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China Is Not Russia. Taiwan Is Not Ukraine

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Re: China Is Not Russia. Taiwan Is Not Ukraine

#21
But this war in Ukraine showed one simple truth: if you arm the population, the invasion can only destroy the infrastructure. You can't win over people's minds by killing their loved ones, their neighboors. And you can't keep it under control if every citizen has a gun. You install a puppet government, they will be dead within a week.

This is the only way to protect Taiwan. Give them guns and ammo. And teach them that killing invaders is the only way to keep their freedom and not fall under the totalitarian communist regime of China.

Re: China Is Not Russia. Taiwan Is Not Ukraine

#22
post #9

The invasion of Taiwan would require a massive amphibious assault across a sea full of hostile submarines. You couldn't hide all the ships required from satellites. And China's economy depends heavily on trade with the west-aligned world.

Russia didn't hide their military buildup, they just lied and gaslit the world via their various disinformation channels into believing that Putin would have to be insane to actually invade.

https://blog.windscribe.com/top-r-russia-mod-admits-to-ownin...

Yup. It's crazy how many of these are out in the wild. I mostly notice Chinese ones from my time there or ones highlighted by friends. But the Russian disinfo coming out in the lead up was insane.

I'm all for freedom of press but state sanctioned media is such a fucking blight.

Re: China Is Not Russia. Taiwan Is Not Ukraine

#23

But this war in Ukraine showed one simple truth: if you arm the population, the invasion can only destroy the infrastructure. You can't win over people's minds by killing their loved ones, their neighboors. And you can't keep it under control if every citizen has a gun. You install a puppet government, they will be dead within a week. This is the only way to protect Taiwan. Give them guns and ammo. And teach them tha…

They have guns, the two parties warred before. In fact, there was never a formal peace agreement so the war is technically still going on.

The asymmetry is in the economics. Taiwan can realistically be strangled by China. This has seemed like the plan from Beijing. Once politically weak, you can take over with sock puppets.

Re: China Is Not Russia. Taiwan Is Not Ukraine

#24

But this war in Ukraine showed one simple truth: if you arm the population, the invasion can only destroy the infrastructure. You can't win over people's minds by killing their loved ones, their neighboors. And you can't keep it under control if every citizen has a gun. You install a puppet government, they will be dead within a week. This is the only way to protect Taiwan. Give them guns and ammo. And teach them tha…

For now. It's absolutely possible to keep a territory under your control by force if you look at the historical record.

You can't extrapolate such a far fetched conclusion from one data point on how string the Ukraunian resistance seems in the first weeks of a war.

Re: China Is Not Russia. Taiwan Is Not Ukraine

#25
post #12

China would very much prefer that Taiwan ask to reunite with the mainland. Forcing them back one day might be in the cards but setting the conditions to where Taiwan sees being part of China as being the better option than relying on the United States for its safety is what China would like to happen. Finding ways to drive wedges between the US and Taiwan is a part of this strategy.

US has no interest in being beholden to TSMC in the long-term. once that dependency is removed the only reason from a realist perspective to support Taiwan is to provoke Chinese violence, which hopefully never happens.

Fixating on TSMC is for myopic tech geeks. Yes, it's important, but not nearly as important in the grand scheme of things as:

- A thriving Chinese democracy showing the mainland that no, they are not intrinsically incompatible with freedom.

- The credibility of the US as an ally to other Asian countries.

- Taiwan's strategic location.

Re: China Is Not Russia. Taiwan Is Not Ukraine

#26
post #23

But this war in Ukraine showed one simple truth: if you arm the population, the invasion can only destroy the infrastructure. You can't win over people's minds by killing their loved ones, their neighboors. And you can't keep it under control if every citizen has a gun. You install a puppet government, they will be dead within a week. This is the only way to protect Taiwan. Give them guns and ammo. And teach them tha…

They have guns, the two parties warred before. In fact, there was never a formal peace agreement so the war is technically still going on. The asymmetry is in the economics. Taiwan can realistically be strangled by China. This has seemed like the plan from Beijing. Once politically weak, you can take over with sock puppets.

So, more trade with Tawain from the west, and give them more guns.

Re: China Is Not Russia. Taiwan Is Not Ukraine

#27

But this war in Ukraine showed one simple truth: if you arm the population, the invasion can only destroy the infrastructure. You can't win over people's minds by killing their loved ones, their neighboors. And you can't keep it under control if every citizen has a gun. You install a puppet government, they will be dead within a week. This is the only way to protect Taiwan. Give them guns and ammo. And teach them tha…

Feminists arm women

Re: China Is Not Russia. Taiwan Is Not Ukraine

#28
post #23

But this war in Ukraine showed one simple truth: if you arm the population, the invasion can only destroy the infrastructure. You can't win over people's minds by killing their loved ones, their neighboors. And you can't keep it under control if every citizen has a gun. You install a puppet government, they will be dead within a week. This is the only way to protect Taiwan. Give them guns and ammo. And teach them tha…

They have guns, the two parties warred before. In fact, there was never a formal peace agreement so the war is technically still going on. The asymmetry is in the economics. Taiwan can realistically be strangled by China. This has seemed like the plan from Beijing. Once politically weak, you can take over with sock puppets.

Taiwan cannot be strangled as long as the rest of the world is willing to trade with them. A naval blockade of Taiwan would not be tolerated by the west, and the first US-flagged ship that gets sunk would start real war.

Re: China Is Not Russia. Taiwan Is Not Ukraine

#29
post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How could Taiwan - a country the US doesn’t recognize - join NATO?

How could Taiwan - a country not in the North Atlantic - join NATO?

Presumably by agreeing to the terms of the treaty and by being accepted by existing members. It's the North Atlantic Treaty organization, not the North Atlantic Organization

Re: China Is Not Russia. Taiwan Is Not Ukraine

#30
post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How could Taiwan - a country the US doesn’t recognize - join NATO?

How could Taiwan - a country not in the North Atlantic - join NATO?

Good point. When I think of Turkey, the first thing that comes to my mind is "North Atlantic", same as you apparently.
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