Anon

"I find it remarkable that the Canadians called down fire on their own positions rather than retreat. Had they bought the land or something?"

I find it highly worthy of praise myself.

Anon

"I think you are really underestimating China here. The US has lost Vietnam war,"

There was a ceasefire in place when the US left Vietnam. ARVN lost the Vietnam war AFTER the US left.

"never finished the Korean war,"

Mutually agreed upon cease-fires have that affect.

"Never finished in Afganistan"

The US is still in Afghanistan.

"and doesn't seem like Iraq just caved as easy as the US thought it would."

It caved in pretty easily nonetheless.

"But lets see both Korea and Vietnam were way underpowered compared to the US and still held their ground."

Both of those nations had more forces under arms in theater at any one time than the US ever did. And the Koreans were bolstered by a force of 300,000 Chinese.

"You think China would give up so easy?"

Not as easily as the USN and USAF would dispatch them.

troung

I like that one


It's going to be a naval and air war. To areas China cannot play in with the USAF/ROCAF and USN/ROCN.

I have said this a hundred times if once.

The PLA can shine up all their tanks, check and re check the guns and then sit around and suck their thumbs because withot sea lift they can take no active part in the war. The USAF/USN would kill the PLAN right off and please don't think the PLAAF is large enough to first off lift divisions in a rapid fashion and second off lift divisions in the face of the ROCAF/USAF/USN-AF. They will suck their thumbs. The war is done as soon as China cannot move the PLA. They could draft until they have a billion men under arms it will not make a difference if they are shaking their fists in the direction of Taiwan because they cannot get there.

As many as we need to. Remember moving carriers to protect Taiwan in the 1990s. The Pacific Fleet is the largest fleet in the USN which is the most powerful navy in the world.

Stuart Mackey

They dont have to. All the US has to do is sink their navy and cripple their missile forces in range of Taiwan, and sit back and laugh as China howls it its own impotence to do anything about it.


And its not like the US doesent have the ability to stop them, permanantly.

Enzo Ferrari

"I think you are really underestimating China here. The US has lost Vietnam war,"

I think you are bitter that Vietnamese are eating Big Mac and drink Coca Cola right now.

"never finished the Korean war,"

So far North Korea never "united" the South yet, doesn't she?

Hogzilla

A whiff of what China's cooking.

Parihaka

Agreed, just the boys to have covering your flank, it's just I always find heroism of this nature remarkable.

__________________
In the realm of spirit, seek clarity; in the material world, seek utility.
Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz

needy

China will prevail by proposing the theory of "democratic peace" for the democracy in China is really ruled for the people, the majority, so this institution would no doubt enables the people in taiwan reunite with the mainland. No military action will be necessary. All you guys are talking about are nonsense. I am studying the oriental philosophy, believe me.

I found that the deeply-rooted philosophy of peaceful coexistence in oriental countries. Undoubtly, the oriental people, especially the Chinese people is the least favorite of war, or even conflict. If there are disputes to be resolved, they resolve it peacefully. You know Confucious? In his wok the Anallects, he said, "One shall not impose what he dislikes on others". That is the way the Chinese people settle their disputes. While we westerners try do do so in violence or fierece debate. I do believe that if all people in the world learn to torelant others and talk to others with different opinions, but not impose one's own opinions on the adversaries, especially by force, then this world would be a better place to be.

The core of democracy is to realize the majority's needs, but not some of them. And we should keep in mind that disputes can be solved by peaceful means, if the people hold the same belief. So the problem of democracy is not parties and partisans, but how the parties best serve the people. In our western society, the victory of one party or political coalition always mean that during their terms the interests of those who vote others are not well protected, let alone those ethnic minority groups like gypsys. So the democracical institution in China is that, while the CCP holds the major positions, it is willing to (and must) listen to parties in various fileds, like parties from the literities, the craftsmanships, the ethnic minorities, the religious groups, etc, in order to protect their interests. Once the proposals are accepted, it would be put into force in the form of law, regulations, etc. Therefore, the interests of all people are well-protected, and everyone living there can have a peace of mind without worrying the deprivation of their interests. Of course, not all things are perfect, but this institutin is the world's best.

I have been to China millions of times, and I see in my own eyes how the institution is practised. It is amazing, and just think how a country 3 times bigger in population than the U.S. is not divided as the recenty presidential-elections did, you all will understand.

-{SpoonmaN}-

The PRC isn't going to invade Taiwan unless the republic does something stupid like declare independence. If this happens the nationalistic fervour in China will probably get out of control and the government will have to gamble on taking Taiwan or losing their positions. It's really impossible to predict how this would work out because the PLA of today isn't going to resemble to PLA of tommorrow much, so their capability to take Taiwan is unknown. If China does indeed take Taiwan, my bet is that the US wouldn't be able to take it back without a monolithic war effort, so the conflict would probably settle into air strikes and Special Forces raids, while the US Navy attempts to isolate Taiwan to weaken the PLA there. My bet would be that the whole thing would be settled by an armistice, and that China would be bound to certain conditions on their governing of Taiwan, which would probably have to be kinda harsh at first, but mellow out later to try and convince the people there that mainland rule wouldn't be so bad. Nuclear weapons probably wouldn't be used because this would set off a chain reaction which would probably lead to the collapse of all nations involved in the conflict, if not the sterilisation of Earth. It would be really interesting to see how nations like Australia, Pakistan, Japan, North and South Korea, The Philipines, Thailand, Burma, Iran, the EU, Russia and the central Asian republics would react though. My bet is that both powers would be deserted by some allies.
However a real conflict is probably less likely in the near future than a continued stalemate. That's my bet anyway.

bull

If PRC invades Taiwan then it will be at the cost of its own economic reform.

__________________
What's the difference between people who pray in church and those who pray in casinos?
The ones in the casinos are serious.

-{SpoonmaN}-

You might be right, but I'll bet that some of the PRC's larger trading partners would stay out of the conflict in order to keep their buissiness going. And I agree that the astronomical cost of the invasion is probably one of the biggest deterents to a PLA invasion of Taiwan, but there remains the possibility that the PRC could be backed into a corner where it's leaders have to decide between spending all of their money on an invasion or facing great nationalist unrest at home, and the possibility of more parts of China trying to make like Taiwan and break away. This is why one shouldn't leave an opponent with no way out unless you really can beat them.