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Deceiving the Sky: Inside Communist China's Drive for Global Supremacy
The United States' approach to China since the Communist regime in Beijing began the period of reform and opening in the 1980s was based on a promise that trade and engagement with China would result in a peaceful, democratic state.
Forty years later the hope of producing a benign People's Republic of China utterly failed. The Communist Party of China deceived the West into believing that the its system and the Party-ruled People's Liberation Army were peaceful and posed no threat. In fact, these misguided policies produced the emergence of a 21st Century Evil Empire even more dangerous than a Cold War version in the Soviet Union.
Successive American presidential administrations were fooled by ill-advised pro-China policymakers, intelligence analysts and business leaders who facilitated the rise not of a peaceful China but a threatening and expansionist nuclear-armed communist dictatorship not focused on a single overriding strategic objective: Weakening and destroying the United States of America.
Defeating the United States is the first step for China's current rulers in achieving global supremacy under a new world order based an ideology of Communism with Chinese characteristics.
The process included technology theft of American companies that took place on a massive scale through cyber theft and unfair trade practices. The losses directly supported in the largest and most significant buildup of the Chinese military that now directly threatens American and allied interests around the world. The military threat is only half the danger as China aggressively pursues regional and international control using a variety of non-military forces, including economic, cyber and space warfare and large-scale influence operations.
Deceiving the Sky: Inside Communist China's Drive for Global Supremacy details the failure to understand the nature and activities of the dangers posed by China and what the United States can do in taking needed steps to counter the threats.
Forty years later the hope of producing a benign People's Republic of China utterly failed. The Communist Party of China deceived the West into believing that the its system and the Party-ruled People's Liberation Army were peaceful and posed no threat. In fact, these misguided policies produced the emergence of a 21st Century Evil Empire even more dangerous than a Cold War version in the Soviet Union.
Successive American presidential administrations were fooled by ill-advised pro-China policymakers, intelligence analysts and business leaders who facilitated the rise not of a peaceful China but a threatening and expansionist nuclear-armed communist dictatorship not focused on a single overriding strategic objective: Weakening and destroying the United States of America.
Defeating the United States is the first step for China's current rulers in achieving global supremacy under a new world order based an ideology of Communism with Chinese characteristics.
The process included technology theft of American companies that took place on a massive scale through cyber theft and unfair trade practices. The losses directly supported in the largest and most significant buildup of the Chinese military that now directly threatens American and allied interests around the world. The military threat is only half the danger as China aggressively pursues regional and international control using a variety of non-military forces, including economic, cyber and space warfare and large-scale influence operations.
Deceiving the Sky: Inside Communist China's Drive for Global Supremacy details the failure to understand the nature and activities of the dangers posed by China and what the United States can do in taking needed steps to counter the threats.
256 pages, Hardcover
Published September 3, 2019
184 people are currently reading
574 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews
April 6, 2020
Let’s do a comparison.
Two books written in close proximity to one another
One in 2018 and this one 2019.
The first book is Becoming by Moochelle Obama (2018) on Goodreads 414,624 ratings with 40,223 reviews and a 4.56 stars out of 5. On Amazon it has 31,061 ratings/reviews and 4.8 stars out of 5.
The second book is deceiving the sky by Bill Gertz (2019) on Goodreads 36 ratings and 9 reviews 4.03 stars out of 5. On Amazon it has 105 ratings/reviews and 4.8 stars out of 5.
Ok there we go.
And this is one of the reasons why America is in the situation America is in, we are distracted with nonsense. If those numbers were reversed it would be a fantastic sign that we were collectively paying attention to that which is valid and affecting our lives in a very real way. However the fact that I’ve read this and reviewed it and am now criticizing queen Moocheles “book” probably makes me xenophobic and racist just to name a few. We’ve lost our sense of humor, I’m sure some purple haired freak in the Confucius institute at San Fran State U is going to get she/her/they/them army of trolls to come after this review. As long as we are reading books like becoming and allowing them to become our new gospels vs subjects that could actually influence our lives and feed us the delicious red pills we need in order to survive we get what we deserve.
Two books written in close proximity to one another
One in 2018 and this one 2019.
The first book is Becoming by Moochelle Obama (2018) on Goodreads 414,624 ratings with 40,223 reviews and a 4.56 stars out of 5. On Amazon it has 31,061 ratings/reviews and 4.8 stars out of 5.
The second book is deceiving the sky by Bill Gertz (2019) on Goodreads 36 ratings and 9 reviews 4.03 stars out of 5. On Amazon it has 105 ratings/reviews and 4.8 stars out of 5.
Ok there we go.
And this is one of the reasons why America is in the situation America is in, we are distracted with nonsense. If those numbers were reversed it would be a fantastic sign that we were collectively paying attention to that which is valid and affecting our lives in a very real way. However the fact that I’ve read this and reviewed it and am now criticizing queen Moocheles “book” probably makes me xenophobic and racist just to name a few. We’ve lost our sense of humor, I’m sure some purple haired freak in the Confucius institute at San Fran State U is going to get she/her/they/them army of trolls to come after this review. As long as we are reading books like becoming and allowing them to become our new gospels vs subjects that could actually influence our lives and feed us the delicious red pills we need in order to survive we get what we deserve.
