From: Randall Parker 

In <38C70C79.44C6E773{at}pacbell.net>, the sagacious
sdurrett{at}pacbell.net Steven Durrett perspicated:
> At which point the Taiwanese negotiators will valiantly stifle their
> giggles.

At that point Taiwan would have lost the moral authority that would give
them support in the international community. Once they accept, under some
conditions, the inevitability of reunification then even countries that now
recognize Taiwan would cease to do so. Their diplomatic isolation and the
US justification for shipping them arms would evaporate.

ergo, I think it is a bad idea for Taiwan to ever concede the inevitability
of reunification under Beijing's rule.

> I think Peking means it when they say they will not tolerate any
> declaration of independence. Unfortunately, while they do not have the
> ability to conquer Taiwan, they do have the ability to sterilize it if
> that becomes the island's highest and best use. I don't even think that
> a modest nuclear deterrent in Taiwan's hands would prevent that from
> happening; Peking would absorb the loss.

Which is really an argument for Taiwan's secretly developing a large
nuclear deterrent.

If Taiwan could take out Shanghai, Beijing and a dozen other cities then I
think that would be a sufficient deterrent.

--- BBBS/NT v4.01 Flag-5