The Severe Flaws of Unrestricted Warfare

Commentary

Common knowledge informs us that regimes such as China, Iran, and Russia use unrestricted warfare against democratic societies.

Other names for this type of warfare include asymmetric, death by a thousand cuts, hybrid, military/civil fusion, unconventional, and war by other means. This relentless strategy applies any and all means necessary to achieve dominance over other nations and their own citizens.

Unrestricted warfare uses bioweapons, cyberintrusions, disinformation narratives, economic cheating, and political interventions to advance totalitarian goals by undermining liberty and the rule of law. This type of warfare also uses convenient proxies to further long-term plans that benefit the alleged strong horse. The strong horse creates a system that harnesses all levers of national power to unleash on unsuspecting nations, using both hard power (gray zone saber rattling) and soft power (coercion with a smile).

It’s becoming clear that Iran, North Korea, Russia, and some lesser autocratic states are aligned to varying degrees with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Although China and its “allies” have various national interests, they all share a similar goal to subvert democracy and Western civilization. They play up the alleged benefits of communism while denigrating fair competition, individual liberty, and market capitalism.

Although it may appear that the CCP is powerful and exercises its power in diverse ways, there are critical flaws to its use of unrestricted warfare. First, when it exports social media platforms that encourage addiction and can access private data on global users, over time countries will wake up to the corrosive and uninvited effect on their societies. They will realize that the CCP is attempting to rip apart the fabric of their cultures.

Next, the CCP tilts the economic playing field through intellectual property theft and trade barriers to foreign goods entering China while building trade surpluses by flooding global markets with exports. Sooner or later, ignoring signed trade deals and unfair trading practices will turn countries against China. Nations will seek markets where commerce is a two-way street of mutual respect via lowered trade barriers and reduced tariffs.

Third, through its Belt and Road Initiative, China generates infrastructure projects in developing countries with long-term loans that are difficult to repay. The debt-trapped nations realize, too late, that China will exercise more economic and political control over their internal affairs, which can turn the recipient nations against China. The projects often benefit China far more than the host country, as China controls the ports and leaves debt-ridden states with the crumbs.

Fourth, although the CCP is arming to the teeth and carries out plenty of muscle flexing, it rarely uses military force to attain economic or political goals. It conserves, watches, and waits as other nations use up vast quantities of armaments.

However, on the flip side, even with a large military buildup, will members of the armed forces be willing to fight for a regime that primarily rewards loyalty rather than merit? Moreover, will young soldiers who come from one-child families be willing to lay their lives on the line for a country where life options are limited? If China’s last real military experience was the Vietnam War, how will its muscle memory perform if a future conflict erupts?

Fifth, while China expands its air, land, sea, and space forces, centralized economic development has slowed down and close to half the population still hovers at the poverty line. Large government spending has created loads of national and regional debt, while productivity incentives have eroded. Further, education and employment opportunities hinge upon one’s connections rather than experience and qualifications.

Sixth, unrestricted warfare is both internal and external. To maintain control, the CCP has forged a 24/7 surveillance state aimed at the Chinese people. Citizens must always censor their own behavior for fear of expressing dissent or doing anything to offend a Party that distrusts its own citizens. Those who desire freedom to keep their profits, own land, or practice their faith are marginalized or persecuted because of the CCP’s total control over society.

Seventh, in foreign affairs, the CCP is highly aggressive, yet often pulls the victim card on the world stage and blames other nations for its own hegemonic ambitions. No one forces the CCP to purchase U.S. farmland or infiltrate businesses, government, and universities to advance communist propaganda. Yet the CCP would never allow the United States to encourage democracy in China. This lack of reciprocity in foreign relations creates blowback against China, illustrating the weakness of unrestricted warfare.

Eighth, in unrestricted warfare, the rule of law, tradition, and truth are the first casualties that are replaced with arbitrary rules, brutal power, and moral relativism. When God-given freedom and just laws are denied, people are bound to rebel against their bondage. Even an alleged strong horse can lose control because of paranoia and infighting within the CCP hierarchy.

At first glance, unrestricted warfare appears strong, yet it is highly flawed, and eventually the “strong” horse will likely collapse from exhaustion. Indeed, the CCP stands in the way of human freedom, prosperity, and stability. We all have a role to play in opposing dystopian collectivism, but also a duty to offer a brighter future vision for humanity.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.