"The Taiwanese need to realize that without freedom, life is not worth living"
If this means to describe a life as a citizen in just another province of the PRC, I cannot agree. I have relatives in Nanjing and they are all living a good and happy life, that they find worth living. Even after visiting Europe and Taiwan, which they were able to do several times.
yeah, maybe. All of it makes me uncomfortable because of the effects on the rest of the world. We are global whether people accept it or not. What I would love to see is complete deterrence, not by having the bigger bomb, or more bombs, but some other means like an ability to shut down all their bombs from launching. I hope people are working hard on this!
Of course, even if you could disable every nuclear weapon on the planet, we could still have conventional warfare, which was responsible for nearly every death in World War II other than a few hundred thousand at the very end (which arguably prevented even more deaths from occurring).
As you wrote, it has become easier to obtain/produce nuclear weapons to the point it is almost a moot question. That timeline will shorten even more, right? What concerns me is what would the strategy be? What targets in China? Nukes are not a defensive weapon so does having them make a country less vulnerable to attack in all honesty? Where are countries at on defenses like that iron dome in Israel? This all makes my brain hurt so I hope you can get some answers for me!
Well this is all very new to me too. The idea I think is they make you too high-risk to attack. I’m happy to be corrected on this as it’s just my impression, but challenges remain. The risk of just one getting through makes it still effective as a deterrent.
Look how many terrorist groups and states have been attacking Israel. There’s been such a taboo on nuclear weapon use for so long that no one expects that anyone will actually use them. And of course if any country *does* use a nuclear weapon, even a relatively small tactical nuke, then a bunch of other countries will start using them as well because humans are herd animals and most human human behaviors are incredibly contagious.
The lesson from Ukraine is that giving up nuclear weapons for a security agreement with the US and Russia was naive. Nuclear weapons are an effective deterrent for weaker countries—-they are really defensive not offensive weapons, designed to make the cost of conventional war by a stronger power too high. But, they’d need a rapid and secret breakout or the prospect of this capability would likely force China to act with conventional arms urgently and hope the US can’t react quickly with conventional forces and won’t use nuclear weapons to defend Taiwan (which seems likely).
Your article has raised many questions I have not put much thought into, ever. But I will now. Thank you for sharing this. I have no ready opinions, no philosophical quibbles, no sharp quips. Just a great deal of reflection ahead of me.
Nuclear conflict is not a limited event. The radioactivity alone will kill millions of non-combatant innocent dwellers on a shared planet.
The clouds of soil, debris and smithereens blasted into the upper atmosphere from even a minimum of nuclear blasts are sufficient to cloak the upper atmosphere and prevent sufficient sunlight to grow plants & foods. Many millions more will die from the starvation before crops can be successfully grown, then harvested, and then distributed. But what roads, highways, communications or transportation vehicles would be available after the deaths of millions?
Is any nation or individual endowed to declare the deaths of many millions of innocent non-combatants for someone’s instant decision to validate their Liberty with nuclear fire?
In such cases of rhetorical bravery there is the fact of millions of deaths hang on the extreme of self-ego in such statements.
Nuclear science is one of many Pandora’s Boxes opened by curious scientific inquiry. It cannot be shut. Nuclear weapons cannot ever be used or retaliated.
If a nation has chosen to launch first, survivor humanity will hold throughout mankind’s history a mark of Caine upon their name and kind, unwelcome anywhere and forced to pay in toil.
Concepts such as Liberty and Democracy rise and fall, and are easier to regain in struggles than a futile task of raising a planet from the dead.
Nuclear war is the final end of human existence. The End.
The PRC can barely handle the influx of Hong Kong and its monetary liberties. Taiwan is much much larger than that. The United States recognizes the one China policy and is not a signature to United Nations convention on laws of the Sea. Does the PRC want Taiwan eventually, of course. Are they willing to risk a war with the United States for it? In the short term absolutely not, also is anyone prepared to risk launching nuclear weapons in this theater of operations? I don’t believe so. American, mothers and fathers would not be happy having their kids killed for an island that they cannot find on a globe & for a reason they cannot fathom. I was a strategic analyst for this area of operations for five years, and most of my peers have never read Sun Tzu’s , the Art of War. There is nothing culturally or militarily that supports the idea that the PRC is going to launch and all out invasion for something that they really don’t want at this time. Are you familiar with the Thucydides Trap? Are we constructing one right now? It’s a good question to ask yourself.
I agree all the minor powers should get nukes. It's a little harder with Taiwan because it would be better to obtain nukes before China finds out.
There is a 0% chance the USA wins a naval/air war of attrition in the South China Sea. It will definitely go nuclear if it wants to protect Taiwan, we might as well admit that.
I feel like the fundamental issue isn't Taiwan. It's that the Chinese (not just the CCP) want to measure their dicks against the west. Ordinary citizens don't actually want a war in exchange for measuring their dicks because that's stupid, but there is still an underlying urge for such a measurement. I wish we could come up with a way to doing so without WWIII.
