I value your views on this topic, though I don't fully know where I stand on this yet - but you have absolutely accurately captured the crux of the narrative on this topic, particularly comparisons to appeasement of Germany and such.
I do think there is a significant chance of a China/US conflict over Taiwan turning into something involving nuclear weapons - and today we seem to be absent the benefit of the public being extraordinarily fearful of nuclear war, like was the case during the Cold War.
It almost feels as if a nuclear war is a science fiction concept to the average person, today.
To be honest, though - I still feel that it would be appeasing China, to allow Taiwan to be taken - and I could see China invading more of South East Asia, in the future. The historical borders of the various political leaders/groups that can be hand-waved as representing 'China', historically - can easily reach all the way to parts of Europe, and certainly a lot of SE Asia.
My experience of the Chinese style of rhetoric so far - and it's possible those I encounter are agent-provocateur trying to make China look bad, but that's stretching it a bit - is that they have a style of brass authoritarian arrogance (which does not even have the 'lip service' towards upholding ethics/morals that Western imperial arrogance has - the attitude/words are directly more crass, to the point of being tone deaf, even if they haven't had as much opportunity to act on it yet) - and I interpret this as them being game for invading whoever the fuck they like, that once they set their sights on what they want, those who seed their narrative will follow the party line uncritically and with unconcealed arrogance.
So, if that's how things really are, and I'm interpreting that right (I'm just a random layman, so maybe this is all bollocks :)) - then if that is right, it's extremely dangerous to appease that. If it's not nipped in the bud (and Taiwan, being an island far removed from the mainland, is probably the only true opportunity to nip that in the bud) - then I think it only heightens to chances of a new world war and nuclear conflict, as more territories/nations are invaded by China.
No matter what I or anyone else says, it's essential to have strong voices pushing back against any conflict with China over Taiwan, definitely needs more representation - so I'd encourage using any comments like mine to hone superior arguments against that. Ya though, if China is going to instigate something, here (even though it's felt this is within their sphere of influence) - then I do worry that long-term things may become a lot worse/dangerous to deal with if that is allowed to happen, than if it's opposed and stopped at the beginning.
I value your views on this topic, though I don't fully know where I stand on this yet - but you have absolutely accurately captured the crux of the narrative on this topic, particularly comparisons to appeasement of Germany and such.
I do think there is a significant chance of a China/US conflict over Taiwan turning into something involving nuclear weapons - and today we seem to be absent the benefit of the public being extraordinarily fearful of nuclear war, like was the case during the Cold War.
It almost feels as if a nuclear war is a science fiction concept to the average person, today.
To be honest, though - I still feel that it would be appeasing China, to allow Taiwan to be taken - and I could see China invading more of South East Asia, in the future. The historical borders of the various political leaders/groups that can be hand-waved as representing 'China', historically - can easily reach all the way to parts of Europe, and certainly a lot of SE Asia.
My experience of the Chinese style of rhetoric so far - and it's possible those I encounter are agent-provocateur trying to make China look bad, but that's stretching it a bit - is that they have a style of brass authoritarian arrogance (which does not even have the 'lip service' towards upholding ethics/morals that Western imperial arrogance has - the attitude/words are directly more crass, to the point of being tone deaf, even if they haven't had as much opportunity to act on it yet) - and I interpret this as them being game for invading whoever the fuck they like, that once they set their sights on what they want, those who seed their narrative will follow the party line uncritically and with unconcealed arrogance.
So, if that's how things really are, and I'm interpreting that right (I'm just a random layman, so maybe this is all bollocks :)) - then if that is right, it's extremely dangerous to appease that. If it's not nipped in the bud (and Taiwan, being an island far removed from the mainland, is probably the only true opportunity to nip that in the bud) - then I think it only heightens to chances of a new world war and nuclear conflict, as more territories/nations are invaded by China.
No matter what I or anyone else says, it's essential to have strong voices pushing back against any conflict with China over Taiwan, definitely needs more representation - so I'd encourage using any comments like mine to hone superior arguments against that. Ya though, if China is going to instigate something, here (even though it's felt this is within their sphere of influence) - then I do worry that long-term things may become a lot worse/dangerous to deal with if that is allowed to happen, than if it's opposed and stopped at the beginning.