Guests - Ava Chen, Dave Smith, Rachel Keshel

China's Totalitarian Agenda and American Vulnerability

On the latest China Watch Wednesday, host Kathleen Winn welcomed Ava Chen from the new federal state of China to discuss pressing issues regarding the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and its influence on global affairs. Their conversation revealed alarming insights into how the CCP operates, their disregard for human life, and the various ways they've infiltrated American systems.

The CCP's Disregard for Human Life

Ava Chen provided a disturbing perspective on how the CCP views its own citizens. Unlike America, where life is cherished and valued, the Chinese government treats its people as disposable assets. "The CCP is willing to sacrifice Chinese people's lives. There's nothing they're not willing to do. That's why we want to avoid kinetic war because American people cherish life," Chen explained.

This fundamental difference in values creates an asymmetrical conflict. While Western nations prioritize precision and minimizing civilian casualties, the CCP strategically positions military installations in densely populated areas. "They bury military facilities, critical communication, telecommunication facilities all in the most populated areas for this exact reason, just like Hamas," Chen revealed.

This tactic serves a dual purpose—using civilians as human shields while simultaneously preparing to accuse Western nations of targeting civilians if conflict escalates. The CCP has been cultivating these strategies for decades, even training terrorist leaders like Osama bin Laden. "Bin Laden was trained as guerrilla warfare in China in the 1980s by the PLA," Chen stated, highlighting how China has strategically planted destabilizing forces worldwide.

The true cost of CCP policies became evident during the pandemic. Chen noted that tens of millions of Chinese people died in the first three months of the outbreak. One key indicator: "From the first three months back in 2020, cell phone subscribers suddenly dropped from 18 million to 21 million. A huge indicator of how many people disappeared."

Technological Infiltration and Data Collection

The conversation shifted to technology and how Chinese companies have created backdoors into American systems. TikTok remains a significant concern despite recent attempts to restructure ownership. According to Chen, Miles Guo (a Chinese dissident currently imprisoned in the US) predicted that "this TikTok deal will be the biggest event in four years affecting US-China relationships."

What makes TikTok particularly dangerous isn't just its algorithm but the computational power behind it. "The secret is what state-empowered supercomputing is driving TikTok. It's called galaxy supercomputing quantum computing," Chen explained. "The CCP is using state secret weapons of quantum computing calculation to run the so-called algorithm to make sure Americans are addicted."

Military concerns about TikTok have existed for years. Winn reminded listeners that "several years ago, the military forbade people in the military to use TikTok while they were deployed around the world because it was tracking where troops were and endangering military families' lives."

Beyond TikTok, other Chinese technologies pose similar threats. DJI drones represent another vulnerability, with Chen noting that "nearly 80% of unmanned aircraft flying in American airspace today are produced by DJI." More alarmingly, "if a DJI is flying in the United States, you can bet the CCP can take control of it in a second."

Even common household items present security risks. Chen mentioned a recent report about baby monitors made in China "sending all the data and recording audio back to China." The brand Lorex was specifically identified as problematic, but Chen warned that avoiding Chinese-made products is increasingly difficult as "China right now is the world factory floor" and companies use white labeling and overseas factories to obscure origins.

CCP's Long-term Strategy Against America

The discussion emphasized how the CCP has methodically implemented a long-term strategy to weaken the United States. Chen explained that before platforms like Twitter and Facebook became popular, the CCP had already invested heavily in social media. "In their book in 1999, 'Unrestricted Warfare,' they talk about social media and internet as nuclear weapons. They have mass destructive abilities."

By controlling information sources and distribution channels, the CCP effectively influences what people think because "they control what you see, what you consume, what you think." This strategy involves buying Western media outlets and manipulating narratives to create division among Americans.

"This is exactly what the CCP wants to see—American against American, you fighting yourself," Chen observed. "A lot of the chaos and conflicts are fueling gradually, incrementally feeling to a stage where they climax."

America at a Critical Juncture

Both Winn and Chen agreed that America is at a pivotal moment in its history. Despite current challenges, Chen expressed faith in America's resilience, quoting Winston Churchill: "You can trust Americans. They will make all the mistakes. Eventually, they will do the right thing."

Chen emphasized that the most powerful force for change isn't the government but the American people themselves—just as the Chinese people represent the greatest threat to the CCP. "The biggest force to save America is not the American government but the American people. But you have to organize, you have to understand what's at stake, who your real enemy is, and their tactics and strategies."

The path forward, according to Chen, requires America to "decouple your technology, decouple, don't fund the CCP anymore." With these measures, America could help the Chinese people overthrow the CCP "without going to a shooting war scenario."

