Taiwan's democracy has need of America

[dArKeR]

US President George W. Bush has enough headaches in taking care of the US. The war in Iraq is not over. The nuclear disarmament with North Korea is much more complicated. The war against terrorism never seems to end. Therefore, Bush was in a disturbed mood when he announced that he did not want Taiwan to hold a referendum during its March presidential election to address the future of Taiwan. His announcement was an attempt to please Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao (???) when he paid a visit to the White House early last month. The US needs Beijing's help to persuade North Korea to drop the development of nuclear arsenals.

Taiwan is a democratic country. People there are as free as the people in the US. As a matter of fact, Taiwan is ranked the No. 1 free country in Asia.

China is a dictatorship. Bei-jing's policy is set by only a handful of people who are not chosen by the citizens. It currently has 496 missiles aimed at Taiwan. China will invade Taiwan by force if Taiwan declares independence through a referendum chosen by the Taiwanese people.

The US threatened the war against Cuba when Havana obtained missiles from Russia, which were aimed at the US during the Kennedy era. Eventually Russia dismantled the missiles and ended the crisis.

http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/edit/archives/2004/01/29/2003096653

[tom_paine]

1. Imperial Amerika only has the rotting vestiges of democracy remaining

Taiwan better look to the Free World, NOT Imperial Amerika, if they want help with Free Elections.

And we Imperal Subjects of Amerika aren't really truly free anymore, anyway. We have no say in selection of National Leader, our system of checks and balances has broken down, a media fit for a nation of Totalitarian Bootlickers, and theft is legal for Imperial Stooges.

Our lives, on an individual level, are still somewhat protected by inertia and the wretched remnants of the Old American Republic, which cannot yet be fully sweptaway, so that we can still "live free" even though we aren't.

I have no doubt that China can invade Taiwan whenever it wants. The Imperial Family has more in common with China's Communist Rulers than with freely elected representatives in taiwan, anyway.

[eridani]

2. If China was actually going to invade Taiwan--

--don't you think they'd have done it already?

I'm in favor of defending Taiwan--they put in single payer health care in 1998 and will soon be legalizing gay marriage.