Your point is America isn’t omnipotent? Say something the world doesn’t know.

The 7th Fleet sailed through the Taiwan Straight a few months ago. The message to China was that the Taiwan Straight is international, and Taiwan isn’t a lost province.

A year ago Hu Jintao, the leader of China (General Secretary of the Communist Party of China, President of the Peoples Republic of China, Chairman of China’s Central Military Commission) was heckled at a meeting with George Bush.

What tactics should now be used to fight for democracy? 60 years ago Canadians were pilots in the RAF and infantrymen landing on Normandy, should we now be using those same tactics against China?

You’re right that “Taiwan has evolved from a horrifically corrupt Kuomintang-dominated government to something resembling a real democracy, and China lurches slowly and weirdly toward something resembling a market-driven economy.” So Taiwan is a flawed democracy, and China is flawed.

“China/Taiwan isn’t a place that lends itself to simplistic good-guy/bad-guy analysis.” I disagree, and I think it’s pretty clear. The debate in Taiwan is whether it should declare independence or whether it should engage China. There’s no debate in China, just a build-up of missiles targeting Taiwan.

My point is that countries like the United States can, and do, lend a boat load of credibility to a new country’s claims to independence.

On day 1 they’re in like Flin for Kosovo… Taiwan, years and years later, not so much at all.

Harper should, as they say, man up as well. For all his claims about stepping towards the front of the international stage crickets chirping have been louder than his governments position on issues like this.

“My point is that countries like the United States can, and do, lend a boat load of credibility to a new country’s claims to independence.

On day 1 they’re in like Flin for Kososvo… Taiwan, years and years later, not so much at all.

Harper should, as they say, man up as well. For all his claims about stepping towards the front of the international stage crickets chirping have been louder than his governments positions on issues like these.”

I’m not aware that a formal declaration of independence has ever had the support of the majority of Taiwanese voters. In fact, I believe most Taiwanese support the status quo (de facto independence). It could be argued that a formal declaration isn’t publicly supported because of pressure from non-Taiwanese actors (China and the US primarily), but unless that can be proven, it would be irresponsible for the US (or Canada) to call for such a formal declaration.

“Its part of the paradoxical international lessons the US has been teaching other countries for years - get some nukes and a fairly strong military and the US will not mess with you.”

Anyone who needed the US to teach them this lesson hasn’t ever picked up a history book.

But I think “militarily” needs to be added to the end of your sentence, since I think ruining the coming-out-party of the new leader of China by allowing him to be heckled for a couple of minutes at an official US government function cost him some points at home. Will it have any positive benefit for Taiwan? Who knows. But it was incredibly rude behavior to the new leader of a country where “face” is paramount.

And my main question is if US actions in support of Taiwan provoke China into military action, who’s going to fight the war? The last time the West misjudged China’s intentions cost the US over 40,000 KIA/MIA, and Canada over 500 KIA and 1500 casualties.