Trump upsetting "decades of diplomacy"

[AmbulanceDriver]

Apparently Donald Trump took a congratulatory call from Taiwan's president.  Apparently this is the first time since 1979 that a president or president-elect has directly communicated with the president of Taiwan.  From what I am seeing, the media pundits and others are upset that this is going to get the ChiComm's noses out of joint.   

Personally, my viewpoint is that we *should* be recognizing and promoting a democratic form of government, regardless of whether it gets the PRC all bothered under the collar.  Admittedly, my view is probably rather simplistic, but I think that if we're all about "democracy democracy democracy" then we should be supporting those countries that choose democracy.  I think it's rather hypocritical of us to do the whole, "You're a country, but you're not *really* a country" routine we've been doing with Taiwan.

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2016/12/02/world/trump-calls-to-world-leaders.html

Oh, and I like how the times spins it that Trump is just randomly calling up these world leaders to talk to them, but then at the bottom of the paragraph points out that it was actually Taiwan's president that called him, not the other way around.

[Perd Hapley]

It's also being pointed out that Obama sold weapons to the Taiwanese.

[Ben]

Oh, I love this one. The president of Taiwan called Trump today. He answered his phone. Everyone from far left dimwit politicians, to the MSM, to Hollywood halfwits totally freaked out, practically running to their bomb shelters because war with China was now just around the corner because of this terrible breach of protocol.

China just responded with basically, "who cares?". 

http://twitchy.com/gregp-3534/2016/12/02/china-responds-to-donald-trump-with-a-bonus-best-response-ever-to-the-media-freakout/

PS - Didn't Obama sell weapons to Taiwan? Isn't that "worse" than a phone call?

[Ben]

Dupes merged because AD beat me to the punch by four minutes.

[just Warren]

Thirty minutes later he called them again.

[Perd Hapley]

Thirty minutes later he called them again.

   Extra MSG?

[Hawkmoon]

Personally, my viewpoint is that we *should* be recognizing and promoting a democratic form of government, regardless of whether it gets the PRC all bothered under the collar.  Admittedly, my view is probably rather simplistic, but I think that if we're all about "democracy democracy democracy" then we should be supporting those countries that choose democracy.  I think it's rather hypocritical of us to do the whole, "You're a country, but you're not *really* a country" routine we've been doing with Taiwan.

I agree with you. IMHO, the government of Taiwan is the legitimate government of China, and the communist government on the mainland are the interlopers. Not sure, but I think I recall that the U.S. entered into a treaty with Taiwan many years ago, and it seems in recent years we've been doing everything we can to back off from it.

[Hawkmoon]

   Extra MSG?

Add four shrimp rolls ...

[bedlamite]

The only sane article I found:

http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/89ae8247abe8493fae24405546e9a1aa/Article_2016-12-02-AS--Trump-Taiwan-The%20Latest/id-3dcc41f345724a47aadd3008049b628b


It's amazing to watch the rest of the msm go full chicken little. They may end up doing more damage than they think Trump will.

[De Selby]

There's a Tom Clancy novel that covers this exact scenario. 

[makattak]

There's a Tom Clancy novel that covers this exact scenario. 

Umm... No. It's vaguely similar, if you squint real hard and tilt your head.

Or did I miss the Chi-coms murdering a priest?

[De Selby]

Umm... No. It's vaguely similar, if you squint real hard and tilt your head.

Or did I miss the Chi-coms murdering a priest?

I'm talking about an offhand remark about two chinas

[Scout26]

Ahhh yes, I'm looking forward to four years of the media running into the next room to find the fainting couch every time Trump commits a "faux pas" in their eyes...

[Hawkmoon]

The only sane article I found:

http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/89ae8247abe8493fae24405546e9a1aa/Article_2016-12-02-AS--Trump-Taiwan-The%20Latest/id-3dcc41f345724a47aadd3008049b628b


It's amazing to watch the rest of the msm go full chicken little. They may end up doing more damage than they think Trump will.

I wasn't aware that we broke diplomatic ties with Taiwan in 1979. Why the heck did we do that? To appease the ChiComs on the mainland?

[brimic]

It's going to be surreal to watch 1/2 of our country implode every time our President doesn't plant a wet sloppy kiss on the ass of every vile dictator.

[Ben]

It's going to be surreal to watch 1/2 of our country implode every time our President doesn't plant a wet sloppy kiss on the ass of every vile dictator.

I'm looking forward to the first photo of a foreign leader bowing to Trump when they greet. 

[French G.]

I'm looking forward to the first photo of a foreign leader bowing to Trump when they greet. 

Take Mattis everywhere, send him off the plane first. Apply resulting tribute to national debt.

[Hawkmoon]

I wasn't aware that we broke diplomatic ties with Taiwan in 1979. Why the heck did we do that? To appease the ChiComs on the mainland?

:Sigh:

I should have known ... Jimmy Carter's handiwork. I remembered that we had a treaty to defend Taiwan. I didn't realize that Carter terminated the treaty.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sino-American_Mutual_Defense_Treaty

Jimmy Carter's presidency is like venereal disease -- the gift that keeps on giving.

[roo_ster]

:Sigh:

I should have known ... Jimmy Carter's handiwork. I remembered that we had a treaty to defend Taiwan. I didn't realize that Carter terminated the treaty.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sino-American_Mutual_Defense_Treaty

Jimmy Carter's presidency is like venereal disease -- the gift that keeps on giving.

Jimmy Carter: More like herpes or genital warts.  Discuss.

[Perd Hapley]

Jimmy Carter? Don't you mean Obama's first term: 1977-1981?

[cassandra and sara's daddy]

Huh. Even I think he dud a good thing. Anytime you tweak the Chinese it's good. I remember when we had the good China (Taiwan ) and then maos bad boys. Before we sold out

I watched more than an hour of CNN with folks losing their mind over it . It was pitiful. I was short 30 iq points after an hour


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[MikeB]

I'm surprised we haven't seen articles trying to tie Trump to Nationalist China and Chiang Kai-shek yet.

[Ben]

I'm surprised we haven't seen articles trying to tie Trump to Nationalist China and Chiang Kai-shek yet.

I heard they were actually in the same secret society at Yale.

[Ron]

Donald J. Trump ‏@realDonaldTrump  22h22 hours ago
Interesting how the U.S. sells Taiwan billions of dollars of military equipment but I should not accept a congratulatory call.

Oh, you don't like me taking phone calls, afraid I'll ruffle some feathers?

Ok, here's another tweet      

[just Warren]

With the Dems and the media frantically switching their previous positions on this, it feels like some kind of fire drill.