Your description of Taiwanese as people who were pushed out of the mainland only fits the 15% “Chang Kai Tchek Taiwanese”. There are 83% of “pre-japanese-invasion Hans” and 2% aborigines who weren’t happy about Taiwan being handled to China in 1945, weren’t happy about Chaink Kai Check people coming in 1948, were machine-gunned for this, feel Chinese about as much as Americans felt British in 1776 and will have about as few qualm at firing at them.

I didn’t lament the loss of any US lives defending Taiwan. I said I don’t want to senselessly lose ANY because of a misguided idea that Taiwan is a real “ally” an important place or that it will defend itself. Its none of those.

They have never assisted the US anywhere, any time with combat troops; they lay awake figuring out how to penetrate US markets; the minute its threatened, the rich and middle class will wire their money out and flee, while asking each other “where are the american troops to protect us?”). They dithered for years even trying to scrape up some money to buy fighters for their own use. (“Why spend money on defense? The Americans will do it for us”.)

China has enough technology and whatever it does not have, taiwan will sell to it assuming it hasn’t done so already on the side.

Taiwan has no national traditions. Its like a rented apartment for most of the rich people there: the minute its at risk, they’re gone.

I don’t regret going into Iraq. I am all for a strong military. But I want to spend it on Japan, Australia etc. Places with a national honor and history of defending themselves. The floater idea of defending Taiwan with US soldiers and money is pap for the credulous.

Mark my words that if Obama gets a second turn, these countries will be gone!

While Taiwan relies on US intervention in case of a major intervention can you point me to a single case of American blood spent on defending Taiwan? AFAIK, all
incidents involving Chinese troops trying to invade some of the small islands belonging to Taiwan have been handled exclusivly by Taiwan’s armed forces.

Taiwan is not South Korea where it is fashionable to be anti-American all while tens of thousands of Americans felt defending it, lie in their graves.

For democracy the little I know about Taiwan points that it is more of a real democracy than many European countries (who are in fact partitocracies).

However the US has very good reason to help Taiwan: depriving China of getting access to Taiwan’s technology, engineers and scientists.

I respect your measured and sober observations, but suspect I am a bit more in line with both reality, Paine and the Magna Carta, George Washington etc., on this one.

Its not the obligation of every US family to furnish a soldier to defend countries that feel they are above such menial tasks, preferring instead, to spread Paine by selling stuff to the US. In a vote on this, I suspect we’d see heavy results favoring intervention for some and not others. Taiwan does not generate emotion or respect as in the cases of say, Israel, Britain, Poland or Australia. Nor does it strike me as having the “they have supported us” “we like them” and “they are important to us” and they will actually defend themselves, as in Kuwait, Germany and Japan.

Nor does Taiwan stike me as a devotee of Paine or the Magna Carta. More of a “we got pushed off the mainland and we have this miserable rock, but if the mainlanders come, we’re on the next boat” type of place. Seen any Taiwanese troops in combat helping the US, Poland, Brits, Aussies, the Germans, some small group of Canadian snipers, etc spread Paine in Afghanistan or Iraq? No? Why? Too busy making money while we do all the heavy lifting.

Nor do I want to borrow more money to defend a place that hasn’t lifted a finger to assist us and would turn tail at the first sign of a Chinese PT Boat.

The US does not have endless resources. The feckless spending of them is not making us stronger. It is moreover, encouraging dry rot amongst places that should spend their own money on defense. Instead, we get the bill, they have the jobs, the health care, and our taxpayers are groaning.

That is the interest of the United States, the British Commonwealth, and anywhere else that the message of “The Crisis” & the Magna Carta is welcomed.

The US should not be egged into spending billions and placing US kids from Iowa at risk to defend every piece of land because someone tells us its an affront to us if we don’t.

The 1979 Act does not appear obligate the US do assist Taiwan if its attacked. Section 3302 only says that if Taiwan is at risk, the US will decide in its sole discretion, what it will do.

I fail to see why the US ought to be putting itself out for Taiwan. Does Taiwan have combat troops in Afghanistan or Iraq? Does it not have a “parade army” for show while it devotes enormous time to penetrating US markets for its own enrichment? Has it not delayed foreevr in simply purchasing from the US, jet fighters it needs to defend itself? Does anyone not believe that its wealthy classes would flee the island if it was menaced and expect US troops to fight for it?

Its proximity to China might have been of use in the distant past, it does not appear to have any utility now.

So what is the US interest in extending itself even more to defend this island that bears no resemblance to the Poles, the Brits, Australians, etc who have sent troops –not grudgingly–to combat zones to help?

Yes, just like what happened in Vietnam!!

I don’t know about the KMT government but there is a majority of Taiwanese who don’t feel themselves as Chinese and don’t want an union with China whatever the government in China and be it peaceful or not.