When you listen to Trump talk about Taiwan (or many other topics) it’s the stuff he doesn’t say that is more revealing. Asked about Taiwan he blathers on about how big and strong China is, how tiny Taiwan is, about tariffs and dumb American presidents who didn’t use them. What doesn’t he talk about?
Alliances, obligations, democracy, values, honor, etc.
Keep in mind, if you don’t care whether Trump throws Taiwan under the bus, that wouldn’t be the only betrayal involved. We’d be screwing Japan, South Korea, the Philippines, and Australia too. I’m not saying we should get into a shooting war over Taiwan. I am saying Trump shouldn’t betray our allies, our values, and our national security and national honor just because he’s got a man crush on Xi.
"Any normal president launching a war with such aims against a country of some 90 million people...would probably have doffed the baseball cap, put on a tie, and delivered a somber speech from behind the Resolute Desk in the Oval Office." - @EliotACohen
A normal adult, even.
This shouldn’t be a right-or-left issue. Masked federal agents shooting and killing an American citizen for no reason in broad daylight and then smearing him as a “domestic terrorist” should horrify everyone.
This is police state behavior.