I Agree With This Bush Speech

[TimmyBoy]

Bush Urges China to Grant More Freedoms By TERENCE HUNT, AP White House Correspondent
11 minutes ago



KYOTO, Japan - President Bush prodded China on Wednesday to grant more political freedom to its 1.3 billion people and held up rival Taiwan as an example of a society that has successfully moved from repression to democracy.

In remarks sure to rile Beijing, Bush said, "Modern Taiwan is free and democratic and prosperous. By embracing freedom at all levels, Taiwan has delivered prosperity to its people and created a free and democratic Chinese society."

Bush made his remarks in the text of a speech that was to be the cornerstone address of his Asian trip. From Japan, he will continue to South Korea, China and Mongolia.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20051115/ap_on_go_pr_wh/bush_asia

 

[FinnMacCool]

I agree with Bush on this also.

But then again of course its all bullshit but still I agree. Everyone should agree anyways. The only people who wouldn't agree are perhaps Lucid and Imp.

 

[TimmyBoy]

I agree with Bush on this also.

But then again of course its all bullshit but still I agree. Everyone should agree anyways. The only people who wouldn't agree are perhaps Lucid and Imp.

I view China as a real and legitimate threat towards the US. Here are the reasons why:

1. China is not a democracy and is seeking to spread it's influence to other parts of Asia, which left unchecked could lead them to eventually become a bigger threat towards democratic institutions/governments around the globe.

2. China is constantly building up it's military to bully a weaker, smaller democratic government who has achieved alot of progress and economic prosperity over the years.

3. The Chinese government has no legitimacy to rule over it's people.

I think what the US should do is build space based anti-ballastic missle defense system as part of our strategic plan to deal with any possible Chinese threats. China, with it's present course of action and government cannot be allowed to remain unchecked.

 

[shuamort]

I agree with what Bush is saying..but is he going to be the first president who puts his money where his mouth is? China's been on most favored trade nation status for a LONG time.

There currently are a few countries which must obtain an annual presidential waiver or extension of a waiver to continue their NTR status. China is the most important country in this group which must obtain an annual waiver to maintain NTR. The waiver for China has been in effect since 1980. Every year, since 1989, legislation has been introduced in Congress to disapprove the President's waiver. The legislation has sought to tie China's NTR renewal to meeting certain human rights conditions that go beyond freedom of emigration. Through 1998, attempts to deny China NTR have failed. NTR is likely to be approved for China in 1999 as well.

If we're serious about pushing democracy there, maybe we shouldn't be supporting the regime with our capitalism for their dictatorial communism.

Bush didn't do this in 2001 when he did this though:
US President Bush on Thursday offered permanent normal trade status to China, calling it "the final step in normalizing US-China relations".

 

[FinnMacCool]

I agree. If there is any country we should be fighting a war against, its China. But of course, it would be hard fighting. I think we could win though. We could threaten invasion and try to supply arms to the Chinese people and maybe this will incite a rebellion and the chinese gov't will just collapse.

 

[TimmyBoy]

I agree. If there is any country we should be fighting a war against, its China. But of course, it would be hard fighting. I think we could win though. We could threaten invasion and try to supply arms to the Chinese people and maybe this will incite a rebellion and the chinese gov't will just collapse.

The last thing I would want to do is fight a war with China. On the same token we can't appease them. If they attack Taiwan, I believe we should intervene on behalf of Taiwan. However, our goal should be to make it where the costs would be too great for China to attack Taiwan and to discourage them from doing so. Part of the reasons I support a SPACE BASED anti-missle defense is because if we do intervene, China might decide to hurl nuclear weapons at the US and this system might be needed to shoot them down. Even though we could destroy them in return, you cannot discount the irrationality of some leaders to use such weapons anyway, even if it means the total destruction of their own country. But we should work actively to avoid a war with China, encourage democratic freedoms in China while on the same token, not appeasing China.

 

[TimmyBoy]

If the Chinese know their nuclear missles could be shot down and that the US will intervene on behalf of Taiwan, then it makes it less likely that China will attack Taiwan. If China is willing to accept a retailatory nuclear strike from the US for launching nukes that they knew could not be shot out the sky which were launched at the US for intervening on behalf of Taiwan with the strategy of making such a US intervention costly, then the likelyhood of a Chinese attack on democratic Taiwan will go up.

 

[danarhea]

I agree with what Bush is saying..but is he going to be the first president who puts his money where his mouth is? China's been on most favored trade nation status for a LONG time.

If we're serious about pushing democracy there, maybe we shouldn't be supporting the regime with our capitalism for their dictatorial communism.

Bush didn't do this in 2001 when he did this though:
US President Bush on Thursday offered permanent normal trade status to China, calling it "the final step in normalizing US-China relations".

Wasnt it Clinton who first gave China most favorable trade status?

 

[shuamort]

Wasnt it Clinton who first gave China most favorable trade status?

Per my site above:

The waiver for China has been in effect since 1980