December 11, 2019
Strongly recommend this read. Especially the chapter on Hi-Tech Totalitarian.
China, beyond the huge population, is disingenuous on nearly every global issue. Especially lying about various satellite and other nuclear projectile uses. But its human treatments alone and self-cleansing of elites periodically those two issues, among others nearly as dire, should be common knowledge media coverages in the way that Bill Gertz details. Of course, they aren't. Not with the media that exists in the USA of the present. Or on other continents much, either.
They (China primes) are working hard to undermind democracies, republics and any other. For short eventual complete authoritarian continental and eventually world control.
It's onus for individual freedoms cannot be described by me. Suffice to say- it just does not, even as a concept, exist within its politico onus. Nor core memory either.
Viscous, unrelenting and duplicitous. They believe it will win. And you better agree with them.
Hard, difficult and dense read. Took eons of time. Hong Kong today is just one slice of the eyeball. Other expansions are hardly responded to by anyone in the world order, as far as I can observe.
His 14 recommendations which try to begin to correct the last 40 years of horrific American strategies that have enabled what we now face, they are pretty far over my head. But I do understand debt baggage parody and non-embedding in trade as tools. Among others that are necessary NOW.
China, beyond the huge population, is disingenuous on nearly every global issue. Especially lying about various satellite and other nuclear projectile uses. But its human treatments alone and self-cleansing of elites periodically those two issues, among others nearly as dire, should be common knowledge media coverages in the way that Bill Gertz details. Of course, they aren't. Not with the media that exists in the USA of the present. Or on other continents much, either.
They (China primes) are working hard to undermind democracies, republics and any other. For short eventual complete authoritarian continental and eventually world control.
It's onus for individual freedoms cannot be described by me. Suffice to say- it just does not, even as a concept, exist within its politico onus. Nor core memory either.
Viscous, unrelenting and duplicitous. They believe it will win. And you better agree with them.
Hard, difficult and dense read. Took eons of time. Hong Kong today is just one slice of the eyeball. Other expansions are hardly responded to by anyone in the world order, as far as I can observe.
His 14 recommendations which try to begin to correct the last 40 years of horrific American strategies that have enabled what we now face, they are pretty far over my head. But I do understand debt baggage parody and non-embedding in trade as tools. Among others that are necessary NOW.
May 19, 2020
If you believe Ronald Reagan single handedly tore down the Berlin Wall with his bare hands & won the Cold War all by himself, you're either Bill Gertz or you'll love this book. It hits out at every Democrat president as being soft on China & lavishes praise on Reagan & then Trump (skipping over Bush, who more or less ignored what China did at Tiananmen). It imagines irrational starts of war with China and quotes Gordon Chang (of "The Coming Collapse of China" fame, one of the most pilloried books on China) multiple times. He also believes Huawei, a global $100 billion dollar company, has zero redeeming value and its sole purpose is to act as an electronic spying entity for the Chinese government.
Very little value in this book if you're looking for a true understanding of China.
Very little value in this book if you're looking for a true understanding of China.
January 10, 2020
This book looks at China’s desire to dominate the world, how appeasement policies have failed, and why we can’t be complacent about it. The U.S. has been trying to appease China (and other dictatorships) for decades in hopes democracy will somehow spread. We have ignored gross human rights violations, including the 60+ million deaths caused by Mao. China is preparing just not for military war but for economic, technological, and informational war. The regime is not content living side by side with other powerful nations.
China’s leaders are blatant liars and thieves. As communism naturally stifles innovation, all their advances are stolen through espionage, bribery, spying, hacking, and straight-up theft. (The author doesn’t even cover copyright infringement of books, music, and movies, which is small change compared to their other thefts.) The author calls out Google for creating surveillance technology for the Chinese government to spy on its people.
It’s very well researched and a display of the lost art of investigative journalism. The writer assumes the reader is intelligent and thoughtful. A lot of things are pretty outrageous. The writer also offers suggestions and solutions, not just complaints. Lots of detailed information here.
We cannot tolerate a nation that steals our firepower and the fruits of our brainpower. And this is just what China is doing to achieve its development goals. While China appears to be a leading nation, it does not act like one. China is instead pursuing its goals through malign behaviors that exploit features of a free-market economy and an open society like ours. (John C Demers)
Book Blog
China’s leaders are blatant liars and thieves. As communism naturally stifles innovation, all their advances are stolen through espionage, bribery, spying, hacking, and straight-up theft. (The author doesn’t even cover copyright infringement of books, music, and movies, which is small change compared to their other thefts.) The author calls out Google for creating surveillance technology for the Chinese government to spy on its people.
It’s very well researched and a display of the lost art of investigative journalism. The writer assumes the reader is intelligent and thoughtful. A lot of things are pretty outrageous. The writer also offers suggestions and solutions, not just complaints. Lots of detailed information here.
