【By Guancha Observer Network, Ruan Jiaqi】

"The first time I saw this video of a Chinese internet celebrity on TikTok, I thought, Professor Mearsheimer has to see this," "I find the views of that young man very attractive"... During a conversation with John Mearsheimer, a famous American political scientist, about the tariff war initiated by the U.S. against China, host Navarone proposed to insert a video clip.

After watching the video, this professor of political science at the University of Chicago also said frankly, "He is right."

What kind of video made both of them marvel?

Mearsheimer (right). Video screenshot

According to the program video, a young Chinese man pointed out in English that it was the U.S. government and oligarchs who sold out the collective interests of the American people for profit, causing domestic economic structural problems. The essence of Sino-U.S. trade is mutual benefit and win-win, and the United States should not blame China for its own problems.

The entire video was full of witty remarks, and the man constantly delivered his points. He said that over the decades, the U.S. government and oligarchs have sought cheap labor in countries like China to maximize their profits, abandoning their own manufacturing industries. "In this process, they have hollowed out your middle class, crushed the working class, sold off your future for profit, and made you proud of it at the same time."

He emphasized that over the past 40 years, both China and the United States have benefited from bilateral trade and manufacturing, but only China has used these earnings for national and livelihood construction. "China has indeed made a lot of money, but we have used these funds to build roads, help millions of people out of poverty, provide medical security, and genuinely improve living standards. We have returned these funds to the people, and my family has benefited from it."

"On the contrary, what have your oligarchs done?" The man changed his tone, "They buy private jets, own luxurious estates with golf courses; they manipulate markets, evade taxes, and pour huge amounts of money into endless wars. What you get are stagnant wages, overwhelming medical costs, fleeting pleasures and heavy debts brought by cheap stimulation, and those probably made-in-China goods. They keep emptying your wallets."

The man further pointed out, "This fault does not lie in China, but in yourselves. You have allowed these things to happen, letting all sorts of scams and lies fill your lives, while they make you numb, ignorant, and addicted. Now, they are pinning the mess they created on China, which I do not agree with."

"They have stripped you of everything, yet you still thank them. This is undoubtedly a tragedy, and an outright scam," he called out to the American people. Americans need a complete revolution to reclaim control of their nation, not tariffs.

After the video ended, the host asked Mearsheimer, if this Chinese man were one of his students speaking such words in class, how would he respond?

"I would tell him that I basically agree with his views. I think he is right," Mearsheimer answered without hesitation.

He added that he believed many Americans shared the same view as this Chinese man regarding what was happening now. This precisely explains why there has been a trend of "anti-elitism" in the last three U.S. presidential elections, and why Trump, who is not from a political family, was elected president twice.

It is worth noting that as a representative figure of American offensive realism, Mearsheimer reiterated in the program his long-held view that "China cannot rise peacefully." He believes that, as the Chinese man said, U.S. political elites intentionally concealed this "fact" for personal gain.

"I have long believed that China cannot rise peacefully. And I have always been puzzled why various hardliners in the U.S. national security establishment disagree with me. They believe that China can rise peacefully," he said.

Mearsheimer recalled that around the early 21st century, he had once publicly debated with the late Zbigniew Brzezinski, former U.S. President's National Security Advisor, on whether "China can rise peacefully."

He recalled, "I remember sitting on the podium thinking, why do I insist that China cannot rise peacefully? While Brzezinski, whose political stance is about five to ten levels more right than mine, advocated that China could rise peacefully."

Mearsheimer believed that this was because almost all U.S. national security elites have made a fortune through China, and deep down they want to maintain good relations with China. Very few people are willing to admit that if China becomes a true power, it will be a serious problem for the United States.

"What you see here is that these national security elites care more about their personal interests than national interests," he added.

Regarding U.S. tariffs on China, Mearsheimer said that he believed, apart from those items exempted by Trump, such as computers and Apple phones, it is unlikely that any other Chinese-made products will smoothly enter the U.S. market.

"There is no doubt that the U.S. economy will suffer a severe blow. Similarly, China's economy will also find it hard to remain unscathed. As for which side will be hit harder, it is difficult to conclude for now," he continued, "If I have to guess, I am not an economist, but intuitively, I think China will cope better than the U.S."

Mearsheimer further stated that due to these inappropriate tariff policies, the United States has severely harmed its own interests in interactions with other countries. Moreover, this will undoubtedly cause many troubles for Trump's governance domestically. Especially for Trump's loyal supporters, that is, his base, it will cause devastating effects.

He mentioned that recently, Bernie Sanders, a heavyweight senator of the U.S., held a nationwide tour of anti-Trump speeches, which invariably attracted large crowds of people. "This is exactly because quite a number of Americans who are not well-off have already been severely affected, and they sense that they will suffer greater losses in the future due to Trump's policies. However, most of these people voted for Trump in the previous election. That's the reality."

Mearsheimer pointed out that during Trump's first term as president from 2017 to 2021, he was subject to many constraints. But today, Trump is almost in a state where he is not constrained by anything, and he can act recklessly. This situation is indeed dangerous, "We must seriously analyze the reasons behind it, which is necessary."

This article is an exclusive contribution from the Guancha Observer Network and cannot be reprinted without permission.

Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7494933664170656307/

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