The Real War vs. the Phony Panic
China’s Global Strategy vs. the Fear of Texas Secession
In every era of history, civilizations face defining challenges—those that will determine their survival, prosperity, or decline. Some challenges are existential, requiring strategic foresight, unwavering focus, and decisive action. Others are distractions, illusions manufactured to stir emotions, divide people, and siphon energy away from the real battles.
Today, the United States faces one of the most formidable adversaries in its history: the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Unlike previous global threats, China’s strategy does not rely on military conquest alone. Instead, it employs economic dominance, technological infiltration, ideological subversion, and geopolitical encroachment. Every year, China tightens its grip on critical industries, shapes narratives in American institutions, and expands its influence on the world stage.
Yet, rather than directing our collective will toward this growing and tangible threat, some prefer to stoke fear about an imaginary crisis: the notion that Texas is on the verge of secession. This idea is not just constitutionally and logistically implausible—it is pure political theater, a clickbait-fueled fever dream that distracts Americans from far more pressing realities.
If the United States fails to focus on what truly matters, history will not remember this moment kindly. It will record it as the era when a distracted and complacent superpower frittered away its dominance while its greatest adversary strategically tightened its grip on the future.
The Real Issue: China’s Stealth War Against the U.S.
Sun Tzu, the ancient Chinese military strategist, wrote, “The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting.”The Chinese Communist Party has taken this philosophy and applied it to modern global competition. China is engaged in a multi-front war against the United States, not through direct military confrontation—at least, not yet—but through economic leverage, technological control, and ideological influence.
1. Economic Warfare: China’s Stranglehold on U.S. Supply Chains
For decades, American leaders, driven by short-term economic gains, have allowed China to embed itself as the backbone of U.S. manufacturing and critical supply chains. The consequences of this dependency became glaringly obvious during the COVID-19 pandemic when the U.S. struggled to procure essential medical supplies, pharmaceutical ingredients, and semiconductor chips. These shortages were not accidental; they were the result of decades of offshoring, driven by the false assumption that economic interdependence would neutralize geopolitical competition.
Today, China controls:
• Over 90% of rare earth mineral production, essential for everything from fighter jets to smartphones.
• A significant portion of the world’s pharmaceutical supply, meaning the U.S. depends on its greatest adversary for life-saving medications.
• Massive segments of the semiconductor supply chain, a key weakness as these chips are the lifeblood of modern technology.
If China were to cut off access to these resources, it would cripple the U.S. economy overnight. Worse yet, Beijing has already demonstrated a willingness to use economic leverage as a weapon, imposing trade restrictions on countries that oppose its policies. The notion that America should allow itself to remain dependent on a hostile regime is not just foolish—it is suicidal.
2. Technological Infiltration: The Digital Trojan Horse
In the 21st century, war is not just fought on the battlefield—it is fought in cyberspace, in algorithms, and in data networks. China understands this better than any other nation. It has spent decades integrating itself into American technology, creating backdoors for surveillance, data harvesting, and digital propaganda.
Take TikTok, for example. While the app is dismissed by many as a harmless distraction for teenagers, it is owned by ByteDance, a company with direct ties to the Chinese Communist Party. TikTok’s algorithm is designed to shape cultural narratives, push divisive content, and collect massive amounts of personal data on American users. Beijing does not need to send spies into every American home—it has already convinced millions to willingly hand over their data in exchange for viral videos.
Beyond social media, China has made significant inroads into U.S. telecommunications infrastructure. Huawei, a state-backed Chinese company, has attempted to build 5G networks worldwide, raising concerns about potential espionage and cyber warfare capabilities. While some American policymakers have recognized the threat and banned Huawei from the U.S., many other nations—including U.S. allies—continue to allow Chinese-built networks to form the backbone of their communications.
3. Military Expansion: China’s Preparation for War
While America debates gender policies in the military, China is rapidly expanding its armed forces. It now boasts the world’s largest navy by number of ships and is aggressively developing hypersonic missiles capable of evading U.S. missile defense systems. Xi Jinping has made it clear that his primary military objective is the takeover of Taiwan, an event that would not only shatter the credibility of U.S. alliances in the Indo-Pacific but would also give China unchecked control over global semiconductor production.
Make no mistake—China is not preparing for a symbolic show of strength. It is preparing for conflict. The only question is whether America will be ready.
The Phony Distraction: Texas Secession as Political LARPing
Against the backdrop of this global confrontation, some would have you believe that Texas is about to break away from the United States. This claim is not only historically and legally absurd, but it serves as a deliberate distraction—a way to inflame passions, generate clicks, and divert attention from the actual threats facing the country.
Why Texas Secession Is Logistically Impossible
1. The Constitution Does Not Allow It
The Supreme Court ruled in Texas v. White (1869) that secession is unconstitutional. The United States is a perpetual union, meaning no state can legally withdraw on its own. Any attempt to do so would be considered an act of rebellion, and we already know from history how that ends.
2. The Texas Economy Is Too Intertwined With the U.S.
Texas is the second-largest economy in the country, with more than $500 billion in federal funding flowing into the state every year. The idea that Texas could sustain itself as an independent nation while severing ties with its largest trading partner (the rest of the U.S.) is economically laughable.
3. No Political Will
While a small fringe of activists pushes for secession, there is no serious political movement behind it. Even among Texas Republicans, the vast majority understand that such an effort is neither feasible nor desirable.
Why This Fearmongering Exists
The idea of Texas secession persists because it serves as an emotional trigger. It allows commentators to play on the frustrations of Americans who feel abandoned by Washington. But rather than directing that frustration toward meaningful action—such as addressing the real economic and geopolitical threats facing the country—it is used to fuel outrage for the sake of engagement.
This is political theater at its worst, an attention-grabbing spectacle with no real-world consequences—except for the damage it does by diverting attention from where it should be.
The contrast between China’s strategic, methodical rise and America’s obsession with political sideshows highlights a dangerous reality: we are a nation that is losing its ability to focus. The greatest threat to U.S. dominance is not Texas leaving the Union; it is China slowly, relentlessly, and systematically replacing the U.S. as the world’s dominant superpower.
But here is the good news: We can still correct course.
America has faced existential threats before, and it has overcome them by recognizing what truly matters, rallying its resources, and focusing on real problems rather than imagined crises. This is the moment for that level of clarity. Because while we argue about fantasies, China is building the future. The only question is whether we will wake up in time to shape it—or be shaped by it.