Letter to the editor

Even in the midst of our on-going problems at home we continue to invest our time and money, not to mention manpower, in far off lands to try and bring stability and peace to those troubled regions. In the meantime, one of our primary trading partners, namely the People's Republic of China, is rapidly gaining in economic and military power, so much so in fact, that it may soon equal or even surpass our own. Its bad enough that our upside down trading status is out of control, but China's growing military dominance in the Asian theater is becoming a very scary scenario. There is little doubt she will use this power without restraint whenever she feels the urge to do so if we don't stand ready to make it clear that indiscrete acts may lead to tragic consequences. We certainly don't need or want a war with China and we don't need or want to stretch ourselves so thin elsewhere, militarily or financially as to make us so weakened or vulnerable as to invite or tempt an aggressive act against us. Being the number one military power in the world carries the burden of enormous responsibility. China might just want to keep that in mind in its quest for that title.

President Obama wants the world to view America as a bastion of freedom and a force for justice and peace and who can fault such a lofty goal, but we must proceed with caution, keeping in mind what happened to the hare in its race with the turtle.

George Morin
Auburn, Ga.