Sunday, December 28, 2003
Sunday Poetry
With Reservations
He preens his plumes while strutting around,
determined to impress her.
He is the darling of the crowd
that dashing fancy dresser.
But she can always change his tune
and minor key his song.
She will concede he hung the moon,
but says he hung it wrong.
With Reservations
He preens his plumes while strutting around,
determined to impress her.
He is the darling of the crowd
that dashing fancy dresser.
But she can always change his tune
and minor key his song.
She will concede he hung the moon,
but says he hung it wrong.
Weekend Recipe
I'm told that women love it when men cook breakfast for them on a lazy weekend morning. So here's a two dish breakfast easy enough for a man to make, but sexy enough for a woman:
First Course
Honeydew-Cantaloupe Salad
Ingredients:
- 1/4 ripe honeydew (seeds out).
- 1/2 cantaloupe (seeds out).
- 1 cup seedless green grapes (cut into halves).
- 1/2 cup chopped pistachio or macadamia nuts.
---- For the Yogurt Dressing ----
- 1 cup plain yogurt (thicker is better).
- 1/4 cup honey.
- a bit of a sweet dessert wine (a glass might be good to go with the actual meal itself too).
Directions:
- Scoop out melon flesh and cut into small pieces. Combine with grapes and toss together in your serving bowl, be it family stile or indvidual bowls.
- Now for the dressing... Put yogurt, honey and a dash of the wine together in a bowl and whisk together. Let it sit in the fridge for a few min.
- Drizzle dressing over fruit and scatter nuts (the pistachios or macadamias, not yours) over fruit.
Second Course
French Toast
Ingredients:
- 6 slices sourdough bread, 1/2-3/4 inch thick each.
- 1.5 cups whole milk.
- 4 eggs.
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract.
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar.
- 1 teaspoon of the outermost part of the rind of an orange (aka. orange zest).
- 1/4 teaspoon ground/grated nutmeg.
- a bit of salt.
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter.
- Confectioners' sugar.
- Maple Syrup.
Directions:
- In bowl, whisk milk, eggs, vanilla, granulated sugar, orange zest, nutmeg and salt.
- Place bread in large dish/pan. Pour above mixture over the bread, evenly. Let bread sit for about a minute, then turn the bread over. Put dish/pan into the fridge for 10-30 min. (This time period is perfect for preparing the melon salad dish).
- In frying pan, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter. Once the pan/butter is hot enough (the butter will be foaming), add as many pieces of bread as possible to the pan.
- When bread slices are golden borwn on the bottom (after approx 3min), turn over and cook other side for about 2-3 min longer. Repeat this and above step with remaining bread pieces.
- Transfer toast to serving dishes, sprinkle confectioners' sguar on top.
- Serve with maple syrup.
Total cost: $16.
I'm told that women love it when men cook breakfast for them on a lazy weekend morning. So here's a two dish breakfast easy enough for a man to make, but sexy enough for a woman:
First Course
Honeydew-Cantaloupe Salad
Ingredients:
- 1/4 ripe honeydew (seeds out).
- 1/2 cantaloupe (seeds out).
- 1 cup seedless green grapes (cut into halves).
- 1/2 cup chopped pistachio or macadamia nuts.
---- For the Yogurt Dressing ----
- 1 cup plain yogurt (thicker is better).
- 1/4 cup honey.
- a bit of a sweet dessert wine (a glass might be good to go with the actual meal itself too).
Directions:
- Scoop out melon flesh and cut into small pieces. Combine with grapes and toss together in your serving bowl, be it family stile or indvidual bowls.
- Now for the dressing... Put yogurt, honey and a dash of the wine together in a bowl and whisk together. Let it sit in the fridge for a few min.
- Drizzle dressing over fruit and scatter nuts (the pistachios or macadamias, not yours) over fruit.
Second Course
French Toast
Ingredients:
- 6 slices sourdough bread, 1/2-3/4 inch thick each.
- 1.5 cups whole milk.
- 4 eggs.
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract.
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar.
- 1 teaspoon of the outermost part of the rind of an orange (aka. orange zest).
- 1/4 teaspoon ground/grated nutmeg.
- a bit of salt.
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter.
- Confectioners' sugar.
- Maple Syrup.
