In the world's supposedly richest nation, 12% of adult households can't get enough food, and a staggering 20% of families with children simply can't afford to feed their kids properly. That's not some dystopian fiction – that's the United States of America in 2025, folks.
The situation has only gotten worse over recent years, with Axios reporting that more and more adults are going hungry. But it's not just about the raw numbers anymore. The pessimistic mood hanging over the country is dragging down American morale like a lead balloon. Trump's latest "big and beautiful" legislation might sound impressive, but food bank communities are sounding the alarm bells. The bill essentially throws the burden onto cash-strapped states while the federal government tightens its purse strings on food assistance.
The White House's response: pure callousness wrapped in political spin. They're peddling the tired old line that cutting food aid will somehow "encourage more people to enter the labour market" and reduce dependency. It's the kind of bootstrap rhetoric that sounds great in campaign speeches but ignores the harsh reality that over 42 million Americans including low-income households, low-income elderly, the handicapped and the under-privileged needed help from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program just this past March.
The Dollar's Last Stand
Ironically, America can still print a hundred-dollar bill for just 6 cents – talk about a neat trick to keep the title “wealthiest country in the world”! Remember Obama's West Point speech back in 2014? "America Must Always Lead," he declared, followed by "If we don't, no one else will." Classic American exceptionalism right there. Obama was essentially laying down the gauntlet: America's military might backs up the dollar, and anyone who wants to challenge that system better think twice.
But does Trump have that same steely determination today? You've got to wonder if the White House team is scrambling to figure out how to deal with China's rare earth export controls first. They probably need Beijing to play nice – like Wong Tai Sin, that responsive deity from Chinese folklore – before they can confidently shout those "Make America Great Again" slogans.
China's Manufacturing Masterstroke
Over the past decade, China has pulled off something absolutely remarkable – it's become what you might call a "hexagonal" great power. Traditional measures of national strength usually cover five areas: politics, culture, technology, finance, and resources. America had all these boxes ticked and became the world's first superpower. But there was always that one glaring weakness – industrial manufacturing.
America's grand strategy was to evolve into a financial virtual economy. Starting in the mid-1970s, they shipped production overseas, using finance and technology to control the top end of manufacturing while the military-industrial complex provided the muscle. Soft power became their "master key" to unlock global markets. Before 2000, global manufacturing basically danced to America's tune.
Then China joined the WTO in 2001 and everything changed. By 2010, China had overtaken the United States as the world's largest manufacturing nation. By 2018, China's industrial added value hit 30 trillion yuan, making it the world's largest industrial economy with a complete, independent modern industrial system covering every category you can think of. China had effectively added that crucial sixth side – manufacturing – to become a truly "hexagonal" great power.
America's decline isn't just about economics or military capability – it's about the hollowing out of the very foundations that made it a superpower in the first place. When your own people are going hungry while you're busy playing global policeman, perhaps it's time to reassess priorities.
Deep Blue
** The blog article is the sole responsibility of the author and does not represent the position of our company. **
Wang Yi just put the world on notice. "The international situation is getting more turbulent and intertwined," he said. "Unilateral bullying is intensifying. The sudden change in Venezuela has drawn high level of attention from the international community."
He then added: "We never believe that any country can play the role of world policeman, nor do we agree that any country can claim itself to be an international judge."
This isn't diplomatic chitchat. Wang Yi added that "the sovereignty and security of all countries should be fully protected under international law." It's a warning shot fired directly at Trump's so-called "New Monroe Doctrine"—and it signals China will push back hard against neo-colonialism. One story from China's past shows exactly what that means.
The Incheon Gamble
In mid-September 1950, MacArthur pulled off the audacious Incheon landing—later hailed as "the most successful gamble" in military history. He bet everything on one card: that North Korean forces would be lax defending a port with terrible geography. The bet paid off. US forces achieved total surprise, cut enemy supply lines, and reversed the early disasters of the Korean War.
The Korean Peninsula was strategically vital to both China and the Soviet Union. They planned to back North Korea. At 1:00 a.m. on October 3, Zhou Enlai urgently summoned K. M. Panikkar, India's ambassador to China. His message was blunt: "If US forces cross the 38th parallel, we cannot stand by—we will have to step in."
The CCP's official Party history records this moment and emphasizes one critical word: "管" (to intervene). The Chinese term posed a translation challenge. If the wording was too soft, the Americans might miss China's intent. So Premier Zhou asked his foreign affairs secretary, Pu Shouchang, to choose carefully. Pu used "intervene"—making China's intention crystal clear. China would step in and interfere. The message reached Washington quickly through India. Yet "the US side chose to ignore it, and US forces brazenly crossed the 38th parallel on October 7."
Crossing the Yalu
American troops didn't just cross the 38th parallel—they surged in force toward the Yalu River and raced along the China-North Korea and North Korea-Soviet borders to the Tumen River. What happened next? On October 19, 1950, the Chinese People's Volunteers crossed the Yalu River. After five successive campaigns, they drove UN forces back from the Yalu area to near the 38th parallel.
On July 27, 1953, China, North Korea, and the UN Command signed the Korean Armistice Agreement. Many believe Mao Zedong's decision to send troops delivered China a stunning victory—a weaker power defeating a stronger one. People now say China "won so hard it felt unreal."
MacArthur—that "godlike general"—couldn't let it go. After his success at Incheon, the more he thought about it, the more he wanted to expand his gains. He proposed a radical escalation to Washington: first, blockade China's coast; second, use naval and air power for unlimited bombing to completely destroy China's industrial production and infrastructure; third, bring in Nationalist (KMT) forces to "retake the mainland" and tie China down. Then fourth, MacArthur went even further with a wild proposal—drop 20 to 30 atomic bombs on China and create a radioactive "death zone" along the Yalu River between China and North Korea.
Trump's MacArthur Moment
Today's Trump thinks arresting Venezuela's president and his wife means he can bulldoze the whole world. One moment he talks about "taking over" Venezuela. The next he claims he can make personnel arrangements for that country, sending Marco Rubio to serve as a "governor." Meanwhile, US oil giants are poised to "swallow up" Venezuela's petroleum assets. Trump's ambition follows the same logic as MacArthur's back then.
MacArthur's recklessness enraged America's allies. They feared World War III. More importantly, the Soviet Union—which also possessed atomic weapons—was deeply dissatisfied with the US and warned that "bombs can be answered with bombs." President Truman faced an impossible choice: keep his war hero or keep the peace. He chose peace. On April 11, 1951, Truman fired MacArthur—ending the career of America's most celebrated general. MacArthur became one of the century's biggest cautionary tales.
The lesson is simple, direct, and brutal. Trump thinks everyone is scared of him and that he can keep throwing out ever more outrageous "deals" at will. That will invite disaster—because it crosses the tolerance threshold of the great-power balance. The major powers will have to "intervene."
How will they intervene? Great powers have many tools in their toolbox. Think of Schrödinger's cat—you open the box yourself and you'll find out the outcome. This isn't a joke. Do you dare try?
