Caffeinated Politics

The calendar has opened to a New Year, but the severe tests confronting the world remain the same as when we closed out the old year. Once again, the threats from large, powerful militaries are ever-present and must be met with firm resolve and a united front. Over the past few years, the danger of Russian aggression against Ukraine has proved the necessity of standing firm and not being cowed by a tyrant. Not only is such a stance important for protecting those in harm’s way, but toughness is required to thwart the ambitions of other tyrants with dark plans of conquest.

As the old year ended, China had staged live-fire drills in the waters off Taiwan. As the military training came to an end, the bellicose rhetoric ramped up. Not only were the words aimed at those on the island off China, but also designed to be heard in European capitals.   During the reckless war games, France, Germany, and others verbally repudiated the military actions.

The Chinese government released a statement saying, “These countries and institutions are turning a blind eye to the separatist forces in Taiwan attempting to achieve independence through military means.  Yet, they are making irresponsible criticisms of China’s necessary and just actions to defend its national sovereignty and territorial integrity.”

The reason for concern is due to the continuing threat of an invasion of Taiwan. No one can claim such an outcome is unthinkable.

Other words ratcheted up fears. Chinese Premier Xi Jinping used his New Year’s speech to retake democratically governed Taiwan. “The reunification of our motherland, a trend of the times, is unstoppable”.

With Donald Trump’s mercurial and transactional attitudes from minute to minute, where the United States would land in relation to the people who strive to be independent from Chinese Communist Party control, should an invasion occur, is impossible to know.  That is truly a sad and disquieting sentence to need to write.

We know these war games and reckless language from China are occurring with more regularity.  Without a far firmer and resolute set of actions and behavior from Trump in relation to Russian President Putin’s bloody war in Ukraine, Xi will feel emboldened.   

Let us not forget how Putin undertook that same smokescreen of military exercises to launch its deadly and illegal invasion of Ukraine.