Born and raised in the Washington, D.C. area, I was almost certainly subjected to more frequent and intense political discussions – than the fortunate people in the likes of Peoria, Illinois or Panama City, Florida. (Ahh…Florida.)
One of the recurring DC themes – was people here seriously fretting the fact that most of the rest of the world doesn’t like the US very much.
My instinctive response was always: “So?” Because one my maxims has always been:
“True freedom is attained when one no longer cares what other people think.”
And human nature dictates – there is always widespread animosity towards better people and things.
There are more than a few guys who are little envious of Brad Pitt. There are more than a few women who are a little envious of Gal Gadot.
If you’re driving a Mercury Tracer – you may look longingly at the Mercedes Benz convertible next to you at the light.
Even this latter analogy – doesn’t do justice to what the US faces from the rest of the planet.
Most of the world’s nations – would kill to be Mercury Tracers. They’re Chevrolet Corvairs. They’re Ford Edsels. They are jalopies broken down on the side of the road – staring wistfully at the US cruising by with the top down.
The US – is the high school quarterback. Dating the head cheerleader. Much of the rest of World High School – is going to take some issue with US.
The problem is – we have spent the last half-century-plus being ashamed of being better. Apologizing for our success.
And the world didn’t view our supplication with appreciation – the world viewed it as weakness. And with ever-increasing intensity and frequency – began taking advantage of us.
Which only made them loathe us more. Because NO ONE likes or respects a wuss.
So trade deals got worse. And worse. And WORSE.
Member nations in the likes of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and the United Nations (UN) – went decades without paying their comparatively-tiny fair shares or meeting their comparatively-tiny membership obligations.
We spent the post-World War II seventy years – paying the freight to provide the national defense…of literally dozens of other nations.
Candidate Donald Trump became President Donald Trump – in no small part by campaigning against this. And promising to end it.
Trump: I Won’t Let America Be Taken Advantage Of Anymore
President Trump is doing very good work on trade. Nations are beginning to get up to obligation-speed in NATO and the UN. Nations are beginning to ramp up their self-defenses.
But anti-US animosity – dies hard. And money talks – and everything else walks.
We have spent the last half-century-plus – (very stupidly) outsourcing our prosperity to the rest of the planet. The world’s nations are inherent competitors – and we have been funding their rising against us.
So when they have a chance to stick it to US, human nature – including the desire for money – dictates they nigh always do.
To wit: Intellectual Property (IP).
The US has been the world leader on IP…forever. In no small part because our Constitution expressly protects IP. In a way almost no other nation comes close to matching.
IP protection grows even more important – as we hurtle further forward into the high-tech Information Economy.
Except: We made another huge mistake. We elected Barack Obama president.
The Obama Administration was almost certainly the most anti-IP administration in our history. To wit:
When the Government Sues to Undermine the Constitution
PTAB: DCs Latest Unaccountable, Power Grabbing Government Board
The result:
Intellectual Property Crisis: U.S. Drops out of the Top Ten in Innovation Ranking
Our Lack of Patent Protection Is Destroying America’s Future Economy
Human nature went to work – worldwide.
Nations everywhere thought to themselves: “If the US isn’t going to take its IP seriously – why should we?”
Speaking of the high-tech Information Economy – we are on the verge of the birth of the Fifth Generation (5G) wireless network. Which is an exponential, orders-of-magnitude leap forward in tech prowess.
5G will birth the Internet of Things.
Where your car talks to the road. Which talks to the stoplights. Which talk to the pedestrian lights. Which…
Where your appliances are remotely controlled by you. And talk to the manufacturers to remain in optimal working condition. And….
And on, and on, and…. The possibilities – are mind-bogglingly limitless.
The US is leading the world to 5G – thanks to one company: San Diego, California-based Qualcomm.
Qualcomm is the only US company investing in any significant way in the development of wireless technological advancement. They invented the way cellular phones connect to the Internet. They got US first to 4G. And 3G. They’re fundamentally, vitally important to our economy – and national security – going forward.
Which of course makes Qualcomm a titanic target.
Pathetically – the Obama Administration targeted Qualcomm. At the crony behest of uber-crony Apple. Apple uses Qualcomm’s patented tech – but no longer wants to pay for using Qualcomm’s patented tech.
The (Obama Federal Trade Commission) FTC Goes After Qualcomm
And just two days thereafter….
Apple Sues Qualcomm for Roughly $1 Billion
And of course – nations everywhere thought to themselves: “If the US isn’t going to take its IP seriously – why should we?”
Because nations everywhere – want to take US and our economy down as many pegs as they possibly can. By any means necessary.
EU Fines Qualcomm $1.23 Billion
South Korea Fines Qualcomm $850 Million
Taiwan Fines Qualcomm $774 Million
China Fines Qualcomm Record $975 Million
Speaking of Communist China and 5G….
The country that gets to 5G first – gets to set the global standards for the network.
Qualcomm delivered the US first to 4G. And 3G. So we’ve been setting the standards.
The only two nations even close to 5G delivery – are US…and Communist China.
So if this global assault on Qualcomm is even remotely successful – Communist China will be first to 5G. Which means they get to set the global standards for the network.
That won’t be at all problematic.
So President Trump needs to step up. In a big league, America First way.
Trump must assert US IP protection – everywhere in the world where it is threatened.
Which at this point – is pretty much everywhere in the world.
Trump is doing so in trade negotiations – especially with uber-IP-thief Communist China (there they are again).
Trump must do so with these very many bureaucratic assaults.
They must be stopped.
Or else our leadership – on 5G and any and everything else – will be.
This first appeared in Red State.