We cannot tolerate a nation that steals our firepower and the fruits of our brainpower. And this is just what China is doing to achieve its development goals. While China appears to be a leading nation, it does not act like one. China is instead pursuing its goals through malign behaviors that exploit features of a free-market economy and an open society like ours. (John C Demers)
Book Blog
September 6, 2019
China is the greatest foreign threat to the US. Decades of pro-China policies and unrestricted engagement designed to produce a democratic China have failed. Appeasement from the administrations of Clinton and Obama have resulted in massive theft of technology, predatory economic practices, and a dangerous Chinese military representing an existential threat to the US.
China remains a communist nation bent on global domination and the destruction of the US. Only since the election of President Trump has anything been done to reverse China's advances and unfair trade practices. Author Bill Gertz concludes that 40 years of appeasement must end. He offers 14 recommendations to deal with the growing Chinese threat, such as disengaging economically, developing asymmetric warfare, and creating a Chinese parliament in exile.
The Chinese threat can be seen across the entire globe, from Hong Kong to the South China Sea, to Africa, and inside the US with frequent reports of technological theft. Trump has begun the process to preserve freedom, prosperity and security, but will other political leaders have the stomach, the conviction, and the foresight to lead the necessary battle?
China remains a communist nation bent on global domination and the destruction of the US. Only since the election of President Trump has anything been done to reverse China's advances and unfair trade practices. Author Bill Gertz concludes that 40 years of appeasement must end. He offers 14 recommendations to deal with the growing Chinese threat, such as disengaging economically, developing asymmetric warfare, and creating a Chinese parliament in exile.
The Chinese threat can be seen across the entire globe, from Hong Kong to the South China Sea, to Africa, and inside the US with frequent reports of technological theft. Trump has begun the process to preserve freedom, prosperity and security, but will other political leaders have the stomach, the conviction, and the foresight to lead the necessary battle?
July 22, 2021
Very good read. I found this another fascinating and interesting political science book.
I'm enjoying my recent world political reads.
Some really great recommendations in this book. What countries can do.
More really eye-opening strategies.
I found it amazing how much has changed since the book has been released - it hasn't even been that long. Rapid changes.
For a more modern look, I'd recommend the similar book, Hidden Hand: Exposing How the Chinese Communist Party is Reshaping the World.
4.6/5
I'm enjoying my recent world political reads.
Some really great recommendations in this book. What countries can do.
More really eye-opening strategies.
I found it amazing how much has changed since the book has been released - it hasn't even been that long. Rapid changes.
For a more modern look, I'd recommend the similar book, Hidden Hand: Exposing How the Chinese Communist Party is Reshaping the World.
4.6/5
July 27, 2021
In this book’s concluding chapter, the author exhorts “Declare China an Enemy, Liberate the Chinese People: More than forty years of appeasement toward Communist China must be ended.” It’s a bugle call that’s been answered by US Secretary of State, Michael Pompeo’s speech of July 23, 2020 “Communist China and the Free World’s Future.” (Link Below).
https://www.state.gov/communist-china...
Note: Second reading-Audiobook
https://www.state.gov/communist-china...
Note: Second reading-Audiobook
July 8, 2020
Excellent book. The one I would recommend to anyone looking for detailed historical analysis of and future strategic recommendations for US policy to defeat the CCP. The US has a moral imperative to spearhead international foreign policy rooted in the defeat of communism. This is the unfinished work of the 20th century. The freedom of 1.4 billion people hang in the balance.
October 27, 2019
I can not remember the last time I was so enraged when reading a book - did I mention depressed? For this reason I could only stomach a chapter or so at a time. The author goes in depth detailing China's overt and covert spying, tech pillaging, lying.... The nightmare for the US began when Kissinger/Nixon played the China card to confront the USSR in the late 60's however the policy of tilting towards Beijing was never recalibrated. China's threat is multi-pronged, extremely dangerous and metastasizing. It is ideological, political, diplomatic, military, intelligence, economic, financial and informational. China gladly buys our debt as they know it's another way to get at us economically and the cost of the interest only per year is approaching our annual defense spending. China has blown a satellite out of low orbit; developed hypersonic weapons; are building island in the South China sea for us as forward military bases trying to negate our current naval edge; imprisoned over 1 million Uighurs - Muslim Chinese, and on and on........ all fact checked. Obama turned a blind eye for 8 years, W did nothing - was too wrapped up in the Middle East and Clinton actively helped the Chinese selling critical satellite technology for campaign contributions. This book should be a must read for all US Congressman and Senators. The author states that the Chinese, at this point, do not think they can engage the US militarily directly until 2040-50. I'll be too old to worry about me at that point but I worry for my county. We need to wake up, plan, engage and stop China's plan........did I mention that Xi Jiping regards Hitler as a genius and a hero.......?!
May 26, 2020
I didn’t get more than a quarter of the way through, so I’m giving 2 extra stars for the possibility that I didn’t make it to some huge improvement.
Basically, this is just opinion, not much substance. “Communist China is bad.” Yeah, duh buddy. I want a refund.
He lost me when he went on for a few pages, with no supporting evidence, about how Xi Jinping admires only three men: Mao, Hitler and Stalin. Might be spot on. Who the hell knows. Just this guy’s personal analysis/opinion standing in for evidence that China is not our friend... which there is plenty of actual evidence for without this garbage.
