"The question is how hard would average Taiwanese fight. Many Taiwanese are actually very liberal and I am fairly certain private gun ownership is banned."
I am by no stretch a Taiwanese expert or a Sinologist, however I have done business and traveled in & out of Taiwan for 10+ years and currently live on Taiwan.
With that let me put in $.Sid's worth.
Taiwan has only had free elections since 1996. It is a fledgling democracy that is making the transition to a representative republic in the manner that will work for it.
It is very divided along a number of different lines. Language, culture, family origins - just to name a few. The phrase you use to say 'Good Morning' to some one can start a political argument - its that sensitive.
Maybe not the same as in the USA, but they will find what works for them here.
There is much ethnic/political/societal division here. The Hakka (Aboriginal peoples), the KMT, The New Party, The DPP and a dozen or more political groups are all vying for recognition in the Gov't. Add to this an equal number of fringe and PRC subversive groups and you have a very lively mix. Its not uncommon for legislators to come to blows on the hearing floors. Real fist-fights and the resultant public apologies to "keep face" is a common occurrence. "Face" is a VERY powerful factor in life here.
Private ownership of guns in any form is extremely illegal. I am a NRA life member since 1960, and very PRO 2nd Amendment in the USA, I am also damn glad that its illegal here. PM me if you want my reasons, but that the way I feel after seeing what life here is like. And I am NOT anti-Taiwan or Taiwanese people.
The Taiwanese military would put up a very good fight. They are for the most part competent, well-trained and well equipped. The 1st Taiwanese officer to go thru SEAL school just returned and is pretty much a national hero. Would the average Taiwanese citizen fight the PRC invaders? IMHO...no. They would not. Sorry if that p.o's anyone; but that is my opinion.
The average Taiwanese just wants to make as much money as possible. If adjusting to a new form of Gov't is whats needed for them to do this...then they would adjust.
Just an anecdote with an insight into the culture here - Did you know there are no 'Stop' signs here? I have not seen one. There are traffic lights; but no stop signs.
Why is this you ask? Because its generally accepted that nobody would use them, so they save the cost of making and installing them. To hell with the cost of life and property that results from this decision. For-warned is for-armed.
Nice post, but I'm not sure what your obsession with stop signs is.
This is an FYI post. The hakkas are Chinese, not the Taiwanese aboriginals. They are the smaller Chinese emigrant group that went to Taiwan from during the 18th and 19th centuries. In mandarin pinyin system it is kejia -- guest people. They are not aboriginal, like A-Mei for example.
People who've come from families where hakka is spoken are maybe a quarter to 30% of the population.
Good hearing from someone who actually lives on Taiwan. In your experience, how do the native Taiwanese (those who were there before the Nationalists fled China to Taiwan in 1949) feel about the whole independence/reunification issue?