We have made it clear that we intend to prevent China from conquering Taiwan. Because we help our friends.
Don't you see a difference between US being attacked and a non-US nation being attacked? You are referring to the War Powers Resolution, which was created for emergencies: It provides that the president can send the U.S. Armed Forces into action abroad only by declaration of war by Congress, "statutory authorization," or in case of "a national emergency created by attack upon the United States, its territories or possessions, or its armed forces." FDR could have put wheels in motion, but he would have asked Congress to declare war. Why wouldn't he?
How many American lives are you willing to sacrifice to protect a "friend", especially when its a "friend" who would never, ever return the favor? The casualties in war against China would be MASSIVE. Its absurd that anyone would even entertain the thought of entering a World War scale war just to help a 'friend'.
War requires offense and defense. There are places in the world that are not possessed by the US, that if attacked, could put us in militarily vulnerable positions. It becomes even more vulnerable if the adversaries who attack them know that they have at least a 12 hour (who knows with today's Congress, maybe 5 day) window in which their opponent (the US) will not be conducting any offensive operations against any of their assets. Which is why that interpretation of war powers sucks. The enemy needs to be forced to consider a range of possible responses on all fronts, IMMEDIATELY following whatever attack they may be planning.
You're right if you believe our propaganda networks. But not if you believe in the will of the Syrian people, or else hundreds of thousands wouldn't have given their lives to preserve Assad's secular and free society, in preference to the sharia law of those who we supported.
How does a fight between China and Taiwan put the US in danger? You act as if an attack on Taiwan is same as troops landing on the beaches of Florida.
For one, within 10-20 years of that happening, South Korea and Japan will have nuclear arsenals, making the world much less safe.
Our friends, or our investments? Besides, how do you know what the Taiwanese people want? How do you know the average Taiwanese doesn't want to be part of mainland China? Certainly our government and its propaganda networks aren't going to tell you. Besides friends do not put their friends lives at risk - something we seem to be doing to all our 'friends'.
That is incorrect. We will go all the way to full scale nuclear war in order to defend Taiwan. The promise in question was in regard to Ukraine. We promised to help them, and we will continue to supply them with arms so they can keep defending themselves. However, we have also promised to help Taiwan. With Taiwan we will go all the way to all-out nuclear war in order to defend them. It is unlikely that the President will wait for Congress to declare war before acting. I do like the idea of putting Congress back in charge of such matters, but I doubt that it will[/QUOTE] That's going to happen anyway since N Korea got nukes. Japan will be next because they have to. S Korea is our trigger point, not Taiwan.
We have 3 thriving democracies in the Pacific: South Korea, Japan, and Taiwan. None of which are in a position to control their own destinies in regard to China. If China militarily conquers one without opposition, it is most definitely a trigger for the other 2 to acquire nukes.
When that non-US nation is our ally, there is no difference. All of them. Probably if nuclear weapons are used. But in a conventional war I think we can keep our casualties low. America will always help our friends. If we never help our friends when the bad guys destroy them, pretty soon the US will be standing alone against a hostile world.
I do remember seeing the overhead shots of a million or so of them linking hands across the island in defiance of China...
Assad is a dictator. The will of the Syrian people is not a factor in Syria. Our friends. Because they are human, and no human wants to be conquered and enslaved. No one wants to be conquered and enslaved by an evil dictatorship. We are not putting our friends at risk. We are protecting them.
There is a day and night difference. That kind of nonsense is exactly what led to WW-1 When they start helping us, we might enter into some kind of agreement with them, but we do not have such agreements with Taiwan, and hopefully never will. "Peace, commerce, and honest friendship with all nations-entangling alliances with none." - Jefferson Fine by me. We are capable of taking care of ourselves. Do you really expect Taiwan to one day fight for us? That is very naive. A war with China would destroy economically, and if nukes are used (you seem to think that would be a great idea), then its game over for the whole world for the next 10-20 generations.
The "defense" of Taiwan by outside forces is as empty as territorial integrity and security promise to Czekoslavakia in 1938. There would be strong diplomatic protest against China, but nobody would lift a finger. Even Poland wasn't enough for the allies to actively come to her defense. Only when they invaded Norway and thus became a threat to the North Sea control by the UK that the allies finally acted and it wasn't to save the Norvegians, they didn't ask permission from Norway, it was to cut Germany swedish iron ore supply comming out of Narwick and to deny them controll of part of the North Sea. Taiwan is already in China sphere of influence and isn't even a strategic staging area since it's within striking distance of just about any weapons the Chinese can throw at it. Japan and Korea makes way more sense to defend.
As long as Taiwan, South Korea, and Japan are protected by American nuclear weapons, there is no need for any of them to develop nuclear weapons of their own.
Not really. We defend our allies like we defend ourselves. We have agreed to prevent Taiwan from being conquered. They do help us. They help us by merely existing as a friendly democracy. We will be much poorer if we stand alone against a hostile world. And if you are worried about a catastrophic nuclear war, that will become much more likely if it becomes the US standing alone against a hostile planet. I don't think it matters if they do. But it is possible that they might. Oh well. If that is what it takes, then that is what it takes. Better dead than red.
We did learn. We'll not start a new World War for any reason. This is why there hasn't been any since 1945.
If China invades Taiwan, it will not be the US who is starting the war. But it will be the US who ends the war.
Nope. It would be China reoccupying an Island that as been part of China for the vast majority of her existance except for the Japanese occupation.
Taiwan has not been part of China for the vast majority of her existence. And if there is no other way to save Taiwan, it will be US thermonuclear warheads raining down on all of China's cities. It is likely that we will be able to smash China using conventional weapons however. Nukes will be a last resort. And nukes against cities a very last resort.
That poster is a lost cause thinking its Ok to start a global nuclear war to defend a "friend" like Taiwan. Whatever fantasy gets you through the night.
Why don't we stop import from China first? I guess corporations are in charge these days not politicians or military commanders.