Basically, this is just opinion, not much substance. “Communist China is bad.” Yeah, duh buddy. I want a refund.
He lost me when he went on for a few pages, with no supporting evidence, about how Xi Jinping admires only three men: Mao, Hitler and Stalin. Might be spot on. Who the hell knows. Just this guy’s personal analysis/opinion standing in for evidence that China is not our friend... which there is plenty of actual evidence for without this garbage.
July 30, 2020
The shameless lack of self awareness makes me scream! The author accuses China of many things, *all* of which America does already. In the same chapter when writing about a Chinese dissident revealing corruption in China he calls Snowden a turncoat for doing the same thing. Praises Reagan for economic warfare (good) - accuses China of economic warfare (bad). And then has the guts to complain that China is requiring back-doors installed in electronics and is spying on Internet data. Are you kidding me? You have been doing this for the past 30 years!
February 2, 2021
Pretty scary stuff. If you weren’t aware of how the Chinese government is infiltrating our society, you will be after you read this book.
June 24, 2020
This book is alarming because it reads like a nonfiction account of China’s quest for power with peppered-in dystopian shorts about America’s destruction. What’s more troubling is the questionable credibility of the author. Is he on to something that so many of us are blind to? Or is it just crazy Uncle Bill telling scary stories about China again?
November 3, 2019
Very eye opening book. Gives a lot of info about what the Chinese government is really like.
Chapters on
cyber theft and activity
Financial war on us
Military build up and theft of our technology
Theft of IP from companies and purchase of same.
Chapter 2 the east is red talk a lot about current leader for life Xi Jinping is quite intereting in who he idolizes and who he hates. He loves Hitler as he almost ruled the world and he hates Reagan as he took down Stalinism in soviet union. He also comes with renewal of the Mao ideology and tactics.
chapter 3 the failure of appeasement is most notable for the failure of the Obama regime in taking advantage of high level defectors who could have given us vital info on what the end game really is in China. Defector Wang Lijun on page 33 are terrific failures of policy that show how weak our leaders are and maybe now with the revelation of Hunter Biden deals with China show how tragic or our corruption in the US is.
shows how our politicians have been bought by them too and allowing of many things to be done that should not have. Bill Clinton and nuclear technology.
The stance of trading with them and giving them world status has not worked to make them more democratic or like us.
They also still persecute Christians and Muslims in the millions.
Holding Uighurs in concentration camps at the rate of a million alone.
Chapters on
cyber theft and activity
Financial war on us
Military build up and theft of our technology
Theft of IP from companies and purchase of same.
Chapter 2 the east is red talk a lot about current leader for life Xi Jinping is quite intereting in who he idolizes and who he hates. He loves Hitler as he almost ruled the world and he hates Reagan as he took down Stalinism in soviet union. He also comes with renewal of the Mao ideology and tactics.
chapter 3 the failure of appeasement is most notable for the failure of the Obama regime in taking advantage of high level defectors who could have given us vital info on what the end game really is in China. Defector Wang Lijun on page 33 are terrific failures of policy that show how weak our leaders are and maybe now with the revelation of Hunter Biden deals with China show how tragic or our corruption in the US is.
shows how our politicians have been bought by them too and allowing of many things to be done that should not have. Bill Clinton and nuclear technology.
The stance of trading with them and giving them world status has not worked to make them more democratic or like us.
They also still persecute Christians and Muslims in the millions.
Holding Uighurs in concentration camps at the rate of a million alone.
July 19, 2020
This book was absolutely AMAZING.... I dont read alot but this drew me in from page 1 and I never looked back.. Now Im into more of Gertz work and absolutely enthralled with learning as much as I can on China...
He goes into great detail about historical things that have taken place that if you look at current situation they are all still playing out. Brutally honest backed by sources all the way through.. This is a very well done book on the geopolitical situation in regatds to China...
Read this and you will find it very hard to accept what the pro China stand in society is remotely talking about..
Forever a Fan...
Thanks Mr. GERTZ
He goes into great detail about historical things that have taken place that if you look at current situation they are all still playing out. Brutally honest backed by sources all the way through.. This is a very well done book on the geopolitical situation in regatds to China...
Read this and you will find it very hard to accept what the pro China stand in society is remotely talking about..
Forever a Fan...
Thanks Mr. GERTZ
February 25, 2022
It’s interesting to see how events like Snowden’s leak, Trump’s trade war with China, Huawei ban, when seen as part of a bigger picture actually make sense. The author does a good job tying various events together to form a cohesive narrative. Although It sometimes feels like confirmation bias. I’m not gonna lie, this book had me jumping from “this is a conspiracy”, “is this a conspiracy?”, “this can’t be a conspiracy”.
According to this narrative, Trump wasn’t totally bad after all haha
According to this narrative, Trump wasn’t totally bad after all haha
November 6, 2019
A frightening political read but a must read for every American. Details how China is undermining American democracy and freedom. Think the USA would spank China in an all out war? Read this title. China has stolen plans for C-17 globemaster, F22 and our newest fighter plane plus billions of dollars worth more intellectual property. Truely astonishing.
