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In mainland China, many there have come to refer to Trump as “建国同志” or the “Nation Builder”. It is meant as a satirical insult citing his bottomless talent for strategic mistakes which only strengthen the Chinese nation. Rather than make America great again, he is making China that much greater. Even the illegal tariffs instigated by the USA have failed to achieve its intended purpose of blocking the rise of China and its growing importance in geopolitical affairs. Everything Trump does only serves to alienate us from our allies. In the end, we will become isolated and left alone in a world that is swiftly aligning with the Chinese vision of a multipolar ecosystem — as we all should.

America preaches the merits of capitalism and the free market but only when they are able to rig the game in their favor. In reality, the American elites abhor true competition and can't stomach that a non-white population is starting to outcompete them across every metric; producing not only cheaper goods but superior quality products. So rather than compete, the west retreats into protectionism.

When the people of China demonstrated their latent potential to surpass the USA in the areas of AI and robotics, Trump chose to implement sweeping export controls on all semiconductor chips. The regime had hoped that this would stifle China's aspirations on becoming a global technology hub. It is precisely the same sort of anti-competitive cheating we saw when China was barred by the USA to participate in the International Space Station; prompting China to create their own space industry with spectacular results. Each time America attempts to sabotage China's progress, they find a way around the limitations imposed on them and surpass all expectations. The launch of their own DeepSeek AI model shook the western world to its core. And now, though they haven't quite reached the same level as what companies like Nvidia can make, Chinese companies are starting to produce their own semiconductor chips with a speed and efficiency comparable to ours. It is only a matter of time before China reaches parity and outdoes us.

Trump then raised the ante when his administration pressured the Netherlands to seize the Chinese-owned chip maker Nexperia. This was one part of an ongoing escalation all throughout 2025 where the United States and its western vassals resorted to disreputable tactics to remove a valid competitor without actually having to compete themselves. This echoed the time back in December 0f 2018 when Canada, at the behest of America, arrested and detained Meng Wanzhou, an executive of the Chinese tech company Huawei and daughter of its founder, Ren Zhengfei. The United States sought to have her extradited under false charges as part of a larger hysteria surrounding all things Chinese; absent evidence or tangible justification. It's just fear of the outdated “Yellow Peril” rooted in racism and paranoia.

Yet western nations continuously bend the knee and submit themselves to the commands of the USA with seemingly no hint of self-respect or independent thinking. The vassals of the west compete with one another for who can appease their overlord the most. Although, few are as eager to shame themselves to fulfill the objectives of their suzerain like Australia. It seems that the legacy of billionaire Rupert Murdoch and his ultra-far-right conservative media empire has done its work well. It's this same cowardice that has led my country to ban any electric vehicles from China.

If Americans stopped listening to the propaganda and actually realized just how advanced cars from BYD, NIO, or Xiaomi are while also realizing that they could acquire such luxuries for a fraction of the price that western competitors demand (like the now disgraced Tesla), they'd be upset over being denied such things from a defiled White House who promised lower prices only to wreck the economy and make everyone's quality of life all the worse. But as of this writing, it seems that Canada is finally coming to its senses in lieu of America's persistent threats to annex them. Prime Minister Mark Carney is traveling to Beijing to reassess his options. Perhaps Canada may remove tariffs on Chinese EVs? Will this lead to visa-free travel? I suppose we'll see.

The tariff war came to a head when China unveiled its coup de grâce by placing its own export controls on the entire global supply chain of rare-earth minerals. This threatened to not only halt our capacity to continue making essential technologies, but also our capacity to make war. With this simple move, China proved to the world that it will never yield to America's rogue antics any longer and would not cave under pressure like so many others before it had. With no other recourse, Donald Trump was forced to meet with Xi in Busan, South Korea. Though Trump tried to portray the meeting as a major win for America, the truth was that the regime was in a position of little leverage and had no choice but to make concessions to the Chinese.

Thus Cometh The Dragon

Donald Trump, like so many of my fellow countrymen, grew up under the pervasive myth that the thing which made the United States great was the notion of American Exceptionalism. But how long can such exceptionalism last under decaying institutions, economic stratification, and a withering leadership? Roman exceptionalism did not save the Roman Empire anymore than it saved the Mongols, the French or even the British. All empires fade; that is the one absolute truth of history. There can only ever be change and a transfer of power from one imperium to the next.

