ABSTRACT

The front-page headlines are screaming about the unexpected souring of relations between the United States and China. And therein the essence of American foreign policy toward China: national security through delusion. It’s not the first time that the inscrutable “Middle Kingdom” has snookered the “foreign devils.” This chapter considers for a moment foreign policy delusions. First, the Utopian Economic Delusion: Behind America’s hopes for China–most of them genuine–is the idea that if one gives a country a little prosperity, like a kid who is basically good, it will soften its more aggressive tendencies. There were reams of information, still kept classified, on the administration’s selling of influence to Chinese agents. Second, the Transference Delusion: Common to economic hotdoggers in both parties is the idea that American businessmen do not want to do business in China only for the dollar’s sake. There are at least two other delusions at play: peace delusions and engagement delusions.