Directions:
- In bowl, whisk milk, eggs, vanilla, granulated sugar, orange zest, nutmeg and salt.
- Place bread in large dish/pan. Pour above mixture over the bread, evenly. Let bread sit for about a minute, then turn the bread over. Put dish/pan into the fridge for 10-30 min. (This time period is perfect for preparing the melon salad dish).
- In frying pan, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter. Once the pan/butter is hot enough (the butter will be foaming), add as many pieces of bread as possible to the pan.
- When bread slices are golden borwn on the bottom (after approx 3min), turn over and cook other side for about 2-3 min longer. Repeat this and above step with remaining bread pieces.
- Transfer toast to serving dishes, sprinkle confectioners' sguar on top.
- Serve with maple syrup.
Total cost: $16.
Wednesday, December 24, 2003
Race Matters
Beyond my own recent humiliating and humbling attempt to find love in recent weeks, I've come to realize that, despite our politically correct denials otherwise, racial/ethnic stereotypes do matter in the realm of sex, love, relationships and romance.
You might be rolling your eyes already --- "Ah, just another Asian boy droning on about how both white and Asian women don’t want to date AsianAm guys…"
However, this goes beyond the lamentations of a four-eyed yellow dude trying to land a date and score on a Friday night. The crux of the matter is that the frustrations Asian-American males face in the world of relationships/dating have to do with societal perceptions of Asian-American men and how these perceptions affect our self-esteem.
I spent most of my childhood in the 80's and early 90's in an affluent, mostly-white town on the San Francisco Peninsula, where my family was one of a handful of Asian families. As an Asian in a community dominated by whites, the feeling of being both culturally and physically different was always present. In middle school, I remember telling my younger brother that people always looked at us strangely at church because "we were Chinese."
From an early age, my insecurities about myself and my identity made me ashamed of my own family and our heritage. The last thing I wanted to do was standout in a crowd and draw attention to myself. I'm ashamed to say that I dreaded dinners with my parents at western restaurants. Since English isn’t their mother tongue, my parents always spoke to each other and to my brother and me in Cantonese --- I was always embarrassed by this, and always responded to them in terse and laconic English.
The onset of high school introduced a whole new set of tribulations -- girls. Like nearly all my peers, I navigated the treacherous waters otherwise known as adolescence, but I think my own journey was made much more difficult by stereotypes of Asian males.
Even back then, the handful of Asian girls at my school only dated white guys. Even the thought of dating a white girl was out of the question. It was in high school that I would first hear the phrase "I don't date Asian guys." I was probably too young at the time to grasp the implications of what that meant. How could one summarily exclude somebody from their dating pool based on a person’s racial/ethnic identity?
Since high school, I've heard from Asian and white women alike about the reasons why they don’t date Asian-Am males. "Asian guys aren’t hot." And there’s always the classic "I like men who are tall -- it’s too bad that Asian guys just aren't." Whatever their justifications and rationalizations are, it’s clear that Asian men are somehow unappealing.
Why is this? --- Part of it might be the media’s portrayal of masculinity. When was the last time you saw a beefy looking Asian model on a poster inside an Abercrombie and Fitch store? Why are Asian males caricatured either as martial arts experts or computer nerds on TV shows and in the movies? On it goes.
Certainly, it doesn’t help that my parents raised me to be fairly low-key and not neccessarily gregarious or boisterous – traits seemingly found in hot white Ivy League frat boys. As we all know, in the game of love, the one who is able to attract the most attention [or the peacock with the most feathers] usually wins.
But I’m an individual, not just a yellow automaton. I too can be funny, interesting, stimulating and captivating. If only white and Asian women would give me a fair shake.
Scanning personal ads, or even match.com profiles, you rarely find women, be them Asian or white, seeking Asian males. What you will find, however, is that most women are seeking non-Asian single males as soulmates, lovers or partners in crime.
Viewing myself through the prism of Asian male stereotypes has clearly had an impact upon my self-esteem. I constantly worry about how others perceive me --- and it drives me up the wall.
But unlike many of my peers, my anger isn’t directed towards Asian/White women who don’t like Asian guys, nor is it aimed at white males who have a penchant for Asian women.
I’m angry at myself. I'm the only one to blame for fueling my own angst. For the most part, I know that everything is just in my head. I myself know that stereotypes aren't real.
