You're on your own, pilgrim
DPP defense policy right now basically consists of 'don't beat me up because my big brother (the US) will come and beat you up.' Did anyone other than me actually try that strategy in the schoolyard? Let me know if it worked for you, because I got my notebook ripped up and my schoolbag thrown over the fence. When you go around slapping the face of the big bully, you're really asking for it. Chen Shui-Bian's habit of provoking China anytime he needs to win an election may work, but it really hurts Taiwan in the long run. This is the source of the US perception that Taiwan thinks it has a 'blank check' from the US in defense, not an arms bill that charges 3 times the going rate for obsolete diesel submarines. You have to wonder if the US thinks it has a blank check of its own at that price.
The US supporting democratic principles and coming to the aid of a fellow democratic power is idealistic and a foolish basis for a defense policy. The US has no record to my knowledge of going to war to support an actual democracy other than the U.K. and France back in WW2. It does have a fantastic record of supporting military and autocratic dictatorships: Grenada, Panama, Vietnam, etc. Being democratic doesn't matter when your allies have no personal interest in coming to help you. If that happens your treaty isn't worth the paper it's written on, as Poland found out back in WW2.
Noting that the Lee Tung-Hui and DPP-led Taiwan always calculated U.S. intervention heavily into defense resource allocations, US Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for East Asia Richard Lawless recently illustrated the US's true colors, with such brilliant lines as: "We cannot help defend you if you cannot defend yourself." Mr. Edward Ross, a director in the Pentagon's Defense Security Cooperation Agency, says "It is time that the people of Taiwan and their elected officials understand that when it comes to defense, they (and not the U.S. nor any 3rd party) are in the first instance accountable." Those don't sound like the words of a stalwart ally - they sound more like those of a wavering supporter looking to cover its own rear end. With the US appetite for war soured by mis-adventures in Iraq, Taiwan should not count on the US coming to its aid for the forceable future.
Ross urged "the people of Taiwan to think very hard about the future of Taiwan -- how should it look, how should it feel, and what is it worth?" The answer to that question may not be one that the US likes, and may be a throwback to the days when the KMT and US diverged on major issues. China's role has shifted from the evil enemy to an economic partner for both Taiwan and the US. The US and China can both survive without Taiwan, but the US needs its second-biggest creditor, China. China can do without both, so that leaves Taiwan wedged in the middle. Though it may be an ally, the US is both morally and economically bankrupt cannot not look out for Taiwan's interests. The sooner DPP and independence supporters recognize this, the better. .
The US supporting democratic principles and coming to the aid of a fellow democratic power is idealistic and a foolish basis for a defense policy. The US has no record to my knowledge of going to war to support an actual democracy other than the U.K. and France back in WW2. It does have a fantastic record of supporting military and autocratic dictatorships: Grenada, Panama, Vietnam, etc. Being democratic doesn't matter when your allies have no personal interest in coming to help you. If that happens your treaty isn't worth the paper it's written on, as Poland found out back in WW2.
Noting that the Lee Tung-Hui and DPP-led Taiwan always calculated U.S. intervention heavily into defense resource allocations, US Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for East Asia Richard Lawless recently illustrated the US's true colors, with such brilliant lines as: "We cannot help defend you if you cannot defend yourself." Mr. Edward Ross, a director in the Pentagon's Defense Security Cooperation Agency, says "It is time that the people of Taiwan and their elected officials understand that when it comes to defense, they (and not the U.S. nor any 3rd party) are in the first instance accountable." Those don't sound like the words of a stalwart ally - they sound more like those of a wavering supporter looking to cover its own rear end. With the US appetite for war soured by mis-adventures in Iraq, Taiwan should not count on the US coming to its aid for the forceable future.
Ross urged "the people of Taiwan to think very hard about the future of Taiwan -- how should it look, how should it feel, and what is it worth?" The answer to that question may not be one that the US likes, and may be a throwback to the days when the KMT and US diverged on major issues. China's role has shifted from the evil enemy to an economic partner for both Taiwan and the US. The US and China can both survive without Taiwan, but the US needs its second-biggest creditor, China. China can do without both, so that leaves Taiwan wedged in the middle. Though it may be an ally, the US is both morally and economically bankrupt cannot not look out for Taiwan's interests. The sooner DPP and independence supporters recognize this, the better. .
posted by Taiwan's Other Side at 9:11 PM
8 Comments:
Well said.
"This is the source of the US perception that Taiwan thinks it has a 'blank check' from the US in defense, not an arms bill that charges 3 times the going rate for obsolete diesel submarines."
What are you babbling about?
It's talk like this that confirms my opinion about a part of the expats living here. (Maybe those in Roxy 99, Vibe and Carnegie's?)
I am from Holland and somewhere in the eighties we actually had an extreme right party getting votes, be it only 3 to 8%. In a democracy, all views are allowed, unless you insult or harm others. It took no more then a recorded statement from the leader of that party about the denial of the holocaust to end the party's legal right to exist. They dissolved, and were never allowed to return in politics.
Change of scenery - Taiwan. The KMT comes to Taiwan, occupies the country, and establishes martial law for more then 4 decades. Thousends get killed, tortured and jailed. People simply disappear. Corruption was- and still is- rampant. The name of that political party was- and is- the KMT.
No civilized country would ever allow a political party to break laws in such a scrupulous way, and still continue to exist.
Yes, you may react in your standard way, and complain about the DPP not being perfect, and how things are not the same in Taiwan. That s correct. If you are as ignorant as to state that all constitutions of all civilized countries are wrong to abolish political parties that harm the public.
Go then, and vote KMT. Let black gold rule again. Let's kill some more Taiwanese people, in the name of national defense against China. The DPP is too weak. They don't have the guts to kill off the masses
By the way.. Did you know that Taiwan is the second biggest buyer of USA weapons in the world? I guess they have to get to first place before Bush will come to their aid against China
Yes, those stupid DPP people...what a joke to think that being the second biggest customer of USA weapons in the world would suffice to trust the Americans to actually help out in case of a conflict with China.
Do yourself a favour, blogger: Stop pissing away your nights in Carnegies and Roxy, and get an education instead. Your students deserve a genuine teacher.
Profane anonymous said:
"This is the source of the US perception that Taiwan thinks it has a 'blank check' from the US in defense, not an arms bill that charges 3 times the going rate for obsolete diesel submarines."
What are you babbling about?}
He just want bunch of KMT losers, which had the worst fighting records on losing wars to China, Japan, and probably anyone that wants to kick their *****, to win this election that's coming up!
Misery need their company.... lol!! =P
This post has been removed by a blog administrator.
profane anonymous,
Japan surrendered to the Republic of China. That means the ROC won.
1-0 is a good record, equal to the USA.
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