August 25, 2020
Roughly 10% of the way through this, Gertz asserts that Xi Jinping admires three people, Joseph Stalin, Mao Zedong, and of course Adolph Hitler. He goes so far as to claim that Xi regards Hitler "as a genius and a hero," and that he "had a sculpture produced of the Nazi leader and, at one time, had a display of a Nazi uniform in his residence."
Gertz does not back this incredible claim up with any evidence whatsoever. As someone who has read a good deal about Xi Jinping and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), I was quite shocked at the accusation, and quite surprised that Gertz was happy to let it stand without a single reference to a source. Upon turning to the internet, where one can find all sorts of claims against the CCP, fair or unfair, I could find nothing that speaks to the veracity of this claim.
Reading the next paragraph, Gertz seems to attempt to explain this fantastic claim thusly: "Xi admires Hitler for the massacres of Jews and the nationalization of all German companies. The former action is a pattern Xi is following with the mass repression of Uighurs in western Xinjian Province..."
So, what we have here is an author who, 1/10th of the way through a book, makes the very serious accusation that the leader of China openly admires the most infamous mass murderer in history, and he does so not based on any external source, but seemingly because he sees in his own mind a connection between the actions of Xi Jinping and Adolph Hitler.
Even if Gertz could prove that Xi actually admired Hitler, he would then still have to prove that the reason for this admiration was "for the massacres of Jews". Instead, we are left with the incredibly tenuous connection as "proof."
In his explanations of why Xi supposedly admires Mao and Stalin, it's of course because he admires the ruthless, bloodthirsty, and quite frankly evil attributes of these men. He admires Stalin for ruling through fear and mass killings, and Mao apparently for his having lavish banquets during the great famines that killed millions of Chinese and for his proclivity for orgies involving underaged girls taken from the peasantry.
This attempt to paint Xi as a comic book villain, having no moral compass, desiring to emulate the worst murderers in history precisely because of how evil they were is the kind of lazy propaganda I've come to expect from the very same political machine that Gertz is attempting to criticize. The world is much more complicated than "US good, China bad!" To say it isn't is to play the same game that the CCP does with its propaganda machines.
It was clear from the prologue that Gertz is a Trumper. So who do you think he says Xi Jinping hates? Ronald Reagan, of course! What masturbatory garbage.
I had reservations about this book from the beginning, in which Gertz attempts to argue that the CCP is built foundationally upon lies. This is an easy enough case to make. One can look at the way the CCP has militarized the South China Sea, claiming all the while that they are not doing exactly that. They even had the gall to suggest that PLA naval ships that began building airbases on man-made islands were not done at the behest of CCP leadership, but were unilateral actions undertaken by "patriotic" members of their military. One could look at how the CCP refuses to acknowledge that they murdered their own civilians protesting for democracy in 1989 (and that instead their own history books have pictures of dead soldiers, which we are meant to believe were killed by the protesters).
But Gertz ignores all of that, and instead makes his case based on the 2007 Chinese test of an anti-satellite (ASAT) weapon, bemoaning the huge debris field it created in orbit. He then describes how the Chinese made repeated statements that it was not a weapon intended against any specific foe when it was clearly intended as a weapon against the United States. That he spends 10 pages on this without so much as a single sentence acknowledging that the United States did this back in 1985 (also creating a serious debris field) and again in 2008 is a stunning omission. The second of these American ASAT launches was ostensibly to destroy a decaying satellite which might pose a threat to humans if enough of its hydrazine survived re-entry. However, given the timing of the launch, it seems quite obvious that the real reason was to show the Chinese that we are still locked and loaded with ASATs. This would be a lie that is roughly on par with those made by the CCP regarding ASATs, but as acknowledgement of that fact would topple Gertz's entire argument, he deftly ignores it.
Once I had read the Hitler comments, I decided that I'd not finish the book, as I wouldn't be able to trust anything that Gertz said that I didn't already know myself. However, I figured I may as well read the next few pages to finish out the chapter and see if the winds changed. Then I came across the laughable, right-wing wet dream assertion that Xi hates Ronald Reagan, and I decided that I'd come far enough.
If you dislike the outright lies and propaganda of the CCP, then you should also despise the outright lies and propaganda in this steaming pile of Trumper bullshit.
Gertz does not back this incredible claim up with any evidence whatsoever. As someone who has read a good deal about Xi Jinping and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), I was quite shocked at the accusation, and quite surprised that Gertz was happy to let it stand without a single reference to a source. Upon turning to the internet, where one can find all sorts of claims against the CCP, fair or unfair, I could find nothing that speaks to the veracity of this claim.
Reading the next paragraph, Gertz seems to attempt to explain this fantastic claim thusly: "Xi admires Hitler for the massacres of Jews and the nationalization of all German companies. The former action is a pattern Xi is following with the mass repression of Uighurs in western Xinjian Province..."
So, what we have here is an author who, 1/10th of the way through a book, makes the very serious accusation that the leader of China openly admires the most infamous mass murderer in history, and he does so not based on any external source, but seemingly because he sees in his own mind a connection between the actions of Xi Jinping and Adolph Hitler.
