[NGTM-1R]

Taiwan has grown increasingly militant about their independance in the last decade, though, and the citizens more often identify themselves as Taiwanese then Chinese these days, so it remains to be seen if they'll honestly give a flying **** what China does or does not attempt to do when ROC drops the China from their name.

As a practical matter, the PRC can make things very unhappy for Taiwan, but unless they resort to WMDs, they will probably be unable to seize and maintain a beachhead, much less successfully invade. They simply don't have the trooplift, and Taiwan's army is very capable for that part of the world. I wouldn't put them in the same class as somebody from Western Europe, but they're close. There is also the minor matter that it is widely suspected that the ROC has a small stockpile of nuclear weapons and possibly mobile ballistic delivery systems. A few 20-kiloton bombs would shut down any attempt to invade very quickly.

[Rictor]

Yeah, but I don't forsee an invasion in a million, million years. The PRC is smart enough to simply wait it out. Relations will improve, and as the standard of living in the mainland gradually increases, Taiwanese will have less and less objections to unification. The reason that Taiwan can't hold out forever is simple: they have 22 million citizens, the PRC has 1,300 million. Even Taiwan's most steadfast ally, the US, is increasingly distancing itself from them. Weapon sales are blocked at every turn and acceptance into the UN/WHO/WTO is also tacitly rejected.

The PRC knows that they're going to inherit East Asia anyway, so why ruin the deal for the sake of a few years?

edit: case in point.

[Admiral_Stones]

IMO, the future of the world will lay in China's hands. In contrast to our capitalist world, they are all infatigable workers, since you don't survive there when you don't work your ass off in school and at the workplace. Communism is a good starting governement (played too much Civ III & IV?), but I think later they need to soften it up a bit.

[Nuclear1]

So Kosh, if I'm understanding correctly, China is justified in conquering/repressing Tibet because it historically belongs to them, even though the people that live there don't want them there?

Talk to the Palestinians and Israelis and find out how they settled that one.

[Mika]

IMO, the future of the world will lay in China's hands. In contrast to our capitalist world, they are all infatigable workers, since you don't survive there when you don't work your ass off in school and at the workplace. Communism is a good starting governement (played too much Civ III & IV?), but I think later they need to soften it up a bit.

I wouldn't say that it will be only in Chinese hands. USA, EU, India and Russia are major factors. However, the thing is that the US share is getting smaller, which I don't see as a good sign. But if they have ruined their economy with their decisions, what could we do to support it without weakening ourselves? I'm not even sure if the state of affairs in the US economy could be reversed - pouring more there could only delay the seemingly inevitable crash.

But it is true that in general, the Western people take school for granted. But the future will probably show with hard lessons that it indeed is not so. There are challenges in the future, and the question is that if people are taking them or are scared to

Regarding the fatigue withstandability of the Chinese workers, I would not sign that part. I suspect there is hell a lot more of human cost involved than being said in public. Also, the reputation and capability of Chinese workforce might not be so great after all. How effective do you consider yourself after 10 working hours?

Mika

[BlackDove]

So Kosh, if I'm understanding correctly, China is justified in conquering/repressing Tibet because it historically belongs to them, even though the people that live there don't want them there?

Talk to the Palestinians and Israelis and find out how they settled that one.

Repressing. Lulz. If feeding and generally raising their standard of life is repression, then I can't wait for it to happen to me.

[Kosh]

So Kosh, if I'm understanding correctly, China is justified in conquering/repressing Tibet because it historically belongs to them, even though the people that live there don't want them there?

Talk to the Palestinians and Israelis and find out how they settled that one.

No, what I said was a statement of fact and how they see it. It's no more justifiable then the US slaughtering and repressing of countless native americans. I'm guessing thats different because it was the US that did it.

[Rictor]

Repressing. Lulz. If feeding and generally raising their standard of life is repression, then I can't wait for it to happen to me.

That's not for us to judge. Like I've said before - put it to a vote. If China has really done so much for Tibetans, they will overwhelmingly support the status quo. And if they don't, then clearly that status quo isn't all that great to begin with.

Kosh: American imperialism, either past or present, doesn't justify anyone else's. The exiled government of Tibet has nothing to do with the United States, and can hardly be condemned for America's actions.

[Nuclear1]

I never planned on justifying what the US has done.

What China has done and is continuing to do is the issue. If the Tibetans want the Chinese in their homeland (which apparently they don't), then let them vote for it. Enforcing modernity on any country is never justifiable.