Republicans across the political spectrum, from moderate Senator Mitt Romney to hardcore former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, have decreed that China poses an existential threat to the United States. While President Joe Biden hasn’t gone that far yet, his national-security team has maintained the previous administration’s hardline policies toward Beijing. A recent Gallup poll shows nearly 80% of Americans hold unfavorable views of China — a number that will only rise if it is proven that the new coronavirus leaked from a Chinese lab. And what about the prospect of China displacing America as the world’s largest economy? Meanwhile, China’s diplomacy largely entails an adversarial and confrontational attitude toward foreign diplomats, an accusatory and provocative domestic and foreign propaganda campaign and an assertion of its military power onto its neighbors. This has been spurred on by the fanning of nationalist flames in China and the view of Chinese citizens that the West pushes them around. So, are Americans’ worst fears about China justified, just paranoia, or something in between?
To help answer these and other questions about China join us at 7pm Saturday, September 18, when our guest speaker Gus Mondalek will guide us through an evaluation and discussion of China’s potential threats to the U.S. and the rebalancing of power in the far east, and southeast Asia.
Our speaker, Gus Mondalek, is descended from a family of secular religious scholars whose personal history is a conduit between East and West. Born in Kuwait to an expatriate family, he spent his formative years in Lebanon during that country’s civil war. He is a graduate of the American University in Beirut, and holds multiple advanced degrees from Lawrence Technological University.
WHEN: Saturday, September 18, 2021
5:30pm: The ExComm business meeting begins. All Mensa members are welcome to attend
6:30pm: Mingling begins
7:00pm: Program starts
ADMISSION: (Exact change appreciated)
Adult members: $4, Adult guests: $5; Children 13 and under: $3
Members receive free admission in the month of their birthday
LOCATION
Northwest Unitarian Universalist Church in Southfield
23925 Northwestern Hwy
Southfield, MI 48075
We ask that you help us to provide a safer live meeting environment for all by wearing a face mask.
If you can’t attend in person, join the Zoom presentation! Zoom attendees need to pre-register by clicking on the following link: https://tinyurl.com/SEMM-0921-Gathering,The event’s Zoom URL and instructions for connecting will be sent to those who are pre-registered, about an hour before the presentation.
Following the presentation, join us for dinner at Buddy’s Pizza, located at 31646 Northwestern Hwy., in Farmington Hills, Just northeast of Middlebelt Rd.