It's not that America will collapse or cease to exist. On the contrary, I believe that America will continue to act as a major player in human affairs for centuries to come. But will it remain a Democratic Republic? That remains to be seen. As difficult as it may be for my fellow Americans to hear this, it must be said. The era of western domination over the globe is over. The United States of America, Europe, and all west-aligned vassals must learn to recalibrate and live in a new world order where other superpowers such as China exude their own centers of gravity. It is only through coexistence that humanity can ascend towards the stars.

According to the World Bank, a UN organization, the vast majority of poverty alleviation in the world has come from China whose government has benefitted the largest number of people in human history. China also produces the largest number of STEM graduates in the world with as many as 3 to 5 million per year. In terms of expertise, China has the numbers to overcome any challenge. In terms of politics, China has the will and the foresight to plan ahead and think in the long term.

Unlike American politicians who often demonstrate concerning intellectual deficiencies, those of the Chinese Communist Party exhibit a marvelous level of competency sculpted by a much more meritocratic system which favors results while simultaneously punishing corruption (at least under Xi Jinping). And unlike America's failing experiment of democracy, Chinese leaders are not, in theory, beholden to the self-serving interests of wealthy capitalists whose desires typically run counter to the needs of the people.

This coming April, Trump will travel to China to meet with Xi; setting the stage for the next phase of US-China relations. No doubt, our idiot Führer-In-Chief will seek to negotiate new and favorable terms after his humiliating concessions to the Chinese last year when he realized they couldn't be bullied into submission like everyone else. It might have been the first time since the Opium Wars that China was able to retaliate against a western power. The balance of the world order has irrevocably change and both nations will need to adjust until a new and more peaceable equilibrium is reached.

Back in 1971, then-president Richard Nixon removed the US dollar from the gold standard, thus turning it into a fiat currency. To maintain its value, he established the petrol dollar by tying it to Saudi oil; the stipulation being that this oil could only ever be purchased in American dollars. Nixon later made his famous visit to China. This led to a transfer of technology, experts, and the eventual opening of China to the international economic system. It was then that the west offshored most of their production to Chinese factories in exchange for cheaper goods and greater purchasing power for western consumers. Chinese standards of living steadily increased and people in the west were able to afford more things. For over three decades, this arrangement worked wondrously for almost everyone involved.

But like all great hegemons, the United States began to abuse its position and funneled too many dollars into never ending wars in the Middle East; causing the national debt to balloon. This reached its climax with the financial crisis of 2008 when the housing bubble burst. China took notice and began to reposition itself; internationalizing the yuan in a bid to promote a more stable global economy. The invasion of Venezuela and abduction of Maduro is yet another aspect to the contest between China and the US.

China has spent decades building a coalition of partners across Asia, Africa, and the Middle East to secure its needs for resources and to further its interests abroad; like any great power would. China in large is quite dependent on other countries for oil and gets much of it from Russia, Iran, and of course Venezuela. Such dependency is possibly one major reason for the CPC's push to transition into more sustainable clean energy as fast as humanly possible (an idea American leaders could stand to learn from). Currently, all three oil sources — Iran, Russia, and Venezuela — are under attack by America either through militaristic means or via monetary instruments such as sanctions meant to enforce instability. The fact that China is the largest trading partner for most of the Latin American nations drives the Trump regime crazy. It isn't difficult to imagine why they seek to expel China out of a region which they've publicly described as “our backyard”. In fact, as of this writing, I think Trump has already issued demands to Venezuela that they must cease all trades with China and can only trade exclusively with the United States of America; a terrible deal which will only further impoverish that country.

But why should China leave Latin America? Is this not the free market at work; a concept American patricians seem to worship more than their Jewish messiah? If the Chinese can offer better terms and better deals, then it is up to the recipient sovereign nations to determine whether working with China is to the benefit of their people. Even Javier Milei, the hyper-conservative president of Argentina who ran on a anti-communist and anti-Chinese political campaign, had switched tunes once he recognized just how vital trading with China is. Let us not forget Xi's Belt & Road Initiative and its mission to promote a more integrated and prosperous global community. Would my country really undo all of this just to soothe its own ego? Obviously, yes!

Trump and his conspirators still believe that American exceptionalism permits us to impose our will and to trample on anyone, big or small, who gets in our way. They believe that might makes right; sticking to the notion of a zero-sum game. China's masterful control of the global supply chain for rare-earth minerals, as well as their trade surplus with other nations, is seen as a direct threat to our delusional insistence on being the sole rulers of the Earth. And thus we are seeing Trump's regime falling back to the old behaviors of many colonial powers before us; namely the pillaging and pilfering of neighboring countries as though we are no more than depraved pirates.

