a similar goal: to craft a submissive society.



Sources:

"California judge blocks Gov. Newsom's Covid-19 restrictions on worship services," "China orders Christians to replace crosses and images of Jesus Christ with portraits of communist leaders," theblaze.com

"Los Angeles County to Pay $400,000 Settlement to Church That Defied Pandemic Lockdown," theepochtimes.com

"Collectivism," Brittanica Encylopedia

"CDC Museum Covid-19 Timeline," cdc.gov

"UPDATED: Timeline of The Coronavirus," Think Global Health

"Study of The Law in the United States," 1790, James Wilson

"Founding Fathers Quotes on Government, Democracy, and Placing Power in The People," ammo.com



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