Re: China and Taiwan. This is so screwed up. All it would take to satisfy China on this score is a slight tweak to the status quo -- Taiwan pretends to be part of China and stops with the seperatist rhetoric, but keeps its de facto independence. Nothing important would change, but it would defuse a tense situation and free up attention for more important problems like North Korea. The US agreement to protect Taiwan is a leftover relic of the Cold War that only sends misleading signals to Taiwan's leadership. Does anybody seriously believe that the US would make any kind of sacrifice if Taiwan got too cocky and provoked the Chinese into a war? Anyone wanna take any bets on that? I sure wouldn't. Too bad so sad for Taiwan.

Bush needs to make it absolutely clear to the Taiwanese that the situation has changed and they cannot count on unconditional support from the US. The Taiwan thing is the most major bone of contention between the US and China; once that goes away, whole new pathways for greater strategic co-operation open up. But right now I get the impression that the Bush administration is confused and split over China; there are some hawks that are still stuck in the Cold War Time Warp and don't seem to have noticed that China is one of the US' largest trading partners and that there's no good reason to antagonize eachother.

All this fretting over China's rise is stupid and counterproductive, and only distracts from the more important things. The brouhaha over the arms embargo is a perfect case in point. Who gives a shit if the EU sells them weapons? Where is the Bush admin actually going with all this crap? Why do they want to engage in a futile exercise which is only going to alienate the Chinese to no percieveable gain for the US? What is the goal they're trying to accomplish here? My guess is that even they don't have a clue and are just guided by this vague sentiment of "China big, China commies, China baaaad". That has to disappear if US policy in Asia is ever going to make any sense.

Matt, Matt, Matt...

Your solution is just that simple?

I would suggest that it is not at all.

Not in principle: Supporting democracies and opposing dictatorships.

Not in reality: A change in words will stop China's desire for sull ownership of the island's resources and people.

Take a look around. All of this 'fretting over China's rise' is not a collective equivalent to Chicken Little. China owns and operates the world's largest container sea port.....in the Bahamas. China controls both the eastern and western entrances to the Panama Canal. China 'acquired' our most advanced nuclear designs: The W-88 miniaturized MIRV warhead specs & plans. I could go on, but will not.

At the end of the day, in reality what you are suggesting is that the 12+ Million free Taiwanese citizens are expendable and their freedom too inconvenient to support.

If you think I am over-reacting and that your idea of just changing a few words around will make it all just go away...well, then I would suggest that you speak to a few people from Hong Kong and ask them how changing a few words effects them. Ask them precisely 'what' just goes away.

One Country, Two Systems is an illusion for the intellectually lazy who cannot be inconvenienced with so much more 'important' things at hand.

The situation IS inconvenient, that I will grant. There ARE other important tasks at hand, as well.

But if we were to take the stand that other things are TOO important, that some things are just TOO inconvenient, do you really believe that the Lebanese in Beruit on this wonderful day would have ever had the courage to stand for their own freedom? That their Syrian-puppet government would have ever willingly folded without a shot?

People want to be FREE. Their freedom is inconvenient at our (and their) peril.

On this day, may God bless the courageous people of Lebanon...inspired and strengthened by the actions of America, Britain, Australia, Italy and, most directly, the newly freed Iraqi Voters.

May there be a worldwide run on the Purple Ink market!

On the Middle East section of today's WoW:

I noted and posted late Sunday night:

Triangulation of Fire: Syria in the Crosshairs

Before the Tens of Thousands took to the streets in Beruit precipitating...

The Entire Syrian-Puppet Lebanese Gov't Walking Away

It's also worthy of noting a trio of events that occured in/regarding Pakistan on a single day last week:

A Concert of Troubling Developments in Pakistan

I'm not attempting a shameless plug of my won blog, though it appears as such. I simply think both the Syrian and Pakistani developments are properly (though in no way competely) framed by the events mentioned in the posts, regardless of my ability to articulate them.

Bill & envariste: The Iran & Americas sections are especially good and on the money this week. Great job. Thanks again for all the time to put all this in one clean reference point.

Bill, Envariste...

Check this out RE: Canada's non-participation

Canada Informed That Decision Not to Participate in U.S. System Would Result in Lack of Protection

Why, yes Virginia...there IS a Santa Claus.

He just doesn't live in Washington, DC or NORAD.