Loving the Taiwan phone call reaction, or "The Beltway is Strong with This One"

[CitizenBBN]

To borrow from Star Wars, watching the "Beltway Mentality" with people makes me feel like Yoda seeing the Force in people.

OK, so the Taiwan President pulls a fast one and after 40 years of US Presidents not talking to the Taiwanese President she calls Trump, figuring she has a chance. She was right, Trump took the call and they chatted.

Well in the DC world, the Beltway, they're acting like nuclear war is around the corner b/c we dared offend the Chinese.

You know what, I'm going to really enjoy this Presidency I think, b/c he is NOT strong with the Beltway at all, nada, zilch.

For some background, they're upset b/c since Nixon went to China and started a dialogue we formulated a policy that in NAME says there is "one China" and that Taiwan is part of China, BUT we actually have binding agreements with Taiwan for security, trade, etc. So the whole thing is just a face saving falsehood. We have been Taiwan's biggest ally this entire time, we arm their military, do a LOT of things, but it's all technically "non-diplomatic". FWIW it is all codified in the Taiwan Relations Act of 1979.

Anyway, there's NOTHING in there about the idea that a President can't talk to them. it was just observed as part of not offending the Chinese, but you know what? Trump is a cage rattler, a guy who is FINE offending people as part of his negotiation strategy, so he's fine to offend them a little. He didn't insult their mothers, so this is just a tweak, not a declaration of war.


What I love in this is watching the groupthink of The Beltway, b/c many on the left and right so stuck in "this is how we do it" that they just can't imagine doing it some other way is anything but a disaster. Even those on Fox and elsewhere who have talked about the blinders of the Left and the DNC show those same blinders on this issue.

Trump is so very out of the box, and that's a good thing.

Also, for those of us alive in 1979 we will remember that it was Jimmy Carter who gave in on this issue, b/c PRIOR to 1979 we had formal relations with Taiwan and they were a member of the UN. So we existed just fine when we actually recognized Taiwan, and IMO we'd get along fine if we did again. Not that Trump even went anything like that far.

I love also the irony that the Left was fine to go start relations with Cuba, a viciously repressive regime, and are aghast that we would even TALK to a FAR more democratically run nation that we were largely responsible for keeping from being overrun for decades.

IN short: Trump is bringing some straight shooting and common sense to a Beltway world of political duplicity and form over substance.

I'm all for it, including standing up to China. The US should do what is in the best interests of the US, and if China wants to blow up their entire economy by not trading with us, let's see how that works out for them. Call their bluff.

[CitizenBBN]

OH, and I love the DNC response, which is a great sign of where they will go during this administration. Straight to their playbook of absurd attacks and allegations. IN this case they said maybe Trump did it to get hotel deals in Taiwan. Yeah, right. He went through all this to get new hotel deals. Idiots.

[dan_bgblue]

I actually appreciate the fact that he took the call. No way in hell that any foreign country should dictate the actions of the American President, nor should any American President negotiate their way into such a situation with a foreign nation to begin with. I see the need to maintain good relations with China if they want to work on even terms for both sides, but as an outsider looking in on the world scene, what I see is China wanting good relations on their terms only. That is not how it should work and I hope the incoming administration negotiates with them with the best interest of the USA in mind and not with what makes them happy as the goal in negotiations

As for the media in the bubble making stupid remarks and publishing the opinions of the latest Hollywood holier than thou left wing tree hugger, there is no reason to think that will end until someone pops their bubble.

[Doc]

I'm all in favor of this. An not to be a GOP homer, I was in favor of Obama normalizing relations with Cuba. I think ignoring any group of people is asinine.

[CitizenBBN]

Today it has come out that last week the Chinese flew bombers over Taiwan for the first time.

The Chinese are the ones doing the provocations, and building up their military around Taiwan with new island bases made from the reefs. They are clearly provoking the situation and testing the US commitment to Taiwan.

Trump may not have a bunch of fools working for him after all. This could have been a carefully calculated move to show a response to the Chinese as they test the "one china" agreement, which allowed them to save face but NOT retake Taiwan. It sends a strong message that we could revoke the 1979 agreement if China breaks their part of it, reaffirms our commitment to an independent Taiwan, and frankly also establishes Trump as being somewhat unpredictable and undiplomatic, which IMO is a good thing.

This was a smart diplomatic play, one many in the media were quick to denounce as a sign of inexperience. It may be a sign of far more guile and toughness than we have had in US foreign policy in a very long time. Since Reagan really.

[CitizenBBN]

The media reaction is still coming, and cracks me up. "Reckless", "ill-informed", etc.

The WSJ editorial board called it the mass media's "19th nervous breakdown." Well said.

[Doc]

Trump has no love for CHIIIIINA, nor do I. Why do we let them dictate our policies? We don't dictate theirs.

[UKHistory]

I am critical on trump but don't want any country to dictate terms to the US.

I want our leadership to understand how gestures can be interpreted diplomatically. Cowboy diplomacy is fine so long as we understand what could happen and are prepared for the consequences.