I just wish that women would come to this realization as well.
Beyond my own recent humiliating and humbling attempt to find love in recent weeks, I've come to realize that, despite our politically correct denials otherwise, racial/ethnic stereotypes do matter in the realm of sex, love, relationships and romance.
You might be rolling your eyes already --- "Ah, just another Asian boy droning on about how both white and Asian women don’t want to date AsianAm guys…"
However, this goes beyond the lamentations of a four-eyed yellow dude trying to land a date and score on a Friday night. The crux of the matter is that the frustrations Asian-American males face in the world of relationships/dating have to do with societal perceptions of Asian-American men and how these perceptions affect our self-esteem.
I spent most of my childhood in the 80's and early 90's in an affluent, mostly-white town on the San Francisco Peninsula, where my family was one of a handful of Asian families. As an Asian in a community dominated by whites, the feeling of being both culturally and physically different was always present. In middle school, I remember telling my younger brother that people always looked at us strangely at church because "we were Chinese."
From an early age, my insecurities about myself and my identity made me ashamed of my own family and our heritage. The last thing I wanted to do was standout in a crowd and draw attention to myself. I'm ashamed to say that I dreaded dinners with my parents at western restaurants. Since English isn’t their mother tongue, my parents always spoke to each other and to my brother and me in Cantonese --- I was always embarrassed by this, and always responded to them in terse and laconic English.
The onset of high school introduced a whole new set of tribulations -- girls. Like nearly all my peers, I navigated the treacherous waters otherwise known as adolescence, but I think my own journey was made much more difficult by stereotypes of Asian males.
Even back then, the handful of Asian girls at my school only dated white guys. Even the thought of dating a white girl was out of the question. It was in high school that I would first hear the phrase "I don't date Asian guys." I was probably too young at the time to grasp the implications of what that meant. How could one summarily exclude somebody from their dating pool based on a person’s racial/ethnic identity?
Since high school, I've heard from Asian and white women alike about the reasons why they don’t date Asian-Am males. "Asian guys aren’t hot." And there’s always the classic "I like men who are tall -- it’s too bad that Asian guys just aren't." Whatever their justifications and rationalizations are, it’s clear that Asian men are somehow unappealing.
Why is this? --- Part of it might be the media’s portrayal of masculinity. When was the last time you saw a beefy looking Asian model on a poster inside an Abercrombie and Fitch store? Why are Asian males caricatured either as martial arts experts or computer nerds on TV shows and in the movies? On it goes.
Certainly, it doesn’t help that my parents raised me to be fairly low-key and not neccessarily gregarious or boisterous – traits seemingly found in hot white Ivy League frat boys. As we all know, in the game of love, the one who is able to attract the most attention [or the peacock with the most feathers] usually wins.
But I’m an individual, not just a yellow automaton. I too can be funny, interesting, stimulating and captivating. If only white and Asian women would give me a fair shake.
Scanning personal ads, or even match.com profiles, you rarely find women, be them Asian or white, seeking Asian males. What you will find, however, is that most women are seeking non-Asian single males as soulmates, lovers or partners in crime.
Viewing myself through the prism of Asian male stereotypes has clearly had an impact upon my self-esteem. I constantly worry about how others perceive me --- and it drives me up the wall.
But unlike many of my peers, my anger isn’t directed towards Asian/White women who don’t like Asian guys, nor is it aimed at white males who have a penchant for Asian women.
I’m angry at myself. I'm the only one to blame for fueling my own angst. For the most part, I know that everything is just in my head. I myself know that stereotypes aren't real.
I just wish that women would come to this realization as well.
Saturday, December 20, 2003
Visit to the Hill
I headed up to Capitol Hill this past Thursday to interview for a Deputy Legislative Assistant (Defense Policy) position with Senator Chuck Hagel of Nebraska.
Hagel is a man who calls things as he sees them, be it foreign/defense policy or the need for social security reform. In particular, I think he deserves lots of respect for taking a realistic approach towards American foreign policy and not reading off generic Republican Party talking points on public policy issues.
Things went very very well and I'm headed back for a second round interview in early January.
More on this after the holidays.
I headed up to Capitol Hill this past Thursday to interview for a Deputy Legislative Assistant (Defense Policy) position with Senator Chuck Hagel of Nebraska.
