We need to start arming Taiwan. Now.

[Grandpappy]

What have we learned from Ukraine? The downfall of Ukraine will severely affect world food supply.
What about Taiwan? The world runs on electronic devices. Many of which are made in Taiwan.
Is Xi just waiting for the right moment?

 

[Peacenik]

What have we learned from Ukraine? The downfall of Ukraine will severely affect world food supply.
What about Taiwan? The world runs on electronic devices. Many of which are made in Taiwan.
Is Xi just waiting for the right moment?

Taiwan has the ability to manufacture devices.

 

[Rexedgar]

https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2022-04-20/taiwan-is-part-of-china-beijing-tells-u-s

China wants a word!

 

[Grandpappy]

So you don’t see a threat?
My God, you people are terrifying.
Can you speak Mandarin? No problem. The first word you learn will be “Yes, boss”.
Your little freebie world would end. Sad.
Oh, and if you don’t perform?
Who was that guy again?
Lost in history.

 

[Bullseye]

What have we learned from Ukraine? The downfall of Ukraine will severely affect world food supply.
What about Taiwan? The world runs on electronic devices. Many of which are made in Taiwan.
Is Xi just waiting for the right moment?

I was thinking about that a while ago. Saw a news vid talking about Biden pumping more ammo and weapons to Ukraine. Had a flash "what if Putin is doing Xi a favor by draining down our ammo and equipment so that China can go after Taiwan?

 

[Fishking]

What have we learned from Ukraine? The downfall of Ukraine will severely affect world food supply.
What about Taiwan? The world runs on electronic devices. Many of which are made in Taiwan.
Is Xi just waiting for the right moment?

China definitely is an actual existential threat to the US, and will only continue to be moreso as time goes on. Not sure about arming Taiwan but we do need to start taking serious measures against China, and that starts with divesting from their economy, nearly wholesale.

 

[Felis Leo]

What have we learned from Ukraine? The downfall of Ukraine will severely affect world food supply.
What about Taiwan? The world runs on electronic devices. Many of which are made in Taiwan.
Is Xi just waiting for the right moment?

Completely agree. Best thing would be to help them in the development of anti-ship missile technology like the Ukrainian's Neptune Missile. Though I am sure Taiwanese have developed something similar.

 

[Felis Leo]

China definitely is an actual existential threat to the US, and will only continue to be moreso as time goes on. Not sure about arming Taiwan but we do need to start taking serious measures against China, and that starts with divesting from their economy, nearly wholesale.

Taiwan would act as a pretty damn good caltrop against Chinese expansion.

 

[Antiwar]

We Are Arm the World​

U.S.A. for Africa Taiwan

There comes a time
When we heed a certain call
When the world must come die together as one
There are people dying living
Oh, and it's time to lend a hand to life death
The greatest gift grift of all
We can't go on
Pretending day-by-day
That someone, somewhere soon make a change
We're all a part of God's great big the US government's nuclear family
And the truth, you know, love is arms are all we need
We are arm the world
We are kill the children
We are the ones who make a brighter day, so let's start giving killing
There's a choice we're making
We're saving our own risking everybody's lives
It's true we'll make a better day, just you and me

 

[Fishking]

Taiwan would act as a pretty damn good caltrop against Chinese expansion.

Problem is that would increase the likelihood of a world war and those suck. With nukes being a common thing now...they have the potential to suck more than the previous two in order of magnitudes and China actually doesn't care about massive loss of human life.

 

[Nomad4Ever]

China definitely is an actual existential threat to the US, and will only continue to be moreso as time goes on. Not sure about arming Taiwan but we do need to start taking serious measures against China, and that starts with divesting from their economy, nearly wholesale.

Mostly agree. However, one major caveat is the only reason Russia felt comfortable going to war against Ukraine is because they put so much work into building their "fortress economy". A absolutely massive deterrence to war is trade interdependence. Should we make sure we aren't entirely reliant on China for what we can make ourselves? Sure. But if anything investing in the Chinese economy is the best act of deescalation we can take.

 

[jnug]

One war at a time gramps.

 

[Court Jester]

Taiwan, South Korea, and Japan all need to develop their own nuclear deterrent.

