DEAR EDITOR,
In 1513, Machiavelli warned the world of the costs that selling one’s state to the hands of foreign mercenaries entails. Today, the words of “The Prince” are truer than ever.
As an American, and global citizen with profound respect for the storied past and glorious future of the Solomon Islands, I possess concern for the Solomon Islands. The Chinese Communist Party, led by the power-hungry Chairman Xi, will bribe you with new infrastructure projects and so-called “security protections”; however, you must remember that there is no price high enough to sell your sacred sovereignty.
Also, you are not alone. In the United States, we face the growing specter of technological tyranny through the theft of our intellectual property, social media surveillance, and the purchase of our precious American soil by the coercive Chinese Communists. So, in short, we stand together in this thousand-year war that Chairman Xi has waged upon liberal democracy. We must march arm-in-arm if we are to survive his ominous onslaught.
Years ago, it was Solomon Islanders who saved the life of young Lieutenant John F. Kennedy. Now, as an American inheritor to President Kennedy’s legacy, I implore you to save your own lives against the attacks of autocrats. In August, President Kennedy’s daughter, United States Ambassador to Australia Caroline Kennedy, will come to your beautiful nation to commemorate the Battle of Guadalcanal. We fought against fascism on your islands, and we must do everything to embrace peace, and prevent war, through the adoption of an aggressive opposition to China. It is my hope that you will welcome Ambassador Kennedy through the reinvigoration of the Solomon Islands-United States relationship. May we cherish our shared legacy in the fight against dictatorship and allow ourselves to harness this zest for life in the trials that lie ahead.
Though it is apparent that Chairman Xi read Machiavelli’s words on what it takes to overtake other nations, it is clear that he did not finish the book. “The Prince” states that even the mightiest armies will find it impossible to overtake a people who have drunk out of the sweep cup of freedom. Two-hundred years apart, the United States and the Solomon Islands gained our independence from the British. We share a spirit of strength and dignity. You have a land worthy of your love and protection. I want you to know that I love the Solomon Islands, and I encourage President Sogavare to protect it. China may attempt to overtake our forces and rebuild our lands in their image, but if we fight them now, we will win. Forever and always, the American people stand with Solomon Islanders.
Henry J. Wilson
Washington, D.C.
United States
