Originally Posted by fckm

Please look past the bullshit and see this for what it is. Sabre rattling and politics. Much like religion/gay marriage is used as a polarizing issue in the US, Taiwanese independance is used as a polarizing issue in Taiwan. Taiwanese politicians condem or condon independance to rile up Taiwanese voters, much like some politicians in the US point to the Ten Commandments or gay marriage to rile up voters here. In order to "save face", the Chinese buracracy must respond in kind. China, conciencious of it's first steps entering the First World, doesn't want to appear weak on the world stage. China feels that other countries won't take it seriously unless it responds to Taiwan, so they make threats of invasion. This, of course, plays right into the politician's hands.

In any case, invasion, and the consequences thereof, is not a situation anyone wants to be in. Not China, not Taiwan, and not the US. Please approach this tense situation with calm and rationality. Don't fall into the politicians' trap. Don't let them make this into a dividing issue. No matter who did what in the past, the reality is that it is the future we should be safeguarding, and military action in the region would lead to a bleak future indeed.