Another Arms Race

[Flatlander]

From this article:

Taipei — Taiwan's Premier said Saturday that a government plan to spend billions of dollars on U.S. weapons would help the island defend itself if rival China attacked, as thousands of protesters marched in the capital to denounce the deal.
The government wants to buy $18-billion worth of arms, including anti-missile systems, planes and diesel-electric submarines.

Here is yet another example of nations spending insane amounts of money on weapons, rather than seeking diplomatic solutions. I am disturbed at the willingness of world leaders to allow ego to influence the fate of their people. We are our own worst enemies.

 

[AnimEdge]

I dont think that would stop china

 

[Gary Crawford]

That's just the first step.If they take another,China might consider actually negotiating with them.

 

[bignick]

everybody else is going after weapons...why not them...

 

[Marginal]

From this article:



Here is yet another example of nations spending insane amounts of money on weapons, rather than seeking diplomatic solutions. I am disturbed at the willingness of world leaders to allow ego to influence the fate of their people. We are our own worst enemies.

Does Taiwan have a diplomatic out? It's not even recognized as a seperate entity from China by the US etc.

 

[JPR]

Flatlander,

The tension between Taiwan and China isn’t one that easily lends itself to a diplomatic solution. Taiwan was born out of World War II when the Nationalist (under
Chiang Kai-shek) fled the mainland after helping win the war against Japan but loosing the civil war they were fighting at the same time against the Communists (Mao Zedong).

Mainland China views Taiwan as rebelling providence and has often threatened to retake it. We (the US) have almost gone to war over the Taiwan / China issue. Taiwan views itself as independent (and sometimes views itself as the legitimate government in place of the Communists). Since the world hasn’t taken a stand one way or the other (the US will not recognize Taiwan as independent, but it also doesn’t recognize it as a providence in rebellion), Taiwan’s only sense of security comes from having enough military might to make the cost to China too great for the gain. To Taiwan this is all a matter of survival. If China takes over, Taiwan ceases to exist. That isn’t a position that is easy to negotiate from.

JPR