Winn concluded by highlighting the importance of ongoing negotiations between President Trump and Xi Jinping, suggesting that neither leader appears willing to back down, setting the stage for a potential showdown in the near future.

Government Shutdown and Local Politics with Dave Smith

Following the China Watch segment, Kathleen Winn welcomed Dave Smith to discuss pressing local issues in Tucson and the ongoing federal government shutdown.

Tucson's Mismanagement and Rising Crime

Smith expressed frustration with Tucson's city council, particularly their handling of homelessness and crime. A recent incident where a bicyclist was stabbed to death highlighted the deteriorating safety situation in the city. "How do they think this is going to work out? Is it so they can, when the ballots drop on October 8th, say, 'Oh, we just did something to try to protect us'? How do they justify what they haven't done for the last four years?" Winn questioned.

Smith criticized the local media for downplaying these issues: "Watch the local news. None of this stuff's an issue. The sycophants for the left in our local news and print make sure they slam it or make it seem like the exception. We all know that crime is a major problem in Tucson."

Both discussed how Tucson's leadership fails to implement effective solutions or evaluate existing programs. "They don't do any kind of after-action report, they don't do an analysis, they never have a feedback mechanism to see if their programs actually work," Smith explained. "It's a cascade of failure without anybody ever stopping to say, 'Wait, are you actually thinking? Are you actually evaluating?'"

The Federal Government Shutdown

The conversation then shifted to the federal government shutdown, which both Winn and Smith viewed positively. "I think this shutdown is a great idea. I think it's right," Smith stated, seeing it as an opportunity for Trump to "clean house."

Winn placed blame squarely on Democrats: "Chuck Schumer's afraid of the extreme left in his party. He's afraid he's going to get primaried by AOC." She characterized the Democrats' request for $1.4 trillion as a "money laundering operation" designed to fund programs for illegal immigrants.

Smith contrasted the current shutdown with previous ones under the Obama administration: "This isn't the Obama administration where he shut down the national forest, where he tried to shut down open-air monuments in DC... This is a different ballgame now, and I think you're going to see an effort to not make the American people suffer as much."

Election Integrity and Voter Turnout with Rachel Keshel

In the final segment, Kathleen Winn spoke with LD17 State Representative Rachel Keshel about election integrity issues and voter turnout in Arizona.

Pima County's Election Concerns

Keshel highlighted ongoing issues with Pima County's election system, particularly regarding undeliverable ballots and voter rolls. "The federal government has pulled all 15 counties in Arizona that they must clean out their voter rolls," she noted. Despite this directive, problems persist with the county recorder.

A particularly concerning case involved a ballot showing as waiting for signature verification from a voter who had moved to Texas. "The day that their address changed in Texas was when a ballot was requested here in Arizona," Keschel explained. When questioned about undeliverable ballots, officials gave contradictory explanations, with one claiming "the post office shredded the ballot" (which would be illegal) while another said it was "already stored away."

The chain of custody for ballots remains a major issue. Keshel pointed to the 2022 governor's race in Maricopa County, where "ballots were being shoved into black trash bags" with no accountability. While legislation has been proposed to address these problems, Governor Katie Hobbs has vetoed many election integrity bills.

The Importance of Voter Turnout

Keshel emphasized that low voter turnout continues to impact election outcomes. In the recent CD7 race, Republican candidate Daniel Gutierrez received 99,000 votes, but it wasn't enough. "If the Republicans had turned out, we could have taken that seat," Keschel asserted.

Despite feelings of disenfranchisement among some voters, Keshel urged continued participation: "Go and vote. Please, please go vote. Turn in your mail-in ballot, get it out of the queue so they can't attach it to a voter that shouldn't be on the dirty rolls. Go vote. That's the one thing you can do to help us save our city and our state and our country."

Political Awakening and Changing Allegiances

Both Winn and Keshel noted signs of shifting political allegiances. "There is a huge awakening happening spiritually, but there's also a huge political awakening happening," Keshel observed. "We're seeing the numbers of people that are registering to vote Republican and the people that are fleeing the Democrat Party. The numbers are enormous."

This creates an opportunity for Republicans to connect with disillusioned Democrats. "This is our chance to go to those people and say, 'Hey, this is what we stand for,'" Keshel explained. She's encountered many Democrats who "don't know where they fit right now" as their party has moved toward more extreme positions.

Keshel emphasized the importance of focusing on issues rather than attacking people: "If we're going to make this place a better place, whether it be Tucson, whether it be Arizona, whether it be the United States of America, we've got to just attack the issues, the problems, not the people."

The conversation concluded with both agreeing that 2026 will be a critical election year for Arizona, particularly for the governor's race. A Republican governor would immediately prioritize election integrity bills to address ongoing concerns.