Even if Gertz could prove that Xi actually admired Hitler, he would then still have to prove that the reason for this admiration was "for the massacres of Jews". Instead, we are left with the incredibly tenuous connection as "proof."
In his explanations of why Xi supposedly admires Mao and Stalin, it's of course because he admires the ruthless, bloodthirsty, and quite frankly evil attributes of these men. He admires Stalin for ruling through fear and mass killings, and Mao apparently for his having lavish banquets during the great famines that killed millions of Chinese and for his proclivity for orgies involving underaged girls taken from the peasantry.
This attempt to paint Xi as a comic book villain, having no moral compass, desiring to emulate the worst murderers in history precisely because of how evil they were is the kind of lazy propaganda I've come to expect from the very same political machine that Gertz is attempting to criticize. The world is much more complicated than "US good, China bad!" To say it isn't is to play the same game that the CCP does with its propaganda machines.
It was clear from the prologue that Gertz is a Trumper. So who do you think he says Xi Jinping hates? Ronald Reagan, of course! What masturbatory garbage.
I had reservations about this book from the beginning, in which Gertz attempts to argue that the CCP is built foundationally upon lies. This is an easy enough case to make. One can look at the way the CCP has militarized the South China Sea, claiming all the while that they are not doing exactly that. They even had the gall to suggest that PLA naval ships that began building airbases on man-made islands were not done at the behest of CCP leadership, but were unilateral actions undertaken by "patriotic" members of their military. One could look at how the CCP refuses to acknowledge that they murdered their own civilians protesting for democracy in 1989 (and that instead their own history books have pictures of dead soldiers, which we are meant to believe were killed by the protesters).
But Gertz ignores all of that, and instead makes his case based on the 2007 Chinese test of an anti-satellite (ASAT) weapon, bemoaning the huge debris field it created in orbit. He then describes how the Chinese made repeated statements that it was not a weapon intended against any specific foe when it was clearly intended as a weapon against the United States. That he spends 10 pages on this without so much as a single sentence acknowledging that the United States did this back in 1985 (also creating a serious debris field) and again in 2008 is a stunning omission. The second of these American ASAT launches was ostensibly to destroy a decaying satellite which might pose a threat to humans if enough of its hydrazine survived re-entry. However, given the timing of the launch, it seems quite obvious that the real reason was to show the Chinese that we are still locked and loaded with ASATs. This would be a lie that is roughly on par with those made by the CCP regarding ASATs, but as acknowledgement of that fact would topple Gertz's entire argument, he deftly ignores it.
Once I had read the Hitler comments, I decided that I'd not finish the book, as I wouldn't be able to trust anything that Gertz said that I didn't already know myself. However, I figured I may as well read the next few pages to finish out the chapter and see if the winds changed. Then I came across the laughable, right-wing wet dream assertion that Xi hates Ronald Reagan, and I decided that I'd come far enough.
If you dislike the outright lies and propaganda of the CCP, then you should also despise the outright lies and propaganda in this steaming pile of Trumper bullshit.
September 29, 2019
If people could only see the danger posed by China! Than Gertz will get a chance to be invited to the high paying talk shows.
July 25, 2020
If you're interested in the macro view of world events, China's Vision of Victory shows us China's great plan to become the world's dominant superpower and describes how their programs and actions throughout the world fit into an overarching scheme with a timetable. It is eye-opening, but somewhat dry.
On the other hand, Bill Gertz's Deceiving the Sky: Inside Communist China's Drive for Global Supremacy shows how the Chinese efforts to guide a country of 1.4 billion people towards what it calls "the great rejuvenation" impact our lives and adversely effect the security and prosperity of the United States. It is a bit more colorful and compelling.
Mr. Gertz, a Washington Times national security columnist and author of several books on intelligence, the military and national security threats, notes that for more than 40 years, a willful blindness had descended over the H.W. Bush, Clinton, younger Bush, and Obama administrations. Most "experts" had operated on a false assumption: They believed that by simply conducting business with China, the Communist Chinese would eventually evolve into a free market and democratic system.
Gertz explains in detail how the failure of this decades long mistake has lead to a China which is not merely a strategic competitor, but an existential threat and an enemy that must be challenged in all warfare domains.
The title, ‘Deceiving the Sky,’ comes from an ancient Chinese strategy used by generals to win battles called ‘Deceive the sky to cross the ocean'. According to legend, an emperor was hesitant to launch a military campaign against neighboring Koguryo (now Korea). One of his generals had the emperor go to dinner at the home of a wealthy peasant. As the emperor entered the house, the house moved. The emperor had been tricked onto a boat headed for battle. Rather than disembark, he ordered the military campaign to go forward and the battle was won.
“For Chinese Communist leaders, deceiving the sky is integral to masking true goals and intentions — first to achieve regional hegemony and ultimately world domination under the boot of the Communist Party of China,” Gertz writes.
