The fake interview continues, with a focus on foreign policy.
C: I want to start by asking you a conceptual question. I know that you, like most people, see China as America’s most dangerous potential adversary. Is your concern about China based on foreign policy realism or a Huntingtonian position on a culture clash?
V: I don’t think it makes a difference in this case. China is the biggest threat, period.
C: Let me phrase the question in a different way. Assume that the UK became America’s biggest rival in the world. Would you have the same level of concern that you do now?
V: Of course not.
C: And your position is not based on the nature of the Chinese regime. You, like Trump, have made it clear that the Chinese can have as authoritarian government as they like; it’s what the government does externally that matters.
V: True.
C: That makes you a Huntingtonian. What is it about Chinese culture that strikes you as being so scary and alien? Remember, Xi believes in traditional values just as much as you do. He supports men over women, has no patience for LGBTQ people, thinks the Chinese need to have more children, and supports efforts for economic self-sufficiency. That’s you, in a nutshell.
V: The Chinese aren’t Christians. They believe in astrology, ancestor worship, and lots of weird crap. That makes them scary.
C: Ramaswamy thinks we should give Putin what he wants in order to make him an ally against the Chinese. Do you find that plausible?
V: Not really. Putin is a killer and an imperialist who can’t be trusted to keep his word. He’s not really a cultural ally of America.
C: If your opinion of him is so harsh, why do you oppose aid to Ukraine?
V: I don’t have any illusions about the nature of the Russian regime. It’s a question of allocating resources. We can’t stop both Putin and Xi. The Europeans should deal with Putin. Anyway, Putin can’t afford to take all of Ukraine, so I don’t see him going any farther than he already has.
C: The Poles and Lithuanians don’t agree.
V: They’re wrong.
C: Is it fair to say that you think China should be contained?
V: Yes.
C: That can’t be done without the support of our allies. And yet, you and Trump are supporting measures–most notably, universal tariffs–that will piss them off and invite retaliation. If Chinese containment is such a priority, why would you do that?
V: Our so-called allies have nowhere to go. We won’t protect them against Chinese or Russian aggression if they don’t fall into line. That includes choosing not to retaliate against our tariffs.
C: So you accept Trump’s view that our alliances are really a protection racket?
V: I prefer to call it a fair quid pro quo.
C: What if our friends tell you and Trump to pound sand and move towards China and Russia?
V: That’s a risk I’m willing to take. America is the indispensable nation for both economic and military purposes. If you want to chart your own path without American subsidies, that’s your business. You’ll have to pay for your own security, and you won’t have access to American markets.
C: Would you scrap Biden’s security agreement with Australia and the UK?
V: That’s up to Trump.
C: Will a Trump-Vance government defend Taiwan?
V: If the Taiwanese provide adequate compensation, yes.
C: What about countries that prefer not to take sides, such as India?
V: You’re either with us or against us. India will have to choose.
C: And if they pick China, which is realistically possible? What happens to the containment plan?
V: They have a border with China that isn’t secure. When push comes to shove, they will pick us over the Chinese, even if they’re paying tariffs.
C: What about the rest of the Third World? The Chinese are working hard with both money and diplomacy to gain allies there.
V: For the most part, those countries are more trouble than they’re worth. If American investors want to put money there, fine. We’re not going to push it.
C: Will a Trump-Vance government go to war with Mexico over drugs? Trump talks about it all the time.
V: The Mexicans will give us whatever we want when push comes to shove. We have the leverage. They have to do what we say. There won’t be a war.
C: Don’t you think that a trade war with Mexico would have American victims, as well?
V: We’ll compensate them with the tariff proceeds. The Mexicans don’t have the money to do that. They can’t win a trade war with Uncle Sam.
C: Thank you for your time.