U.S. Decides Against Selling F-16’s to Taiwan

[alp227]

Source: The New York Times

WASHINGTON — The Obama administration has decided not to sell F-16 fighter jets to Taiwan but instead to help it refurbish its existing fleet, prompting criticism in Congress that the United States is buckling to pressure from China.

The decision, which could be announced as early as this week and was shared with Congressional staff members on Friday, is a consolation prize for Taiwan, which wanted to buy 66 F-16’s to replace jets it bought in 1992 during the administration of the first President George Bush.

The administration’s calculation, people briefed on the decision said, is that upgrading the old jets would allow Taiwan to defend itself but would avoid opening a major rift with China, which regards Taiwan as a breakaway province and opposes any arms sales to the country.

That reasoning does not satisfy Taiwan’s supporters in Congress. “If the reports are true,” Senator John Cornyn, Republican of Texas, said in a written statement on Friday, “today’s capitulation to Communist China by the Obama administration marks a sad day in American foreign policy, and it represents a slap in the face to a strong ally and longtime friend.”

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/19/world/asia/us-decides-against-selling-f-16s-to-taiwan.html

[atreides1]

1. You know what?

I would really appreciate a Congress that supports the American people as much as they support Taiwan, Israel, and the Arab States!

But since we the taxpayers pay them so little, I can see why they support other countries over us...it's all about them making a living after all!

[Plucketeer]

2. And lemmee guess.........

the congressdolts raising a stink are reps who's districts harbor manufacturing interests for F-16s! I'd BET on that!

[naaman fletcher]

3. I'm against arms sales in general...

But, I'm also against the blatant pandering to an un-free nation that wants to rule over a group of people who don't want to be ruled over.

[pam4water]

4. +1

[SlimJimmy]

7. I'll bet you're right (nt)

[KoKo]

5. War Forever...War THAT NEVER ENDS....sad..and going on even without Bush II.

:cry:

[lib2DaBone]

6. Why worry about a little thing like selling F-16's to Taiwan?

We already GAVE China more super computer Technology than they could have developed on their own in 20 years...

We send all our latest manufacturing technolgy to China with the blessing of our CONgress. (Act Surprised)

Now we are giving HUNDREDS of surace-to-air Missiles to Al Queida in Lybia. (quick.. act surprised again)

[scentopine]

10. THANK YOU! It is impossible to over state the disaster to our nation this has caused

millions of jobs, China is financing our bailouts for Wall Street and our three wars. In return they are expecting our jobs and technology for free.

About 900 million people in Asia don't have electricity or infrastructure for sanitation and clean water.

So these are the smartest fucking people on the planet and the model for education in USA?

No- they are so impoverished, they work for $7 a day in sweatshops.

DEMOCRATS AND REPUBLICANS ARE BREAKING USA INTO PIECES AND SELLING IT TO CHINA AND INDIA! JESUS, WE ARE SLITTING OUR OWN THROATS!

(Note to the all-caps police: I don't give a fuck about all caps, go report me to the all caps department, it's probably run by a call center in Asia).

[Mosaic]

8. Hating China is Not the Way to Go

Congress if full of power hungry animals. This country won't be around much longer if we make enemies of the whole world, esp. China.

[scentopine]

9. Right wingers love communist china, so much we send them

all our intellectual property and jobs. In return they finance our 3 wars and bailouts for Wall Street and tax breaks for the rich.

There's nothing like an unregulated and abusive labor market to help enemies find a common ground.

One day, all the right wingers in both parties applauding the jobs being outsourced will be paid $5 a day to sew jeans for rich Chinese.

[InkAddict]

11. Yeah, I know - Several years back, as a noob, I applied for a virtual reality

job at just such a "virtual jean factory" on somebody's World Industrial Fair SIM - the wages I think were L$100 an hour, roughly equal to about $0.35 hr, based on the exchange rate at the time, LOL.

It's not really all that funny considering the Great Recession of 2008, if you're working and the the new Great-er Depression, if you're not! It may well turn into the Great-est Depression and for the sake of our kids and grandkids that just isn't acceptable.