Columns: No Limits, No Kidding!
Chinese Dogs and American Colleges
Oriental breeds fascinate American dog lovers, from the Tibetan Mastiff to a tiny Chinese Crested, but do you know about Confucius Institutes in our Universities?
January 26, 2021 Col. Sam Harper, Dogsport Reconnaissance
Thinking about expanding her “higher learning” degree and checking out universities, my daughter knew I’d be interested in this. As a soldier who fought for American values, I am a lot more than interested!
China’s University penetration made news in 2019 when reporters began to question on-campus Confucius Institutes. Then, like melting snow, coverage disappeared.
Intrigued, I started digging. As of January 19, 2021, NAS (the National Association of Scholars) counts a total of 63 Confucius Institutes in the United States. This mind-shaping of students has been going on for over a decade. Education experts testified that China's ability to interfere with our learning process, culture, and political process is problematic.
According to the National Report over a dozen college professors were arrested during 2020 for secretly working with the Chinese government to “actively disseminate and propagate anti-American information to students.”
In fact, while you guys were showing off your Oriental Breeds “Hundreds of thousands of dollars" was being paid to individual professors to “turn” students. Those research grants are funded by your tax dollars and prominent America companies.
I made a couple of quick calls and verified there are dozens of these Confucius Institutes operating in colleges around the country, courses funded and provided by the Chinese government. The Asia Society says “Confucianism is … a system of social and ethical philosophy rather than a religion” but it also states Confucianism is “built on an ancient religious foundation to establish the social values, institutions, and transcendent ideals of traditional Chinese society.”
If you give 30 seconds thought to the supremacy struggle between our countries, you might be concerned that this week we welcomed as president a man whose son has been ‘making deals’ in China? I’m no scholar but I know a thing or two about politics and subterfuge. The practice of politics was instituted when man first stood upright and found that there was strength in numbers.
In fact, two hunters were better than one (pun intended) and could get more game than just a Hunter alone. If you’re tuned in, you know about China messing with our politics as well as insinuating their people into our school systems...
My daughter says dog owners are enchanted by the Chinese breeds and that the Shih Tzu and Pekinese are among the most popular in AKC registrations. The Chinese Shar Pei was propagated in the United States and I get that it was exciting to dog owners who were involved in or “fancied” the rare breeds.
But falling for a dog or a piece of porcelain is a long way from accepting communism.
The Chinese are as patient as they are intelligent and that brings us back to where I started. They are brilliant, not only as philosophers but as military planners. They invaded Tibet, North and South Korea in the 40s and 50s, India and Russa in the 60s, and of course we remember why we fought in Vietnam in the 80s.
Just this month we have the pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong which generated mass arrests. When you think about it, that is the difference between our countries.
We welcome Chinese visitors, teachers, politicians and their exotic dog breeds. We import their goods, from trinkets to prescription medicines. That is why our trade deficit was nearly $50 billion in 2019.
China takes nothing from us except our money, military secrets… and the minds of some of our most promising students and future leaders. Just last week a Chinese student was arrested and charged for photographing the Key West Naval base. But you probably didn’t hear about that.
If you have children in college, do your family and your heart a favor. Check out the courses and the teachers and keep in close touch with your young, impressionable offspring.
My daughter warns me not to offend owners of “Oriental breeds” so I hope I haven’t done that. I’ve learned dogs are a powerful bond between people of all races and beliefs. I miss my old hound and how much dogs unite people who might not otherwise share a beer or a trip together. So OK, I hope “Oriental breeds” continue to provide dialog and understanding between Americans and Chinese dog lovers but as a spotter, I see us as a free and prosperous nation. That makes us a target...
{Ref} Sustained demand for Chinese teachers in US schools creates opportunities. TheDogPress.com EST 2002 © 21S01 https://www.thedogpress.com/Columns/Chinese-dogs-and-American-colleges-Col21H01.asp SSI
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