To Save Our Economy, Ditch Taiwan (NYT op-ed)

New York Times ^ | PAUL V. KANE | PAUL V. KANE

[reaganaut1]

WITH a single bold act, President Obama could correct the country’s course, help assure his re-election, and preserve our children’s future.

He needs to redefine America’s mindset about national security away from the old defense mentality that American power derives predominantly from our military might, rather than from the strength, agility and competitiveness of our economy. He should make it clear that today American jobs and wealth matter more than military prowess.

As Adm. Mike Mullen, then chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, declared last year, “The most significant threat to our national security is our debt.”

There are dozens of initiatives President Obama could undertake to strengthen our economic security. Here is one: He should enter into closed-door negotiations with Chinese leaders to write off the $1.14 trillion of American debt currently held by China in exchange for a deal to end American military assistance and arms sales to Taiwan and terminate the current United States-Taiwan defense arrangement by 2015.

This would be a most precious prize to the cautious men in Beijing, one they would give dearly to achieve. After all, our relationship with Taiwan, as revised in 1979, is a vestige of the cold war.

Today, America has little strategic interest in Taiwan, which is gradually integrating with China economically by investing in and forming joint ventures with mainland Chinese firms. The island’s absorption into mainland China is inevitable.

But the status quo is dangerous; if Taiwanese nationalist politicians decided to declare independence or if Beijing’s hawks tired of waiting for integration and moved to take Taiwan by force, America could suddenly be drawn into a multitrillion-dollar war.

There will be “China hawks” who denounce any deal on Taiwan as American capitulation, but their fear of a Red China menacing Asia is anachronistic.

[fight_truth_decay]

Adm. Mike Mullen has since retired.

[Paladin2]

Can’t we just ditch NYC instead?

[paul51]

I’m amazed this buffoon didn’t start with Israel and then do Taiwan

[matt1234]

I’m hoping some Tawainese mobsters pay the author a visit.

[SIDENET]

FU-NYT!!!

[freeandfreezing]

I’ve got a better plan. Why don’t we tell the Chinese government that if they don’t write down our debt we’ll establish branches of Harvard University, the Democratic Party, SEIU and the New York Times in China. Then they can suffer from the same idiotic ideas that poison our political thinking. We can throw in Paul Krugman to close the deal.

[Psycho_Bunny]

Someone needs to tell this idiot to put the bong down for an hour or two.

[PhilDragoo]

China which has aborted tens of millions of girl babies and has a male-heavy populace it can neither feed nor employ.

China which murdered 2,000 peaceful democracy advocates in Tiananmen Square June 4, 1989.

China which now lays claim to the sea for hundreds of miles daring any neighbor or nation to transit let alone seek its resources.

China which sends tens of thousands of tons of precursors to Mexican superlabs to become the river of Mexican methedrine flowing into CONUS.

The New York Times which fought the Vietnam War for the Communists now does their propaganda work for free.

China which has stolen so much--(charge them for the warhead data Wen Ho Lee gave them, for the missile know-how Armstrong and Schwartz gave them)--

--now says through the fairies at the old gray drag queen,

"Be Judas; it's okay--then all this unpleasantness will go away"

Taiwan does not belong to China. Only thirteen years in three millenia.

It is mostly indigenous, not Chinese.

It is democratic and an ally.

The New York Times is a nest traitors. Confiscate its presses and imprison its staff as enemy combatants.

Carter betrayed Taiwan once--now is China's best shot at Taiwan, before Down-Low Gaga is defeated.

Better hurry with that wag op, Barry--

[Navy Patriot]

The NY Slimes was knowing and silent while Joe Stalin murdered 66 million Russians.

They are consistent Marxists.

[Jonty30]

Can America keep Taiwan safe from China forever?

If so, fine.
If not, then perhaps the best thing is to allow integration.

The China today is not the China 20 years ago.
Has Hong Kong suffered from being re-integration?

[JimSEA]

Yet another blast from the past. If Ayers and Davis meant anything to O, abandoning Taiwan is already on O’s to do list.

[cdcdawg]

how about we give it another 20 years, then see? Just in case Taiwan is a slightly different matter to the ChiComs. And is Mommy’s Little Man really the guy to broker a deal like this?

[okie01]

Liberals want us to sell out Taiwan so the ChiComs will forgive our debt. They’re bottom feeding scum.

Wonder how the NYT would respond to a proposal to revive our economy by invading Cuba and seizing the island for ourselves?

[Jonty30]

Definitely.

Don’t let Obama being the one to lead any discussions on integration.

[meatloaf]

Is English your native language?

[freedomrings69]

Isn’t selling honor for money considered prostitution.

[TigersEye]

0bozo might be immoral enough to take a proposal like this seriously but the Chinese themselves would never go for it. Their economic fortunes are more intricately tied to the U.S. than simply possessing our treasury notes. The Taiwan situation is undoubtedly a little more complicated than this simplistic tradeoff idea makes it sound too.

[LtKerst]

This is a clear example of The NYT getting it’s Marching orders from PEKING.

[Jonty30]

Yes, but I’m working through my cellphone, as opposed to my computer.

I’m going to make a mess of things once in a while. :)

[married21]

On behalf of my good friends from Taiwan, I hereby turn my back on the NYT and fart in its general direction.