If they were to apply to rejoin, as well as joining the Schengen and the euro, I’d want them to have a minimum 60% in favour in a referendum (not just in the polls). Something like a membership of the EU, a political project, requires strong public support.

We really don’t have disdain for the Americans. Most Americans I’ve met have been great.

I don’t really see how having a nuclear base in Taiwan eliminates MAD. Similarly having 60% of the navy in the Pacific. It seems to me these mostly work well in case of a conventional conflict.

Yeah indeed strategic ambiguity has been the approach they’ve taken so far. If they decided to they could change the approach though. I think it’s unlikely China would carry out the threat if a formal alliance was actually announced since in that case they’d be starting a world war. I think it’s more likely they’d express outrage, protest and perhaps fly some fighter jets over Taiwan, take some steps short of actual war. My worry is that if the situation remains ambiguous China might conclude that the security guarantees are not real and that US would not respond. Having strong credibility there is essential for maintaining peace I think, especially if the intention is to actually respond.

Nuclear base… Talk about hyperbole. Hope the weather is nice in Beijing this August.

Sure I agree when it comes to admitting them to the EU. NATO is only a military defence alliance though. If they’d been in NATO this war would never have happened.

Sometimes I think driving licenses should require regular revalidation in the form of a driving retest. People acquire bad habits and begin to ignore rules, people age as in this case and their abilities are no longer up to the standard they were when they got the license. Doing this every 5 years and maybe reducing it to every 2 years once over 70 or some such.

Yeah it would require congressional approval. But that’s not beyond the realm of possibility as there is bipartisan support for Taiwan in the Congress.

I’m doubtful that it would trigger a major conflict. More likely China would express public outrage but not do anything about it. But it has to be done swiftly so they don’t have time to react before it’s in force.

If we’re really learning from mistakes in Ukraine then Taiwan should be recognised as an independent country and admitted into a formal alliance. Not admitting Ukraine into NATO was the mistake we made there and it’s being repeated in Taiwan.

If he keeps going like that, Uncle Sam might soon throw in free room and board for him.