When Jimmy Carter became President in 1977, he had to relinquish control of his prized peanut farm in order to avoid any conflicts of interest which would inherently arise from ascending to the highest office in the land. In 2026, as Trump seizes and sells oil stolen from Venezuelans ships, he is now pocketing that money into a private bank account in Qatar which only he controls. I suppose that luxury jet Qatar donated to him may have something to do with this. It seems corruption is always in good company. Part of Trump's wider project in South America is to seize their resources such as lithium, gold, silver, and copper; all materials China needs to power its EV, AI, and aerospace ambitions.

This is partly why Trump is convinced that Greenland must be annexed despite ignoring the reality that much of the landmass is buried beneath a mile of thick glacier ice. Perhaps these scientifically illiterate fools actually do believe in human-led climate change and are betting that the ice will melt just enough to start digging. Regardless, an assault on Greenland is an assault on Europe. Such a strategic mess would effectively end the transatlantic alliance. We would isolate ourselves further from the international community. By initiating all of these wars and sowing chaos around the world, Trump believes this time he can beat China.

Many in the world, including myself, share a common frustration over China's lack of military involvement to stop America from looting its neighbors. China was vehemently against Israel's genocide of the Palestinians yet did nothing to stave this US-Israeli colonial project. Now Venezuela, one of China's major partners, is left seemingly abandoned to the whims of American imperialism. But I supposed that this is consistent with China's official stance on geopolitical affairs. China has stated time and time again that it does not engage militarily nor interfere in the internal workings of sovereign states. Perhaps this is a trauma of their own lived experiences when they were carved up by the west. Maybe it's also the Chinese taking lessons from the mistakes of the Soviet Union whom they had many disagreements with.

China tries to abide closely to international law and to work within the framework of the United Nations in concert with other countries to improve the material conditions of all. At least while Xi Jinping remains in power, China will never risk the lives of its people by going to war on behalf of another county; especially a barbarous nation like that of the United States. The People's Liberation Army will instead defend China's people and territorial integrity. Only upon request of the UN do they ever send the largest military in the world to deescalate tensions abroad. Almost everything China does internationally is for the birth of a multipolar world to benefit the largest number of people on Earth. By contrast, lately everything America does serves to benefit only its hegemonic machinations and a very small group of patrician elites. The United States lives off of war and death. China, meanwhile, thrives on peace and cooperation.

From my interpretations and research, China seems to genuinely subscribe to the creed that with great power comes great responsibility — something my country used to believe in once upon a time. They have gone from being one of the poorest nations on Earth to being one of the richest and now extend their hands to help others in need. In Venezuela, China saw an opportunity to access their vast oil reserves whilst providing them with much-needed funding amidst US sanctions. Maduro's illegal kidnapping has complicated this long-term endeavor. It is because of America that many nations it deems antithetical to its imperial interests remain poor and trapped in stasis such as with Cuba. America will always use its power to exploit others for its own benefit.

China doesn't need to do anything different from what it has already been doing for the last forty-something years. They need only watch as the United States commits blunder after strategic blunder. Wherever America retreats, China will happily advance to fill the vacuum we leave behind. I don't know how this new cold war shall end. No one truly knows the future; though we may try our best to ascertain its trajectory. I believe that the world can only prosper when both China and the United States work together to achieve a common good. The issue we see arises from the fact that American leaders are incapable of recognizing China as a peer on equal terms. Part of it has to do with base racism as many white folk in this country still incorrectly believe that one's ethnic makeup determines one's abilities in life.

China has also been reducing its total holdings of US treasury debt; accelerating dedollarisation to the point where almost half of all trade around the world is transacted in alternate currencies. Russia, China, and India have already created their own viable alternatives to the US-controlled SWIFT system; thereby enabling all of them to circumvent American meddling when it comes to global payments and transactions untethered by sanctions.

My idiot president has also pulled the United States out of dozens of UN agencies such as the UN Human Rights Council and the World Health Organization. Trump even dismantled USAID, a critical lifeline for poorer countries in need of disaster relief while also promoting American soft power. I could list so much more, but I believe you get the point. This withdrawal from multilateralism is a signal to the world that America no longer cares for nor has the inherent capacity to lead the international community. Funding for clean energy projects such as with solar and wind power were entirely halted in favor of fossil fuels. This act, which to this day dumbfounds me, essentially cedes victory to China in regards to the race for dominance in Green Tech.