Hagel is a man who calls things as he sees them, be it foreign/defense policy or the need for social security reform. In particular, I think he deserves lots of respect for taking a realistic approach towards American foreign policy and not reading off generic Republican Party talking points on public policy issues.
Things went very very well and I'm headed back for a second round interview in early January.
More on this after the holidays.
Morning Meditation
Love unexpressed is a crime against the heart.
Love unexpressed is a crime against the heart.
Monday, December 15, 2003
Accelerated Turnover
The United States entered Iraq largely because of the supposed threat Saddam Hussein and his WMDs posed to American national security. Now that Hussein has been captured, the threat he once posed to the U.S. no longer exists. While we should indeed celebrate our remarkable capture of Saddam Hussein, we should not forget that we still face a daunting mission in the war on terror -- that of hunting down and erradicating the threat Osama Bin Laden and his Al Qaida network present the U.S. and the free world.
With Saddam gone, we need to speed up the turnover of Iraqi sovereignty to the Iraqi people and turn our attention back to the war on terror and our fight against Al Qaida. It is only after the defeat of Al Qaida that all Americans can truly sleep soundly at night.
The United States entered Iraq largely because of the supposed threat Saddam Hussein and his WMDs posed to American national security. Now that Hussein has been captured, the threat he once posed to the U.S. no longer exists. While we should indeed celebrate our remarkable capture of Saddam Hussein, we should not forget that we still face a daunting mission in the war on terror -- that of hunting down and erradicating the threat Osama Bin Laden and his Al Qaida network present the U.S. and the free world.
With Saddam gone, we need to speed up the turnover of Iraqi sovereignty to the Iraqi people and turn our attention back to the war on terror and our fight against Al Qaida. It is only after the defeat of Al Qaida that all Americans can truly sleep soundly at night.
Sunday, December 14, 2003
Quixotic Thoughts on Saddam
In our over commercialized age, this thought came to mind today as I watched news coverage of Saddam being captured in his underground hole:
I can only assume that we'll be seeing a television commercial where American special forces burst in on saddam's hole, point a gun at him, and say "i've got some good news... i just saved hundreds on my auto insurance..."
In our over commercialized age, this thought came to mind today as I watched news coverage of Saddam being captured in his underground hole:
I can only assume that we'll be seeing a television commercial where American special forces burst in on saddam's hole, point a gun at him, and say "i've got some good news... i just saved hundreds on my auto insurance..."
Weekend Recipes
Men, once you see this recipe, you'll be pinching yourself each time you think about the $$ you've spent trying to impress your woman at a bling bling romantic italian restaurant... Rest assured though, while this sauce is easy enough for a man to make, it's definitely tasty and sexy enough for a woman.
** Remember not to tell the woman that your sauce cost less than $10. You'll be using the money you've saved to buy your boys at the pub a round of beers while you regale them your wonderous tales of culinary seduction...
Garlic Arrabiata Pasta Sauce
In Italian, "arrabiata" is roughly translated as "furious". While this sauce could be seen as "furious" for its spiciness, I tend to think of this sauce as just plain insane --- insanely good and extremely sexy.
Ingredients:
3-4 tablespoons of olive oil
2-3 cloves of garlic (add more for sexier taste), chopped
1-2 teaspoons of red pepper flakes (for those who are truely bold, add more)
1 stem of fresh rosemary
5-6 fresh basil leaves, chopped
1 cup crimini mushrooms
18-24 fresh cherry tomatoes (approximately 1.5 prepacked boxes at the store), chopped into half pieces.
1/2 cup red wine
1/3 cup kalamata olives, pitted and chopped
Salt and Pepper
Joe's Directions:
- In a saucepan, cook/saute garlic, rosemary, mushrooms, basil and red pepper flakes in olive oil. Make sure you don't burn the garlic, or else you'll be in for a nasty treat.
- Then add tomatoes, olives and wine. Cook on medium heat until you see contents start to bubble, then reduce heat and cook until the sauce thickens, approximately 15-20 min. Since the olives are already salty, you probably won't need to add salt, but as always -- add salt and pepper to taste.
When you're done with the sauce, just toss it with your favorite pasta -- I usually use penne. The sauce is good enough for about 4 servings.
