If you have been paying attention of late then you know that Gov. Kay Ivey is beating the anti-China drum loudly and acting tough by raising more hell than 20 Baptist ministers at a tent revival prayer meeting. Just last week, she banned the Chinese AI platforms DeepSeek and Manus from state devices, crowing, “When it comes to the threat posed by the Chinese government, Alabama takes no chances.”
Strong words. Makes you think she’s ready to stare down Beijing with a shotgun and a roll of barbed wire.
But here’s the rub: while Ivey is flexing her tough-gal muscles, her administration’s been quietly selling Alabama dirt to Chinese buyers. Hypocrisy, thy name is Ivey.
Let’s break this down. Ivey’s memo on March 26 wasn’t just a tech ban – it was a battle rally cry. She cited “unacceptable risks” to data privacy and cybersecurity, tying it to a broader framework targeting “foreign countries of concern” like China. Fair enough. The Chinese Communist Party is no friend to freedom, and their tech tentacles are real.
Alabama’s Attorney General Steve Marshall even jumped in, pushing Congress to keep DeepSeek off government gadgets nationwide. “If China gets our data, they can weaponize it,” he warned.
What is this? Methinks they speak of noble actions. Begrudgingly, I must admit that it sounds like a united front, right?
Negative. “Well folks, Mama’s wrong again!” to quote the professor chastising Adam Sandler’s character in “The Waterboy.”
Rewind to late 2024. Reports surfaced — buried under the usual Montgomery spin — that state-controlled land in rural Alabama was sold to Chinese-linked entities. We’re not talking peanuts here; think hundreds of acres near key infrastructure, the kind of spots that make you wonder who’s minding the store. Ivey’s office waved it off as “economic development,” claiming it’d bring jobs. Jobs? Sure, if you count low-wage gigs for locals while foreign firms rake in the profits. Funny how “taking no chances” with China doesn’t extend to keeping our state’s soil out of their hands.
This isn’t new for Ivey. She’s built a contrived brand and image on folksy grit and false bravado, demonstrated by such antics as the “What is a Woman Act” and her Glock switch ban, all while dodging the hard questions. Remember her Mar-a-Lago jaunt with Trump, promising a “Golden Age”? Golden for whom? Certainly not Alabama farmers watching foreign flags pop up on land they used to till. The governor seems happy to play patriot and champion when the cameras roll, but when it’s time to get serious and take on multiple threats like China, she ends up exposed like a frail flower wilting in the heat of the day!
And don’t buy the “it’s just business” excuse. If China’s a threat – and Ivey says it is – then handing them strategic footholds in our backyard isn’t just foolishly myopic, it’s borderline reckless and arguably criminal as well as seditious in nature! Imagine the outcry if Russia or Iran scooped up that land. Yet with China, it’s crickets from the Alabama Capitol. Why?
Follow the money. Big corporations love cheap Chinese labor and lax oversight. Ivey’s not blind, though she does appear glassy-eyed in most recent photos; she’s just banking on the good citizens of Alabama being too busy with the upcoming summer season to notice.
The irony of it all? Alabama’s own GenAI Task Force, which Ivey touted, warned about China’s data-grabbing habits. She howled and spoke with command authority while she waved that report like a flag, then turned around and green-lighted deals that could hand Beijing more than just megabytes – think physical leverage over critical infrastructure in our state. That’s not leadership; it’s classic Copperfield illusion and misdirection. She’s apparently betting we won’t connect the dots between her tough talk and these backroom deals and shady sales.
Look, I’m no tree-hugging, crunchy-granola type crying over every acre lost. Economic growth matters. But if you’re going to draw a line in the sand against China, don’t step over it to shake hands with them once their checkbook is out.
Ivey is either naive or playing both sides, and neither is a good look for a governor who claims to put Alabama first. Next time she fires off a memo about “no chances,” she oughta check her own ledger. The only thing she’s doing is defying common sense and compromising critical infrastructure with her Chinese Hokey Pokey. Put your right leg in, take your right leg out…
Troy Carico is a former infantry enlisted soldier (11B) and infantry officer with branch qualifications including counterintelligence (35E) and military intelligence (35D). He served with distinction in the U.S. Army for more than 22 years, and is highly decorated and service connected disabled. He also has prior service as a civilian intelligence officer for the Defense Intelligence Agency Great Skills Program and has served in numerous clandestine assignments throughout the world.
The views and opinions expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the policy or position of 1819 News. To comment, please send an email with your name and contact information to [email protected].
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