All I wanted was the Barbie Teresa and Mika set from Target. It came with a Barbie doll, a small toy cat, and a bath to wash the pet. I begged and begged my mom, but when she found the three magic words “made in China” on the outside of the box, it was a stern no.
That is how it has been my whole life. Whenever I go to the store, or go to order something, my mom naggingly reminds me to avoid things made in China.
Just like I try not to buy from China, the Air Force shouldn’t either.
On Nov. 2 the Wall Street Journal reported that the Air Force had purchased 57 drones from Da-Jiang Innovations, or DJI, the world’s largest maker of unmanned aerial systems, based in Shenzhen, China.
The military claimed the drones would be used to train airmen on how they could be used against the U.S. or its allies and how to defeat them. They said that purchasing the drones was cost effective and useful.
The U.S. is in nearly $1.18 trillion of debt to China, according to CNN. In 2019 alone, our country imported $451.7 billion-worth of products from China. The U.S. does so much business with China that without them, our country might collapse.
We are essentially owned by China.
Purchasing clothes from China is more cost effective than buying clothes made in America, but that isn’t enough for me to just throw out my morals and loyalty to the country.
In 2020 China poses more of a threat than ever. You may not think that China created the coronavirus to take down the U.S. and the rest of the world, but they certainly did a poor job at containing it, and at being honest with the rest of the world about the virus. Because of China’s behavior, thousands have died in the U.S.
Additionally, information came out that China was spying on Americans through the use of TikTok, gathering information on our citizens through a fun social media platform. There is so much they can do with that information. They could collect information on the U.S. military and send that information back to China. We as a nation should be worried and angry that they continue to have an opportunity to do that.
It is quite possible that the drones purchased from China will give them the ability to spy on our military. They have spied on the country before, why should we assume that this time they won’t?
China continues to wrong us. They continue to see that we are vulnerable under their control. And maybe they are right. Instead of submitting to their control, our U.S. military should return those drones and refuse to purchase from China in the future.
Taking back our country begins with those who lead us. The military needs to set a good example for all to follow.
If it isn’t from America, I don’t want it.
Reagan Gensiejewski is a junior studying rhetoric and public address.