Men, once you see this recipe, you'll be pinching yourself each time you think about the $$ you've spent trying to impress your woman at a bling bling romantic italian restaurant... Rest assured though, while this sauce is easy enough for a man to make, it's definitely tasty and sexy enough for a woman.
** Remember not to tell the woman that your sauce cost less than $10. You'll be using the money you've saved to buy your boys at the pub a round of beers while you regale them your wonderous tales of culinary seduction...
Garlic Arrabiata Pasta Sauce
In Italian, "arrabiata" is roughly translated as "furious". While this sauce could be seen as "furious" for its spiciness, I tend to think of this sauce as just plain insane --- insanely good and extremely sexy.
Ingredients:
3-4 tablespoons of olive oil
2-3 cloves of garlic (add more for sexier taste), chopped
1-2 teaspoons of red pepper flakes (for those who are truely bold, add more)
1 stem of fresh rosemary
5-6 fresh basil leaves, chopped
1 cup crimini mushrooms
18-24 fresh cherry tomatoes (approximately 1.5 prepacked boxes at the store), chopped into half pieces.
1/2 cup red wine
1/3 cup kalamata olives, pitted and chopped
Salt and Pepper
Joe's Directions:
- In a saucepan, cook/saute garlic, rosemary, mushrooms, basil and red pepper flakes in olive oil. Make sure you don't burn the garlic, or else you'll be in for a nasty treat.
- Then add tomatoes, olives and wine. Cook on medium heat until you see contents start to bubble, then reduce heat and cook until the sauce thickens, approximately 15-20 min. Since the olives are already salty, you probably won't need to add salt, but as always -- add salt and pepper to taste.
When you're done with the sauce, just toss it with your favorite pasta -- I usually use penne. The sauce is good enough for about 4 servings.
Thursday, December 11, 2003
Baghdad Update
Many of you are eager for the latest...
I went into the Pentagon for an interview with the Coalition Provisional Authority last Wednesday. The interview itself went very very well... despite my limited-experience, they were very very enthusiastic and are considering me for a Communications Assistant position in Baghdad, writing press releases and promoting the progress we've made so far in rebuilding Iraq.
Naturally, during the interview, I had to ask about safety and life in Baghdad. I'd be living in the 'Green Zone' in Baghdad, where most of Saddam's palaces and government buildings are located downtown. The area is completely secure from the rest of Baghdad --- which in effect means that Americans and foreigners who don't want to risk being kidnapped or killed are trapped inside for most of their tours in Iraq. As the CPA website itself warns: "Living conditions are austere and there is the possibility of confinement to a compound..."
More on Iraq next week when I hear back from the CPA.
Many of you are eager for the latest...
I went into the Pentagon for an interview with the Coalition Provisional Authority last Wednesday. The interview itself went very very well... despite my limited-experience, they were very very enthusiastic and are considering me for a Communications Assistant position in Baghdad, writing press releases and promoting the progress we've made so far in rebuilding Iraq.
Naturally, during the interview, I had to ask about safety and life in Baghdad. I'd be living in the 'Green Zone' in Baghdad, where most of Saddam's palaces and government buildings are located downtown. The area is completely secure from the rest of Baghdad --- which in effect means that Americans and foreigners who don't want to risk being kidnapped or killed are trapped inside for most of their tours in Iraq. As the CPA website itself warns: "Living conditions are austere and there is the possibility of confinement to a compound..."
More on Iraq next week when I hear back from the CPA.
A New Look At Introverts
My name is Joe, and I am an introvert.
Quiet and laconic people around the world rejoice! No, we're not losers or dorks -- we're just people who like time alone. In this wispy, wired and whimsical world of ours, there's nothing better than a quiet night at home, sippin' a cup of tea or having a nightcap, enjoying a book or just doing nothing at all. After a long day at work, giving presentations, talking the talk, schmoozing, networking, we just want to escape into our own world.
In a back issue of the Atlantic Monthly I recently found an article by Jonathan Rauch, who classifies us as introverts.
Rauch notes that we're normal people, able to socialize and deal with reality and the world. We're not misanthropic, or grumpy. It's just that after a period of being socially "on" -- we have to recharge. That's when our alone time and silence comes into play.
As Rauch notes, "For introverts, to be alone with our thoughts is as restorative as sleeping, as nourishing as eating."
I am not depressed. I'm not antisocial. I don't need medication.
