Dear Log,
«China's President Hu Jintao [...] told the 2.5 million-member People's Liberation Army to be prepared for war on the eve of the expected passage of a law authorizing an attack if Taiwan declares formal independence.Is this some kind of billion-buffoon joke?"We shall step up preparations for possible military struggle and enhance our capabilities to cope with crises, safeguard peace, prevent wars and win the wars if any,''»
--"China Prepares for Anti-Secession Law's OK"
My guess: Taiwan is meant to be an inert poker-chip in an inane game of poker between the empires of the senseless, US and China.
Delusions are the new status symbol -- and so they are also for sale, trade, barter, or dare. China will sell off its delusion of owning Taiwan only if it is paid enough. It's like taking a country hostage, except that once the hostage is released, everyone can pretend that there was never a hostage in the first place and we're totally all friends!
In the meantime, the governments of China and the US try to drive up the price -- Enough to swap one way for forgiveness of the US debt to China? Enough to swap the other way if the US backs off of nuking North Korea (splattering Beijing with fallout) but instead spends a few years trying to cook up a, uh, "bird flu outbreak" in Pyongyang? Or only enough to trade for Beijing to stop Chinese weapons companies from selling zap-o-matics to every goon in Eurasia who knows the Arabic word for "infidel" but not for "China"?
A detail being lost here is that Taiwan is also home to more people than New York state, and they probably dare to consider their lives and their peace and their sanity more important than the spastic lever-pulls from the reptiles of Beijing and DC.
I want a saner planet, and nicer.
