Earlier this month, “Real Talk” host Bill Maher proclaimed that “China is like the new Islam.” He referred to China as an “evil empire” and made the argument that our government is not criticizing China enough. Clearly, Maher has been living under a rock. 

There is not a day that passes in the halls of Congress without some politician making a terrifying, paranoia-drenched claim about China. At the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on January 30, Chairman Jim Risch tried to argue that “every Chinese student studying abroad in the US is an agent of the CCP.” These people need to get real. 

Bill Maher is never going to stop being an idiot. He boasts a long history of racist, Islamophobic commentary, and is clearly overwhelmed by his own ignorance. However, we think it’s a good idea to get some China experts on his show to teach him a thing or two. 

👉 Tell Bill Maher to Bring Real China Experts on His Show Since He Clearly Has No Idea What He’s Talking About!

We admit: there is some truth to Maher’s claim, but certainly not in the way he meant it. Prior to US invasion in the Middle East, vitriolic anti-Islam sentiments flooded the media and infiltrated US policy. In order to convince the public that war was necessary, the US government demonized the people of Iraq and Afghanistan, spread hatred and lies, and ramped up Islamophobia here in the US by calling it an evil and inherently violent religion. Racist, hateful lies like this ingrain themselves in the public consciousness and lead to the consent of atrocities like the one we have been witnessing for the past year in Gaza. 

Now, they’re doing the same thing with China. 

What we are witnessing today is nothing less than a new Red Scare escalating us into a new Cold War with China. Anti-China sentiments have bubbled into an atmosphere of suspicion and paranoia that stalks the Asian American community in all corners of life. Hate crimes have been consistently on the rise, and Chinese students and professors no longer feel safe at universities across the country. Allowing our minds to be weaponized by this calculated hate will only give the government permission to send billions more of our tax dollars across the Pacific to surround China with bases and weapons, edging us closer and closer to war. 

Islam was never our enemy, and neither is China. The true enemy is the US imperial agenda of war and global domination. So this Valentine’s Day, instead of falling into the trap of demonizing China and its citizens, let’s spread some love in the name of common humanity. We want peace in the Pacific, not a new Cold War— and certainly not World War 3! 

👉 Tell Maher to Invite Jodie Evans, KJ Noh, & Eugene Puryear to “Real Talk” to Teach Him About China!

Peace and solidarity, 

Megan, Jodie, and the CODEPINK Team

PS: Spread some love: save and send a China Is Not Our Enemy Valentine. 

Also: Join our webinar Solo Traveling Central China on Feb 20 at 4pm ET.