FUNDAMENTALS OF AMERICAN NATIONALISM:
Unequal Yoking in the Age of China’s Expansion
By: Michael David Simmons
1. The Opening of the Gate (1972)
In 1972, the United States opened the gate to China, believing in mutual exchange. Yet Scripture warns: “Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers” (2 Corinthians 6:14). America’s small-government openness—trusting private enterprise and voluntary cultural blending—was yoked to China’s centralized, state-led system. The yoke was uneven, and the burden fell disproportionately on the U.S.
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2. The One-Sided Exchange
- Business: U.S. firms entered China with little government oversight, surrendering technology and intellectual property for access. China, by contrast, dictated terms and preserved control.
- Culture: American openness allowed Chinese narratives, products, and platforms to flourish in U.S. society, while U.S. culture was censored or restricted in China.
- Education: Tens of thousands of Chinese students studied in America, shaping cultural flows, while far fewer Americans studied in China.
This imbalance reflects Proverbs 11:1: “A false balance is an abomination to the Lord, but a just weight is His delight.” The scales of exchange were tilted.
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3. The Spirit of Domination
China’s influence grew not through mutuality but through domination:
- Trade Deficits: Persistent imbalance favored China.
- Technology Transfer: U.S. innovation became China’s leverage.
- Media Control: Platforms like TikTok shaped American youth culture, while U.S. platforms were banned in China.
The prophet Isaiah warns: “Woe to those who decree iniquitous decrees, and the writers who keep writing oppression” (Isaiah 10:1). The decrees of centralized power ensured that amalgamation was not blending but subjugation.
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4. The Lesson for Small Government
America’s small-government model trusted in voluntary exchange, but without safeguards, openness became vulnerability. The childlike trust of free enterprise was met with the ancient authority of centralized control. The result was not amalgamation but absorption.
This is a parable of discernment: “Be wise as serpents and innocent as doves” (Matthew 10:16). Innocence without wisdom leads to domination.
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5. The Call to Restoration
The manifesto calls for:
- Guarded Openness: Exchange must be mutual, not one-sided.
- Cultural Integrity: Preserve identity while engaging globally.
- Prophetic Discernment: Recognize when amalgamation becomes assimilation.
- Balanced Yoking: Partnerships must honor both freedom and unity, not sacrifice one for the other.
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Closing Word
The U.S.–China story since 1972 is a warning: cultural amalgamation without balance becomes domination. The manifesto declares: “Stand firm, therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery” (Galatians 5:1).