"Americans, I don't think you need more tariffs; what you need is to wake up and you need a revolution."
Recently, a video of a Chinese young man calling out to the American public, pointing out that they need a revolution, has gone viral on social media platforms at home and abroad. This video exposing the problems in America has not only been widely shared on overseas platforms such as TikTok and YouTube but has also stirred up waves in the international public opinion arena.
On April 18th, in an American political talk show "Judging Freedom," host Andrew Napolitano invited John Mearsheimer, a political science professor at the University of Chicago, to watch and comment on this video by the Chinese youth. Professor Mearsheimer expressed high agreement with the views of the young man.
This Chinese young man's online alias is Neil, from Wuhan, China. Neil has lived in North America for over twenty years and has personal experiences with the political and social ecology of the U.S. The Observer Network contacted this young man to hear his story behind the video.
Neil has nearly 70,000 followers on his TikTok account overseas.
[Interview/Observer Network Zheng Leihuan]
Observer Network: I see your top video on TikTok, which is also the video that went viral recently. It has reached 2.4 million views. Could you tell me under what circumstances you recorded this video?
Neil: I have lived in Canada and the U.S. for about twenty years and am quite familiar with their social and political environments. The purpose of posting this video was not to incite them to actually start a revolution, but to make people realize that the real problem does not lie with China or trade; it lies within America itself, with serious internal issues.
In the past decades of Sino-American trade, both sides have actually benefited. As someone from Wuhan, I notice many new changes in my hometown every time I visit, but each time I go to the U.S., I feel there hasn’t been much change: infrastructure is becoming older, more people cannot afford healthcare, and there are still many homeless people on the streets, just like before.
Therefore, I wanted to use this video to tell everyone that the power of the country is no longer in the hands of ordinary people but controlled by a very small group of interest groups. Moreover, these few do not truly solve problems for the common people; instead, they create red-blue splits and left-right oppositions to make ordinary people argue with each other, thus diverting the public's attention while they profit behind the scenes.
Hence, I wanted through this video to let people see clearly who controls the direction of the country and where the true opposition lies among the public.
Observer Network: I noticed that your videos have been extensively reposted and remixed on overseas apps like TikTok and Instagram. At the same time, I observed that the comments below are in various languages, and most people strongly agree with your points. Why do you think this video became a sensation on the internet, especially on overseas platforms, and even cited in American TV shows?
Neil: I think many people already have this feeling, but no one says it, and no one dares to say it directly. Especially the word "revolution" in their eyes is equivalent to civil war, so they dare not say such things. And most importantly, it is shocking and ear-piercing for them when it is said by a Chinese person.
I saw that many of the点赞comments are from African, South American, and European netizens. In fact, many people outside the U.S. now clearly understand what is happening in America, while some Americans are still immersed in the political rhythm created by the two-party opposition, attributing America's own problems to immigrants and China.
What I said has been mentioned by others many years ago, but no one paid attention. So, this is also why this video could resonate with many people.
Observer Network: You mentioned in your video, “China made money, but we used it to build highways, provide housing for millions, invest in healthcare, and improve living standards, giving wealth back to the people,” and “My family has also benefited from this.” Could you elaborate on this situation? As a Chinese person living overseas, how do you view China's development in recent years?
Neil: Let me give you the simplest example: around 2007, Vancouver had three subway lines, while Wuhan only had one; today, Wuhan has twelve subway lines, while Vancouver still has only three, and the situation in the U.S. is similar.
Mearsheimer praised the Chinese youth
Talking about medical care, the U.S. and Canada are far less convenient than China. First, the cost of medical care in the U.S. is quite high. We once scheduled to consult a cancer specialist in California, and just meeting him would cost more than $5,000. Second, the waiting time for appointments is long, requiring four months just for a face-to-face consultation, and if treatment were to begin, it would take a year. Canada provides universal free health care, but the waiting period for medical treatment is also quite long. A friend of mine needed a minor surgery, and the doctor said he would have to wait six months, whereas in China, it might be done the next day.
So, first is the cost, and second is time. Without private insurance, getting medical treatment in the U.S. is quite troublesome.
Because I went abroad at the beginning of this century, I can always compare the development between home and abroad. In this regard, I think our generation has seen the most.
Observer Network: As you said, an interesting phenomenon is that this tariff war initiated by Trump is different from previous Western media's negative propaganda against China. This time, there are many supportive and understanding voices, including some American citizens expressing, "As Americans, we feel embarrassed." What do you think caused this phenomenon?
Neil: First, many of the things Trump says are lies. For instance, he claims tariffs are paid by external suppliers, but in reality, they are borne by buyers themselves. So now, whatever Trump says, people below him believe it.
I'll give another example. Recently, Trump imposed tariffs on Canada citing that Canada levied high tariffs on American milk and accused Canada of profiteering from milk, etc. However, the actual situation is that Canada's tariff applies only to goods exceeding the quota. Over the years, the amount of milk exported from the U.S. to Canada has never reached that quota, so Canada's tariff has never been activated; it's just a set-up on paper.