Thank you so much for sharing! This is an International conflict that every citizen of the world should be concerned about. Because it has ramifications. Leaders that seek power for control with disregard to human rights and lives; will never be satisfied, eventually even turning against those that help them; until they have total control.
You would think that after all the historical precedence about this type of conflicts, World leaders would have learned to find common ground solutions to live in harmony. As long as we continue allowing these “World Bullies” over power others, we gain a higher risk of threats to our country.
But how can we stand still with hands down as we continue to observe a new era of genociede…?Regardless of the amount of the masses in the atrocity, those are the lives of children, women, and men being sacrificed for power. How can we possibly look the other way?
I see this as a strategy of our enemies to slowly gain territory, power, and control. Yesterday was Ukraine, today we are talking about Taiwan; who do you think could or would be the next, and the next after that, before they turn onto us…? If we allowed this atrocities to continue; eventually the Holocaust story will be rewritten in a very different way. These are different times and we need to think outside of the box when it comes to International threats…
And when it comes to choosing our leaders let’s choose leaders that have human values, sense of purpose, and responsibility not only to the people of this Nation but to humanity…We need together to put aside our differences and start thinking as one… so that we don’t end up choosing someone again, that will kiss this Nation good night and at midnight will sale our souls to the devil.
This is really foolish; Taiwan threatening to go nuclear will only encourage China to settle the issue militarily. China will never feel safe when Taiwan threatens it with nuclear weapons. If you think the nuclear weapons won't be targeted at China, think again ...
Wake up people of Taiwan. You are less free under US domination. You will have much more freedom as a province of China (under the two system one country regime). Is S Korea free when it is occupied by the US military and its military command can be taken over by US generals. Is Japan free when its citizens in Okinawa protests occupation by the US military. The reason US military doesn't have a base in Taiwan because China is preventing it.
No one wants a US military base in their country. Ask the Filipinos!
"The Taiwanese need to realize that without freedom, life is not worth living"
If this means to describe a life as a citizen in just another province of the PRC, I cannot agree. I have relatives in Nanjing and they are all living a good and happy life, that they find worth living. Even after visiting Europe and Taiwan, which they were able to do several times.
I would tend to agree. Life is good for a lot of Chinese now and I assume we would be a wealthy province?
Still — of course —I prefer freedom.
I liked both the comment above and yours.
China is worse then Taiwan, but how much worse?
It was easier during the Cold War because Communism was total shit.
There is no freedom of speech in Taiwan or America! If I speak what they want to hear, yes, there is freedom, otherwise CIA will visit you
The CCP shills have arrived
yeah, maybe. All of it makes me uncomfortable because of the effects on the rest of the world. We are global whether people accept it or not. What I would love to see is complete deterrence, not by having the bigger bomb, or more bombs, but some other means like an ability to shut down all their bombs from launching. I hope people are working hard on this!
It’s probably not really feasible with current technology, but it’s theoretically possible to disable nukes using neutrino beams:
https://www.iflscience.com/sending-neutrino-beams-through-the-earth-could-find-and-destroy-nuclear-weapons-72839
Of course, even if you could disable every nuclear weapon on the planet, we could still have conventional warfare, which was responsible for nearly every death in World War II other than a few hundred thousand at the very end (which arguably prevented even more deaths from occurring).
As you wrote, it has become easier to obtain/produce nuclear weapons to the point it is almost a moot question. That timeline will shorten even more, right? What concerns me is what would the strategy be? What targets in China? Nukes are not a defensive weapon so does having them make a country less vulnerable to attack in all honesty? Where are countries at on defenses like that iron dome in Israel? This all makes my brain hurt so I hope you can get some answers for me!
Well this is all very new to me too. The idea I think is they make you too high-risk to attack. I’m happy to be corrected on this as it’s just my impression, but challenges remain. The risk of just one getting through makes it still effective as a deterrent.
Look how many terrorist groups and states have been attacking Israel. There’s been such a taboo on nuclear weapon use for so long that no one expects that anyone will actually use them. And of course if any country *does* use a nuclear weapon, even a relatively small tactical nuke, then a bunch of other countries will start using them as well because humans are herd animals and most human human behaviors are incredibly contagious.
“If Taiwan is taken over by the Chinese, Japan risks being finlandized,” said Professor Iwama.
Jesus H Christ, they don't get much dumber than Professor Iwama!
it will end in an ash covered planet devoid of life
guns are better because old men can't personally
murder an entire people at once using them
-to be a free nation
require the skill of killing people with a gun
it makes for a polite society as an additional benefit
The lesson from Ukraine is that giving up nuclear weapons for a security agreement with the US and Russia was naive. Nuclear weapons are an effective deterrent for weaker countries—-they are really defensive not offensive weapons, designed to make the cost of conventional war by a stronger power too high. But, they’d need a rapid and secret breakout or the prospect of this capability would likely force China to act with conventional arms urgently and hope the US can’t react quickly with conventional forces and won’t use nuclear weapons to defend Taiwan (which seems likely).
