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A review by darcyfrench
Stealth War: How China Took Over While America's Elite Slept by Robert Spalding
1.0
This is my first 1-star review ever, so exciting times! I won't spend too much time here, because it's not worth my time. On a personal level, Spalding comes off as a bitter man who has a grudge against all those who don't take his Sinophobic ramblings seriously enough. He seems to suggest any disagreement with his opinions on China is evidence of China's intrusion into US political and economic life. Also, any book where the author thrice assures us he isn't racist probably should reflect more deeply on whether or not he is racist. I could further add that any book that justifes not providing references "because it's all true" is a book that sets off some warning bells.
On a more structural level, this book is delusional. There are many genuine reasons to criticise China, and Spalding does in fact outline many of these areas. But where he goes so wrong is this zero-sum mentality where any competition engaged in by China must directly be at the expense of US prosperity. It pains me that I must constantly reiterate this, but China can compete just like any other nation. Yes, at times they do it unfairly, but so does America. And that brings me to probably my greatest frustration with this book; Spalding seems to not realise that half the things he accuses China of doing, they have been doing for decades.
Anyway, for fear of rambling, I'll wrap it up. There was just one more passage I remember as particualarly cortisol-inducing. Spalding was saying that rather than fight conventional wars, China would rather compete politically and economically... and he posits this as a critique of China... I just can’t believe you would critique a country because it doesn't want to start wars... but I guess what else could you expect from a China Hawk like Spalding.
This is an awful book that amounts to yellow-peril propoganda.
On a more structural level, this book is delusional. There are many genuine reasons to criticise China, and Spalding does in fact outline many of these areas. But where he goes so wrong is this zero-sum mentality where any competition engaged in by China must directly be at the expense of US prosperity. It pains me that I must constantly reiterate this, but China can compete just like any other nation. Yes, at times they do it unfairly, but so does America. And that brings me to probably my greatest frustration with this book; Spalding seems to not realise that half the things he accuses China of doing, they have been doing for decades.
Anyway, for fear of rambling, I'll wrap it up. There was just one more passage I remember as particualarly cortisol-inducing. Spalding was saying that rather than fight conventional wars, China would rather compete politically and economically... and he posits this as a critique of China... I just can’t believe you would critique a country because it doesn't want to start wars... but I guess what else could you expect from a China Hawk like Spalding.
This is an awful book that amounts to yellow-peril propoganda.