Therefore, anyone with a bit of knowledge will find Trump's tariff policy baffling.
Observer Network: American scholar John Mearsheimer commented on your views in the program, expressing strong agreement. He said that this is also the idea that Trump has promoted to the public in his three elections. Given the anti-elite trend in recent years in the U.S., Trump has become president twice. Combining this with the previous question, how do you view the "Make America Great Again" revolution Trump is currently stirring?
Neil: I think Trump initially seized the sentiment of the American lower class opposing elites and established institutions. Trump is a businessman, and he is most skilled at packaging himself as a brand for marketing. Therefore, MAGA precisely utilized the dissatisfaction of ordinary American citizens towards society. In fact, Trump himself is an elite, and his rise to power is supported by Silicon Valley and Wall Street elites. Trump did not break the oligarchic structure; he merely replaced one group of oligarchs with another.
Thus, I think the "Make America Great Again" revolution Trump calls for will fundamentally bring no change but is merely a harvesting of public sentiment, potentially exacerbating divisions among American citizens.
Observer Network: This tariff war, China is fighting very resolutely. As an overseas Chinese, how do you view China's response this time? If viewed from a broader historical perspective, do you think this tariff war will become a turning point in the balance of power between China and the U.S.?
Neil: China's response is correct; we must respond firmly. Because the U.S. now adopts a bullying attitude toward the weak and fears the strong, we must respond firmly to ensure that we can better assess the situation later and make the U.S. think thrice before formulating policies toward China after this.
In fact, the high tariffs imposed by the U.S. on China ultimately fall on the shoulders of ordinary people. Some friends of mine doing e-commerce on Amazon have profits of around 30%, and the burden of tariffs will eventually fall on American workers, consumers, and small businesses. Trump hopes for the return of manufacturing, but this is unrealistic. His continuous increase in tariffs will only worsen inflation domestically. These days, Trump has been arguing with Federal Reserve Chairman Powell about cutting interest rates early to stimulate consumption, which has caused the Dow Jones to drop by 2.5%.
I think compared to the U.S., China's economy is certainly more resilient. Currently, by shifting external trade to domestic trade and expanding the domestic cycle, and to some extent alleviating the pressure of the tariff war through cooperation with other countries, we can mitigate the impact of the tariff war. From a long-term perspective, as long as China maintains a relatively stable economic environment domestically, we can gradually win in the trade war.
Additionally, I see that Trump's approval rating for the first quarter is 45%, which is the lowest for a U.S. president at this time since World War II. The U.S. will basically begin preparing for the midterm election at the end of this year, so personally, I think Trump's current aggressive policy towards China may continue for some time.
Observer Network: After the Trump administration announced the "reciprocal tariff" policy, Canada also announced retaliatory tariffs against the U.S. A poll shows that Canadians'好感towards the U.S. has plummeted. Adding to this, Trump repeatedly stated that he wanted to make Canada the 51st state of the U.S. As a Chinese person living in Canada, how do you evaluate Trump's attitude towards Canada after taking office? What is the general view within Canada?
Neil: Many Canadians do not like Trump now, as I mentioned earlier about the milk case; Trump's behavior is like that of a liar. His claim to turn Canada into the 51st state of the U.S. is quite offensive to many Canadians. Since Canada is an immigrant country, many Canadians themselves are from former colonies, so they are very sensitive and repelled by such expressions with "aggression" and "colonialism" undertones.
Nowadays, some Canadians I know have a rather negative attitude towards the U.S., not only distrustful politically but also unwilling to travel there. Many Canadians have even sold their retirement homes and vacation homes in Arizona and Florida, U.S.A.
On the other hand, Canada has always been led by the U.S. in terms of trade with China, so many Canadian farmers are greatly affected by the tariffs. My Canadian friends and those who leave messages online all hope that Canada can renegotiate a free trade agreement with China. Of course, everyone is waiting for the election results to see if there will be any new opportunities.
Living in Canada for many years, one often feels that Canada faces a very unstable U.S., particularly politically unstable. Therefore, if Canada wants to recover its economy, it needs to find a relatively stable economic partner. I think the U.S. is no longer a reliable ally in Canada's eyes. Because Trump wants to pull Mexico and Canada into his coalition while wanting to make Canada the 51st state and send troops across the border to eliminate Mexican drug cartels, both the public finds this incomprehensible.
As a Chinese person living in Canada for many years, I hope that Sino-Canadian relations can develop in a better direction after Canada elects a new leadership. Actually, I have always had an idea: if China’s electric vehicles are introduced to Canada in the future, I want to switch to a BYD and drive straight to Seattle to show off. Due to tariffs, car prices here have risen significantly, so importing from China would be better.
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