[Screaming_Gerbil]

If China invades Taiwan, it'll be them starting WWIII.

My personal feelings on the matter are: Better now than later...

Wonder what they needed that nuclear technology that they got during the Clinton years for? I'd guess that we're going to have to go some rounds with them sooner or later, and like I said, better now than later.

(Such a war might also solve that problem of all those products at Wal-Mart, K-Mart, Meijers, etc. made in China, as well as China's permanent Most Favored Nation status, in spite of how they treat their citizens)...

[KneelBeforeZod]

this is a very unpopular thing to say...I wouldn't have said it a year ago...but the Taiwanese businessmen don't seem to care about what is going on, they way they are rushing headlong into china to open businsesses. Of course there are those here on FR that will never believe it no matter what.

[Semper Paratus]

My personal feelings on the matter are: Better now than later...

I agree, if WWIII is inevitable. Better to fight on our terms than others.

[TexKat]

better now than later.

I don't even want to think about it. I believe our cup already over runneth.

[ModelBreaker]

Better now than later...

As to China, better later. We are bringing our THAAD missle defense on line over the next 5-7 years. It will provide defense against theater ballistic missles.

Today, our carriers are vulnerable to ballistic missles--especially missles bearing nukes. In 5-7 years they will be very, very hard to attack with ballistic missles.

China has about a 5-7 year window to take advantage of the huge investment it has made in theater nukes. After that, they are obsolete vis-a-vis the US.

That's why better later. But that's also why it will likely happen soon. China gets to pick timing and the Iraq invasion seems like an awfully good time.