Posted on 10/15/2006 11:46:10 AM PDT by DantheMan123
...or at least threaten it in response to China's diluting the enforcement action against North Korea.
I believe Taiwan did nuclear research many years ago with Israel and South Africa. They stopped after the US requsted it to end.
I don't believe North Korea is a direct threat to Taiwan, but the same players are involved (China, Japan, USA) so it has indirect influence.
I don't think Taiwanese missile can hit Beijing, but they can reach the economic centers of China. If we tried to put nuclear weapons in Taiwan, you must be ready for a "Cuban missile crisis" in reverse. China will blockade the island and the US navy would have to decide to either turn around or force our way through.
Aside from the issue of nuclear weapons, I do agree that Taiwan needs an offensive military capability against China and not just keep spending money on defensive weapons. The best defense is a credible offense.
If the Taiwanese want nuclear weapons they are perfectly capable of producing one on their own. They don't need our help.
You're thinking too hard here.
I don't think we hand out nuclear bombs. Something about the nuclear non-proliferation treaty.
The nukes wouldn't be proliferated. They would merely be shuffled around.
1. It could be argued that Taiwan is not a recognized country.
2. Therefore, it could be argued that Taiwan belongs to either Red China or the US, both of which already have nuclear weapons.
3. Therefore, it could be argued that giving nukes to Taiwan is not proliferating them, since both the US and Red China have nukes already.
Okay, let's hear the argument that Taiwan belongs to the US. This should be good.
A few caveats....
I didn't say that I believe that Taiwan belongs to the US. I only said "it could be argued that Taiwan belongs to either Red China or the US. "
I'm only quoting a source.
Anyway....here is the argument....such as it is.... Taiwan is US territory
By Roger Lin Thursday, Nov 10, 2005,Page 8
In the interest of fairness, here's an argument against Lin's argument
Taiwan is not US territory
What if we merely mention to Red China that we are "looking into the possibility" of offering the weapons to the Taiwanese?
Well, Roger Lin's position is certainly creative. I thought the part about the citizens of Taiwan threatening the US President with impeachment was a nice touch. ;-)
I wonder what Madame Chiang Kai-shek, who died only 3 years ago, would have thought of it
Though born in the East, Madame Chiang was thoroughly Western in thought and philosophy. Brought up in a Methodist family, she studied in America from the age of 10 to 19 ...When President Jimmy Carter announced in 1978 that the United States was breaking off diplomatic relations with Taiwan and establishing formal ties with the People's Republic of China, Madame Chiang remained in seclusion and did not comment.-
Hard to know, but I'm pretty sure I know what she thought of Jimmy Carter.
That would trigger war with China.
I don't think that Roger Lin is advocating that the United States sell any "bombs" to Taiwan. What he is saying is that as "an overseas territory of the United States," all "national defense" issues for Taiwan should be handled directly by the Pentagon.
His new lawsuit against the US government explains the details of why (and how) Taiwan is "an overseas territory under the jurisdiction of the USA." See -- http://www.taiwankey.net/dc/tforumtw.htm
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