Especially disconcerting were the fictional, Tom Clancy-like, scenarios Gertz peppers into his narrative to illustrate the effects of real-life Chinese espionage successes and technology theft on our combat capabilities. The first one, found in Chapter 4, describes a sneak attack whereby the Chinese destroy U.S. satellites to blind early warning systems, disable communications, and destroy targeting and defense capabilities. A blind and ineffectual U.S. fails to counter the invasion of Taiwan.
Gertz posits that armed conflict is still in the mid-distant future. But, he warns that the Communist Party of China is already conducting low-level warfare against us and that we are now under attack in a variety of other domains. China aggressively pursues regional and international control using a variety of non-military forces, including economic, cyber and space warfare and large-scale influence operations.
“Deceiving the Sky” is a well-researched and well-written call to action for the United States to take the necessary steps to counter China’s evil empire.
On the other hand, Bill Gertz's Deceiving the Sky: Inside Communist China's Drive for Global Supremacy shows how the Chinese efforts to guide a country of 1.4 billion people towards what it calls "the great rejuvenation" impact our lives and adversely effect the security and prosperity of the United States. It is a bit more colorful and compelling.
Mr. Gertz, a Washington Times national security columnist and author of several books on intelligence, the military and national security threats, notes that for more than 40 years, a willful blindness had descended over the H.W. Bush, Clinton, younger Bush, and Obama administrations. Most "experts" had operated on a false assumption: They believed that by simply conducting business with China, the Communist Chinese would eventually evolve into a free market and democratic system.
Gertz explains in detail how the failure of this decades long mistake has lead to a China which is not merely a strategic competitor, but an existential threat and an enemy that must be challenged in all warfare domains.
The title, ‘Deceiving the Sky,’ comes from an ancient Chinese strategy used by generals to win battles called ‘Deceive the sky to cross the ocean'. According to legend, an emperor was hesitant to launch a military campaign against neighboring Koguryo (now Korea). One of his generals had the emperor go to dinner at the home of a wealthy peasant. As the emperor entered the house, the house moved. The emperor had been tricked onto a boat headed for battle. Rather than disembark, he ordered the military campaign to go forward and the battle was won.
“For Chinese Communist leaders, deceiving the sky is integral to masking true goals and intentions — first to achieve regional hegemony and ultimately world domination under the boot of the Communist Party of China,” Gertz writes.
Especially disconcerting were the fictional, Tom Clancy-like, scenarios Gertz peppers into his narrative to illustrate the effects of real-life Chinese espionage successes and technology theft on our combat capabilities. The first one, found in Chapter 4, describes a sneak attack whereby the Chinese destroy U.S. satellites to blind early warning systems, disable communications, and destroy targeting and defense capabilities. A blind and ineffectual U.S. fails to counter the invasion of Taiwan.
Gertz posits that armed conflict is still in the mid-distant future. But, he warns that the Communist Party of China is already conducting low-level warfare against us and that we are now under attack in a variety of other domains. China aggressively pursues regional and international control using a variety of non-military forces, including economic, cyber and space warfare and large-scale influence operations.
“Deceiving the Sky” is a well-researched and well-written call to action for the United States to take the necessary steps to counter China’s evil empire.
February 8, 2021
Deceiving The Sky: Inside Communist China's Drive For Global Supremacy offers a sobering look at the threat posed by China. Bill Gertz addresses the failure of multiple US administrations and of the US intelligence community to accurately assess the China threat. The Chinese leaders view the United States as their ultimate enemy while the American leaders think they can work with the Chinese. This book was written in 2019, but is timely now in light of the pending policy changes by the incoming Biden administration.
The book summarizes the concept of Unrestricted Warfare and the threats to cybersecurity, financial markets, theft of intellectual property, space operations, kinetic warfare, etc. Unrestricted Warfare operates in many avenues in addition to open combat such as cultural, technological, network, media, and financial to undermine and destroy the United States.
This book also paints a picture of internal security reminiscent of Orwell's 1984 with the use of facial recognition software, wide-spread use of surveillance cameras, control of internet content, and the use of a social credit system designed to control the behavior of citizens. The social credit system takes the cancel culture to the next level.
The book summarizes the concept of Unrestricted Warfare and the threats to cybersecurity, financial markets, theft of intellectual property, space operations, kinetic warfare, etc. Unrestricted Warfare operates in many avenues in addition to open combat such as cultural, technological, network, media, and financial to undermine and destroy the United States.
This book also paints a picture of internal security reminiscent of Orwell's 1984 with the use of facial recognition software, wide-spread use of surveillance cameras, control of internet content, and the use of a social credit system designed to control the behavior of citizens. The social credit system takes the cancel culture to the next level.
October 8, 2024
Deceiving the Sky: Inside Communist China's Drive for Global Supremacy by Bill Gertz feels a bit like what would happen if you get Michael Pillsbury, read deeply into China's bad intentions, and write a super hawkish text in support of Trump's anti-China policies. Gertz does a few things well. There are some nice anecdotes, a lot of rich empirics, and some clear attention to detail. But what prevents me from taking this book too seriously is his framing and interpretations. Its about as uncharitable as one can be, and that's saying something. He opens the book ruminating on Xi's supposed admiration for Adolf Hitler and hatred for Ronald Reagan. Everything China does is part of some grand, all of government, all of society effort to establish dominance. To become #1, surpass the United States, and undermine all that is good and noble of about the world.