This is why the world NEEDS China. In them, we have a stable alternative to the rotting American-led order. China doesn't just talk of lofty ideals; they implement in real ways like with the Belt & Road Initiative (BRI), BRICS, the RECP, ASEAN, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, the China-CELAC Forum (Latin America and Caribbean), the Forum on China-African Cooperation and the Eurasian Economic Union just to name a few. Each of these organizations aim to eliminate global poverty and create a more equitable world. Trump would undermine all of this if it means maintaining American dominance. Do we not see the problem here?

In Conclusion

I believe I am going to end things here with this fifth entry for the On The Republic essay series. No doubt, the coming weeks, months, and years will provide a veritable abundance of material for me to comment on, but that's not a thing I care much for anymore. In my twenties I was much more invested in the political discourse of my country and even harbored ambitions for obtaining political office so that I could do right by the people. I wanted to instill change and combat against what I saw as a rising patrician tyranny. But alas, given what has occurred over the last few years (and continues to unfold as I write this), I find myself not just disillusioned over the state of American democracy, but I've essentially lost my faith in the nation.

The Republic is teetering upon the edge of a cliff and is running headlong towards an abyss from which it may never claw out of. It's not the principles of democracy which I've grown apathetic to. In fact, my owns beliefs regarding the maxims of the constitution is stronger than ever. But such enlightened ideals in and of themselves have proven to be insufficient in halting the corrosive tendencies of capitalism with Trumpian characteristics. Our elected representatives have surrendered their mandate to rule and our courts now permit the erosion of our most sacred of institutions; all for a man so contemptible and antithetical to what our Founding Fathers stood for as to defy all common sense and dignity. I couldn't write a more unbelievable novel if I tried.

As of January 2026, the patrician oligarchs have seized the levers of our democracy and flooded the government with so much capital as to effectively silence the collective voices of the people. And while there are those amongst the citizenry who still embody the promise of decency, reason, and progressivism, too many in the electorate are hopelessly radicalized by the MAGA cult; blinded and deceived by their own resentments, bigotries, and envies. The body politic as it currently exists is ill-equipped to support and defend a fair and functional democracy. And honestly, I don't know how you can fix that. Removing corruption is one thing. But how can you correct the cognitive deficiencies of a population which has by and large embraced anti-intellectualism?

I've said this before but... I do sincerely hope that I am proven historically incorrect... Damn it, I want to be wrong! I hate this timeline we now find ourselves in... But each day the world seems to be getting just a little bit darker and more bleak; at least from the point of view of an American living in the swamps of Florida; a conservative state which voted in favor of this traitor. Now we are on the verge of war against our European allies in a bid to annex Greenland despite not possessing any authority to do so. We are on the precipice of embarking on a new colonial project to swallow up all of Latin America. And the most terrifying thing of all is that, domestically, we are seeing the violent emergence of a true totalitarian state run by a regime that has already shown a complete disregard for taking the lives of its own citizens. I am too well-versed in history to want to stick around for what comes next.

If things are allowed to continue as they are at the current rate, America's status as leader of the free world will fade into the annals. Although, I think that we have already irreparably damaged our reputation abroad for generations to come. What reason left is there for the countries of the world to trust a rogue nation like the United States which disregards international law? What faith can be placed in us given the utter instability of our leadership? What long-term agreements can be truly reached when we abandon our own obligations regardless of the consequences? What else can I say that hasn't already been expressed? How many times must I deploy the use of terms such as “fascist”, “patrician”, “oligarchy”, “autocracy”, “treason” and various other words just to describe a degrading situation that requires no further elaboration?

Even if Trump and his conspirators move ahead with his invasion of Greenland, what else can be said? Even if Trump expands his war on South America to the sovereign nations of Cuba, Colombia, Mexico, Panama and beyond, what else can be said? Every crime and gross violation of the constitution has resulted in absolutely zero accountability. Every bit of theatrics concocted by the White House is yet another distraction to divert public attention away from the Epstein Files — an issue which this Republican congress has continued to delay and suppress. This is a negation of justice. But then, what else is new? How will democracy save us if Trump cancels the midterm elections as he repeatedly hints at behind a venomous grin?