 

[Fishking]

Mostly agree. However, one major caveat is the only reason Russia felt comfortable going to war against Ukraine is because they put so much work into building their "fortress economy". A absolutely massive deterrence to war is trade interdependence. Should we make sure we aren't entirely reliant on China for what we can make ourselves? Sure. But if anything investing in the Chinese economy is the best act of deescalation we can take.

I disagree. China has gotten away with what it has literally because we are so dependent on them. I mean, China is committing genocide as we speak, and they are deterred. They are building artificial islands in the South China sea, arming them, and claiming the sea zones around them right now. They are not deterred. They are talking more forceful actions against Taiwan, right now. They are not deterred.

Oh...and our connected economy is what is funding it all.

 

[Nomad4Ever]

I disagree. China has gotten away with what it has literally because we are so dependent on them. I mean, China is committing genocide as we speak, and they are deterred. They are building artificial islands in the South China sea, arming them, and claiming the sea zones around them right now. They are not deterred. They are talking more forceful actions against Taiwan, right now. They are not deterred.

Oh...and our connected economy is what is funding it all.

I am convinced we would be at war with China already if a single trade dispute wouldn't send both our economies back 100 years within a month.

 

[btthegreat]

We cannot defend Taiwan, and it cannot defend itself. If China is willing to take the same heat Putin is, they can have the Island. Not much we can do about an Island sitting 80 miles off the coast of that military and economic giant except pound our chest .

 

[ataraxia]

What have we learned from Ukraine? The downfall of Ukraine will severely affect world food supply.
What about Taiwan? The world runs on electronic devices. Many of which are made in Taiwan.
Is Xi just waiting for the right moment?

Agreed China/Taiwan is a big problem. But further arming Taiwan right now will be seen as an extremely provocative move by the Chinese. Could create a problem where none exists. They were upset enough that Trump just took a congratulatory phone call from Taiwan‘s Prime Minister. What would they do with this?

 

[Roadvirus]

Agreed China/Taiwan is a big problem. But further arming Taiwan right now will be seen as an extremely provocative move by the Chinese.

So we should show weakness in the face of China's dick waving? That'll accomplish nothing.

 

[ataraxia]

So we should show weakness in the face of China's dick waving? That'll accomplish nothing.

There's a very fine line between knowing when to show some restraint and tact, and not letting people push you around or intimidate you. It takes very careful judgment. Too far one way or the other and it can have some pretty bad consequences. I don't claim to know just the right balance- that takes a lot of intelligence information and daily briefings only a president can have. But it cant always be all or none, where you have a chip on your shoulder and walk around beating your hairy chest all the time, right?

 

[Captain Adverse]

... Should we make sure we aren't entirely reliant on China for what we can make ourselves? Sure. But if anything investing in the Chinese economy is the best act of deescalation we can take.

Spot on!

I have been pointing this out forever.

It has been (primarily) our corporate interests who have been shifting production jobs out of the USA and to other nations to save expenses.

Anyone old enough to remember all the stink about Indonesian "sweat shops" making blue jeans and Nike shoes between 1980 and as late as 1991? Don't hear a thing about this anymore.

How about Walmart and their deals with China to produce cheap goods of all kinds for their stores? Not newsworthy now either.

Now, it's not only just accepted despite inflation increasing those prices, China has more and more of actual major goods production. Cars, steel, computer chips anyone?

We really need to consider returning as much production to the USA as feasible, especially of critical goods. Moreover moving investment out of China to more "democratic" nations like India, and perhaps spur growth in Africa.

 

[Mr Person]

It should be noted that China cannot hurt America without hurting itself, and vice versa. We do have leeway in that respect to Taiwan. And on the other hand, China has seemed rather determined.

As with Ukraine, we should go with what best serves our national interest, not with a naked sense of moral right.

(And if we are to start going in with a naked sense of moral right, we need to do it with a consistently applied 'test', if you will. Remember, we didn't get into WWII because Hitler was killing all the Jews. Instead, we turned away boats of Jews because they might be German spies. No. There was a different reason, which set it in motion)



What's our national interest demand? What's our geopolitical strategy here?

Those questions and not "I'm skeered" should determine our actions. Scared or not you have to do something, seeing as panic is useless. So forget being scared of China and having a Chinese boss, @Grandpappy, and address the considerations that actually matter.