HELPING OUT PALIN #9

This is the ninth in a twenty part series. Click here for an explanation.

#9 How would you balance concerns over human rights and freedom in China with the United States' growing economic interdependence with that country?

Our economic interdependence with China encourages liberalization in their economy and the spread of political rights.

Any punitive action that we take against another country just tends to increase the support of the people for the rulers, regardless of who or what they are. Bombing Kosovo increased Milosevic's popularity in Serbia. U.S. sanctions against Cuba are the number one reason Castro managed to stay in power for fifty years.

The most oppressive regimes in the world (Burma and North Korea) are also regimes which completely isolate themselves from the broader world — Tyranny can only survive in a vacuum.

If we really want a country to be kinder to its own citizens we ought to encourage it to become more interdependent with the broader world community, and China is on the right path.