If this nation is to ever have a chance in healing from this self-afflicted wound, then justice must be handed down with ruthless application. Every man and woman who aided and enabled this dictator must be held into account and face the judgement of the people. Every billionaire oligarch and CEO who bent the knee must have their assets seized and re-appropriated for the people. Everyone in the administration must be tried for crimes against humanity at the Hague via the International Criminal Court. And if that tribunal deems it fair and just, then let them be executed for all the world to see. Donald Trump must be made an example of; a poignant reminder to all youths in America that our Republic does not entertain kings or tyrants and shall never submit to the whims of a despot. Absent these measures, there will be no lessons for future Americans to learn from. Absent justice and accountability, how much longer before a younger and far more capable politician rises to achieve what Trump is trying to do? Under that future Augustus, America may not have a second chance.

You may consider these suggestions as extreme or even intolerable but I urge you, dear reader, to consider the real consequences of what might happen if we don't hold these monsters to account. Who will rescue us should America fall into autocracy? Canada? Europe? No... No one is coming to save us. Only we, the American people, can save America from itself. Come November, we will once more participate in a most crucial election in our nation's history. Should the Democrats win a majority in both the house and the senate, then perhaps there is a chance for congress to impeach the President. Maybe we can vanquish all of his treacherous accomplices to prison. But what if that doesn't occur? What if Trump is given free reign to consolidate more power until only the executive office of the presidency gets to make the rules? What good is our democracy then?

And so, I urge you to reflect and ponder over what our values as a nation should be. I beseech you to consider the examples of our Founding Fathers, flawed as they were, and to appreciate the gifts they have bestowed onto us. I call for us to remember the sacrifices our ancestors made in order to secure freedom and liberty so that their progeny could live in a world of greater opportunities. I urge you, my dear readers, to revisit and embody the words written within our Declaration of Independence:

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. --That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, -- That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.

And with that, I believe I shall end my commentaries on the issues of this American Republic... Such writings have become too all-encompassing and deviates from the path I truly want to pursue; namely becoming a successful fantasy author and establishing a manga production studio abroad. Amidst all the future evils which may come to pass, I must remain steadfast to my own objectives. I have the sixth book of Deorum Legions™ as well as part two of Yokai Country™ to focus on. There are multiple languages I want to learn and master such as Spanish, Chinese (mandarin), Japanese, and Arabic. There is a whole world just waiting to be explored. I cannot allow myself to get entangled by the minutia of a dying empire run by inferior shepherds. I can't permit my political opinions to jeopardize my chance to flee this land and live in more favorable locales such as Canada, Spain, Japan, or China. And most importantly, I will not become a martyr for a country I no longer believe in.

When I wrote the first two parts of this essay series a year ago, I said that for the American people to truly know the depths of their folly, they would have to experience pain and suffering; much like what we are seeing right now. In the process, there will be death and destruction, as we are seeing now. There are two competing visions for the country and only one of them can win. Remember than 77 million people voted for this fascist who was VERY public about his intentions all throughout the 2024 presidential campaign.

As much as I want to ascribe all of this to the supreme and overwhelming ignorance of American voters, this isn't the entire truth. It is more correct to suggest that, for a great many Americans, all that Donald Trump has done is exactly in alignment with their own immoral and ideological values or lack thereof. Fascism in this White House is a direct reflection of the rot within American society itself. In times like this, I am reminded of this quote. Though attributed to Karl Stojka, a holocaust survivor, there is no hard evidence that he made such a statement. But the sentiment still speaks volumes to the spirit of his era:

It was not Hitler or Himmler who deported me, beat me, and shot my family. It was the shoemaker, the milkman, and the neighbor who were given a uniform and believed they were the master race.

Should the people of this besieged Republic come to their senses and recognize the urgency of our times as I do, then perhaps there is a chance that we can correct our course before it is too late. Perhaps, before the rest of the world's nations abandon us, we might yet prove the nobility of our people. But no longer can we capitulate nor engage in any sort of appeasement. Civil disobedience in all things is the only way to fight back against Trumpian despotism. And if the worst indeed comes to pass, then we shall rise to arms and defend our liberty just as our ancestors did almost 250 years ago when we signed the Declaration of Independence. Let us shout the eternal creed of all lovers of democracy:

SIC SEMPER TYRANNIS

Farewell for now, dear reader. Please stay safe, drink plenty of water, eat as nutritiously as possible, and remain vigilant in the coming darkness. We will get through this so long as we stand united as a people no matter how cruel the weapons of tyranny might be. So long as we abide by the promise of this union and its founding principles, then the enemies of our Republic will never break us. Trump, like all tyrants and their enablers, will be rendered as nothing more than ashes and dust. It is only a matter of time. Remember, dear reader: E Pluribus Unum... Out of many, ONE.

¡VIVA LA REPÚBLICA!