The story of modern economics is filled with bold experiments, failed predictions, and lessons learned too late. But what if the greatest error of our time is still unfolding? And, what if we are the ones financing it? This is not the plot of a political thriller. It is the central reality exposed in Edouard Prisse’s urgent book, We Were Funding China’s Growth That Must Stop!
From its very opening, the book dismantles the assumption that free trade would enrich everyone equally. Prisse traces the catastrophic miscalculation of 2001, when the West, led by the United States under President Clinton, welcomed China into the global trade system with the hope that prosperity would make Beijing more democratic, more transparent, and more aligned with international norms. Instead, the exact opposite occurred. China used the wealth it gained to consolidate authoritarian power, repress dissent, and build a military and economic machine that now threatens the very survival of democratic societies.
The brilliance of Prisse’s work lies in its clarity. He doesn’t bury readers in jargon. He shows how free trade has become a one-way street: wealth flows out of the United States and Europe, while Chinese goods flood in at prices Western industries cannot match. This isn’t simply about cheap phones or bargain clothes. It is about the hollowing out of the industrial base, the loss of millions of jobs, and the erosion of national independence. Every shipping container arriving on Western shores represents not just goods, but power transferred from free societies to a dictatorship determined to replace them.
Prisse elaborates on how we have been misled by comforting illusions. For years, experts claimed China was close to collapse due to debt, corruption, or demographics. However, as he notes, these warnings have been around since 2003, yet China continues to strengthen. Why? Because the West itself supports China, by providing financial aid that keeps its factories running, funds its military, and sustains its authoritarian regime.
However, Prisse goes beyond diagnosis by proposing a solution: Equal Trade. This approach is not about isolation, but about recalibrating trade relations. Countries need to balance imports and exports so that trade benefits all parties fairly, rather than enriching one at the expense of another. By adopting such frameworks, democracies can better safeguard their industries, protect their workers, and prevent authoritarian regimes from gaining an unstoppable edge.
Reading this book feels like staring into a mirror we’ve avoided for too long. Prisse confronts policymakers, business leaders, and citizens with truths we’ve tried to deny. His anger at Europe’s complacency is palpable, but his love for America is equally clear. He believes the U.S. is the only power still capable of turning the tide, only if it acts decisively and abandons half-measures.
The warning is clear. The solution is within reach. But the future—well, that remains unwritten. Will the U.S. have the courage to adopt his remedy, or will powerful lobbies and political shortsightedness once again prevail?
Read the book to know the answer and to take action before it is too late.
Here is a link to purchase: www.amazon.com/dp/1967963053.
We Were Funding China’s Growth That Must Stop! by Edouard Prisse is a sharp, well-researched examination of how decades of misguided free trade with China have fueled the rise of America’s greatest rival. Drawing on the economic insights of John Maynard Keynes, Prisse explains how the 2001 decision to welcome China into the global trade system created a one-sided relationship that drained Western industries while empowering Beijing’s authoritarian regime. The book not only exposes the dangers of this ongoing imbalance—job losses, weakened manufacturing, and growing geopolitical risks—but also offers a clear solution: shifting from “free trade” to “Equal Trade,” a value-balanced system that ensures reciprocity and protects democracy. Both a warning and a roadmap, this book is essential reading for policymakers, business leaders, economists, and citizens who care about safeguarding the future of free societies.