Maybe give it a read to see what some people think, but there are better hawkish books out there. Getting China Wrong and The Long Game are both excellent.
Maybe give it a read to see what some people think, but there are better hawkish books out there. Getting China Wrong and The Long Game are both excellent.
June 2, 2021
While very accusatory towards China and using strong allegations of their desire to rule the world, the author is not wrong on some accounts.
While true purpose is known only to those who will never publicly speak of it, its probably not far from the truth. We have already seen the power of economy and its influence on many spheres of life and nations. China's action towards buying foreign companies, investing in countries, making lucrative deals, boycotting and straight up shuting down entertainment if it doesnt pleases their countries ideals, makes everyone else tolarate and comply because, money (the largest market in the world).
You could argue that China is better at beign capitalists thrn Capitalists, at least in terms if making money. And by the end of the day, money rules the world.
While true purpose is known only to those who will never publicly speak of it, its probably not far from the truth. We have already seen the power of economy and its influence on many spheres of life and nations. China's action towards buying foreign companies, investing in countries, making lucrative deals, boycotting and straight up shuting down entertainment if it doesnt pleases their countries ideals, makes everyone else tolarate and comply because, money (the largest market in the world).
You could argue that China is better at beign capitalists thrn Capitalists, at least in terms if making money. And by the end of the day, money rules the world.
December 4, 2020
Published in 2019, this book outlines the many threats that China represents today. Progressing through many years of failed policy detailed as Chinese appeasement, Gertz recognizes that only since 2017 have we begun to challenge the aggression displayed by the Communist Party of China and their People’s Liberation Army.
The subject matter deserves five stars but the delivery of his thought trails this somewhat. Given the case he makes for China’s adversion to all things American and their resentment for Trump’s willingness to confront them, the notion that Covid-19 accidentally sprung from a Chinese wet market on the eve of our election gives one cause to wonder.
The subject matter deserves five stars but the delivery of his thought trails this somewhat. Given the case he makes for China’s adversion to all things American and their resentment for Trump’s willingness to confront them, the notion that Covid-19 accidentally sprung from a Chinese wet market on the eve of our election gives one cause to wonder.
November 15, 2023
"Deceiving the Sky: Inside Communist China's Drive for Global Supremacy" by Bill Gertz offers an investigative look into China's ambitions for global dominance, focusing on military and economic strategies.
While Gertz's expertise on China's military and espionage tactics is evident, his approach is critiqued for a strong bias and a predominantly right-wing perspective. The book primarily presents a U.S.-centric view, lacking in suggestions for fostering a reconciliatory relationship with China.
Gertz's ideas are seen as idealistic, with limited consideration for alternative viewpoints or the broader international context.
While Gertz's expertise on China's military and espionage tactics is evident, his approach is critiqued for a strong bias and a predominantly right-wing perspective. The book primarily presents a U.S.-centric view, lacking in suggestions for fostering a reconciliatory relationship with China.
Gertz's ideas are seen as idealistic, with limited consideration for alternative viewpoints or the broader international context.
October 2, 2020
Great book! It does a good job of describing many issues with regards to China. It also offers some interesting solutions. Overall it is well written and it is a very important book in understanding the times that we live in and the threats the world faces. The other book I would recommend for understanding the issues relating to China is "Mao: The Unknown Story." It is a very long book, but you can choose to read as much or as little as you want. It will give you an idea as to the background behind the Chinese communist ethos described in this book.
January 29, 2023
Thank you Bill Gertz for writing this eye opening reality on America’s enabling of the ChiCom tyrants, specifically Xi’s regime, through decades of misguided appeasement. It’s shocking to read of the ChiCom brutal wickedness and America’s enabling leftists acquiescing.
Thanks to Presidents Reagan and Trump for pulling back their curtain of secrecy to expose the evil and wickedness of tyrannical communism. I hate to think what the Biden Regime damage report chapter will reveal.
As Winston Churchill said, “Never give up!”
God bless America.
Thanks to Presidents Reagan and Trump for pulling back their curtain of secrecy to expose the evil and wickedness of tyrannical communism. I hate to think what the Biden Regime damage report chapter will reveal.
As Winston Churchill said, “Never give up!”
God bless America.
June 24, 2024
This is not the first (and certainly not the only) book I would recommend to someone seeking to understand China’s strategic, longterm goals vis-à-vis the United States. In places it reads more like a polemic with a not-so-thinly veiled political message rather than an objective, scholarly analysis of a determined geopolitical adversary. Nevertheless, the book does present a disturbing account of Chinese activities both on the global stage and within the US and provides some valuable (and worrying) insights into Chinese aims and capabilities.
November 9, 2024
This is an important book to read and consider. I struggled to understand all the concepts explained in it, but do feel that I was able to gain a better understanding of the threat that Communist China poses to the free world and why, as well as the underlying worldview that allows them to become such a threat. A lot of it is pretty eye-opening and scary. The book is well documented with a Notes section at the end, as well as a useful Index.
April 23, 2020
i don't know but i knew something was coming......
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