Your article has raised many questions I have not put much thought into, ever. But I will now. Thank you for sharing this. I have no ready opinions, no philosophical quibbles, no sharp quips. Just a great deal of reflection ahead of me.
Think the questions and comments through, please.
Nuclear conflict is not a limited event. The radioactivity alone will kill millions of non-combatant innocent dwellers on a shared planet.
The clouds of soil, debris and smithereens blasted into the upper atmosphere from even a minimum of nuclear blasts are sufficient to cloak the upper atmosphere and prevent sufficient sunlight to grow plants & foods. Many millions more will die from the starvation before crops can be successfully grown, then harvested, and then distributed. But what roads, highways, communications or transportation vehicles would be available after the deaths of millions?
Is any nation or individual endowed to declare the deaths of many millions of innocent non-combatants for someone’s instant decision to validate their Liberty with nuclear fire?
In such cases of rhetorical bravery there is the fact of millions of deaths hang on the extreme of self-ego in such statements.
Nuclear science is one of many Pandora’s Boxes opened by curious scientific inquiry. It cannot be shut. Nuclear weapons cannot ever be used or retaliated.
If a nation has chosen to launch first, survivor humanity will hold throughout mankind’s history a mark of Caine upon their name and kind, unwelcome anywhere and forced to pay in toil.
Concepts such as Liberty and Democracy rise and fall, and are easier to regain in struggles than a futile task of raising a planet from the dead.
Nuclear war is the final end of human existence. The End.
Are further questions necessary?
The PRC can barely handle the influx of Hong Kong and its monetary liberties. Taiwan is much much larger than that. The United States recognizes the one China policy and is not a signature to United Nations convention on laws of the Sea. Does the PRC want Taiwan eventually, of course. Are they willing to risk a war with the United States for it? In the short term absolutely not, also is anyone prepared to risk launching nuclear weapons in this theater of operations? I don’t believe so. American, mothers and fathers would not be happy having their kids killed for an island that they cannot find on a globe & for a reason they cannot fathom. I was a strategic analyst for this area of operations for five years, and most of my peers have never read Sun Tzu’s , the Art of War. There is nothing culturally or militarily that supports the idea that the PRC is going to launch and all out invasion for something that they really don’t want at this time. Are you familiar with the Thucydides Trap? Are we constructing one right now? It’s a good question to ask yourself.
I agree all the minor powers should get nukes. It's a little harder with Taiwan because it would be better to obtain nukes before China finds out.
There is a 0% chance the USA wins a naval/air war of attrition in the South China Sea. It will definitely go nuclear if it wants to protect Taiwan, we might as well admit that.
I feel like the fundamental issue isn't Taiwan. It's that the Chinese (not just the CCP) want to measure their dicks against the west. Ordinary citizens don't actually want a war in exchange for measuring their dicks because that's stupid, but there is still an underlying urge for such a measurement. I wish we could come up with a way to doing so without WWIII.
Thank you so much for sharing! This is an International conflict that every citizen of the world should be concerned about. Because it has ramifications. Leaders that seek power for control with disregard to human rights and lives; will never be satisfied, eventually even turning against those that help them; until they have total control.
You would think that after all the historical precedence about this type of conflicts, World leaders would have learned to find common ground solutions to live in harmony. As long as we continue allowing these “World Bullies” over power others, we gain a higher risk of threats to our country.
But how can we stand still with hands down as we continue to observe a new era of genociede…?Regardless of the amount of the masses in the atrocity, those are the lives of children, women, and men being sacrificed for power. How can we possibly look the other way?
I see this as a strategy of our enemies to slowly gain territory, power, and control. Yesterday was Ukraine, today we are talking about Taiwan; who do you think could or would be the next, and the next after that, before they turn onto us…? If we allowed this atrocities to continue; eventually the Holocaust story will be rewritten in a very different way. These are different times and we need to think outside of the box when it comes to International threats…
And when it comes to choosing our leaders let’s choose leaders that have human values, sense of purpose, and responsibility not only to the people of this Nation but to humanity…We need together to put aside our differences and start thinking as one… so that we don’t end up choosing someone again, that will kiss this Nation good night and at midnight will sale our souls to the devil.
This is really foolish; Taiwan threatening to go nuclear will only encourage China to settle the issue militarily. China will never feel safe when Taiwan threatens it with nuclear weapons. If you think the nuclear weapons won't be targeted at China, think again ...
Wake up people of Taiwan. You are less free under US domination. You will have much more freedom as a province of China (under the two system one country regime). Is S Korea free when it is occupied by the US military and its military command can be taken over by US generals. Is Japan free when its citizens in Okinawa protests occupation by the US military. The reason US military doesn't have a base in Taiwan because China is preventing it.
No one wants a US military base in their country. Ask the Filipinos!