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Catastrophic impact of cyber espionage by communist China, including cyber attacks on our national defenses, stealing classified information, violating patents and infringing copyright

Getting Out of the Red to China



The cost of China’s widespread and long-standing cyber espionage campaign on American interests was addressed in an article in the 27 January Wall Street Journal. Former Director of National Security Mike McConnell, former Secretary of Homeland Security Michael Chertoff, and former Deputy Secretary of Defense William Lynn cited the October 2011 report to Congress by the National Counterespionage Executive.
The report estimated that “catastrophic impact of cyber espionage” by communist China, including cyber attacks on our national defenses, stealing classified information, violating patents and infringing copyright, have cost the American economy billions of dollars and millions of jobs. To finance the unprecedented deficit spending of the Obama administration, the United States borrows 40 cents on every dollar it spends. This debt is not only a dangerous drag on American productivity, it could easily trigger the destruction of the economy. Much of this debt is owed to communist China. Fortunately, these two alarming conditions suggest a convenient remedy. In view of the staggering cost of Chinese cyber attacks, the United States government should levy a fine against communist China equal to the amount of our debt to communist China. Cyber attacks are very difficult to defend against, and their costs are only evident long after the crime has been committed. There are rarely consequences to the attacker, since the trail of evidence is beclouded in cyberspace. Thus, the victim has very few options. He can complain diplomatically, he can retaliate, or he can demand restitution.

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Diplomatic complaints to communist China have an unbroken record of ineffectiveness. From human rights violations to currency manipulation to military intimidation, China has no history of responding positively to diplomatic entreaties. Further, doing so would merely be an admission of guilt, another gesture unfamiliar to communist China. Retaliation could occur in many forms. We could retaliate in kind, and use cyber attacks to steal Chinese secrets, copy Chinese technology, violate Chinese patents and copyright. But one look at their new stealth fighter or commercial aircraft or automobiles will tell you that their most advanced concepts look like ours. We would learn nothing from them other than what they took from us. On the other end of the continuum is retaliation by force. Military action is seldom justified by economic provocation, and the United States has always been reluctant to break that precedent. The middle ground is occupied by economic sanctions, but China trades with the world now, and we certainly can’t bring much pressure to bear as they stand behind a bulwark of American IOU’s. That leaves restitution. It is the fairest, surest, least explosive means to redressing the crimes that China has been perpetrating for years against the American government and private industry. It is a simple matter between two countries–ours and the Chinese. We don’t require the cooperation or permission of any other nation or collection of nations. We have been wronged, and we will apply an appropriate sanction. There will be protests far and wide, some even from people in this country. But those who protest should have done so while China was waging cyber war against us. Because we have allowed it to continue, the communist Chinese assume that we will endure this attack without reaction, and they will continue to enjoy the benefits of this one-sided war. China has financed our reckless spending, and we have given them power over us and our economy. But if they ignore the rules of behavior between civilized nations, then we should adopt the same attitude. Assess damages, eliminate our debt to China, and set an example to the world that attacks of any kind, even in cyberspace, will not be tolerated.


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Lance Thompson -- Bio and Archives

Lance Thompson is a freelance journalist.


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