My name is Joe, and I am an introvert.
My name is Joe, and I am an introvert.
Quiet and laconic people around the world rejoice! No, we're not losers or dorks -- we're just people who like time alone. In this wispy, wired and whimsical world of ours, there's nothing better than a quiet night at home, sippin' a cup of tea or having a nightcap, enjoying a book or just doing nothing at all. After a long day at work, giving presentations, talking the talk, schmoozing, networking, we just want to escape into our own world.
In a back issue of the Atlantic Monthly I recently found an article by Jonathan Rauch, who classifies us as introverts.
Rauch notes that we're normal people, able to socialize and deal with reality and the world. We're not misanthropic, or grumpy. It's just that after a period of being socially "on" -- we have to recharge. That's when our alone time and silence comes into play.
As Rauch notes, "For introverts, to be alone with our thoughts is as restorative as sleeping, as nourishing as eating."
I am not depressed. I'm not antisocial. I don't need medication.
My name is Joe, and I am an introvert.
Wednesday, December 10, 2003
Let Taiwan Defend Itself
In response to those such as my man Tommy, who see President Bush's strong warning to Taiwan on its possible moves towards independence as a betrayal of our own democratic ideals of self-governance, I remind them that the United States' first obligation is to itself and the welfare of its citizens.
China has always maintained the position that it will attack Taiwan if it declares independence. Concurrently, the U.S. is bound by the Taiwan Relations Act to defend Taiwan from attack from Mainland China. Proponents of the American security commitment to Taiwan assume that Beijing wouldn't dare challenge the military might of the USA. But that's a naive assumption predicated entirely on America's experience deterring Soviet aggression against major U.S. allies during the Cold War.
Taiwan is not a vital national security interest for the United States. Although the island is a major U.S. trading partner and fledgling democracy, the island’s bearing on American economic and national security interests does not approach the threshold required to the lives of tens of thousands of American servicemen at risk.
Taiwan is not merely a strategic or political trophy for the Mainland. Taiwan is an emotional reminder to China of its history of disgrace at the hands of the West. In such an emotionally charged situation, it is naïve to expect even state actors to behave rationally.
So when the President of Taiwan boldy suggests moves towards independence, Americans should be alarmed. It is clear that Taiwanese pro-independence forces perceive unequivocal American support for Taiwanese self-determination, making it likely that that the island would consciously declare independence and risk a Chinese military response. The United States would then be backed into a corner -- forced to choose between the betrayal of its security guarantee for the Taiwanese people, and the inanity of war with a nuclear-armed China.
Bush's unconditional security guarantee for Taiwan came before September 11th, the war on terrorism and our military adventures in Iraq. We simply cannot react quickly enough to deter a Chinese attack on Taiwan.
- As Spiderman's uncle once said, "With great power comes great responsibility..."
Superpowers ought not to place themselves in positions of strategic weakness, yet Bush's security guarantee for Taiwan does just that. Bush's warning to Taiwan yesterday is an implict realization of that weakness.
In response to those such as my man Tommy, who see President Bush's strong warning to Taiwan on its possible moves towards independence as a betrayal of our own democratic ideals of self-governance, I remind them that the United States' first obligation is to itself and the welfare of its citizens.
China has always maintained the position that it will attack Taiwan if it declares independence. Concurrently, the U.S. is bound by the Taiwan Relations Act to defend Taiwan from attack from Mainland China. Proponents of the American security commitment to Taiwan assume that Beijing wouldn't dare challenge the military might of the USA. But that's a naive assumption predicated entirely on America's experience deterring Soviet aggression against major U.S. allies during the Cold War.
Taiwan is not a vital national security interest for the United States. Although the island is a major U.S. trading partner and fledgling democracy, the island’s bearing on American economic and national security interests does not approach the threshold required to the lives of tens of thousands of American servicemen at risk.
Taiwan is not merely a strategic or political trophy for the Mainland. Taiwan is an emotional reminder to China of its history of disgrace at the hands of the West. In such an emotionally charged situation, it is naïve to expect even state actors to behave rationally.
So when the President of Taiwan boldy suggests moves towards independence, Americans should be alarmed. It is clear that Taiwanese pro-independence forces perceive unequivocal American support for Taiwanese self-determination, making it likely that that the island would consciously declare independence and risk a Chinese military response. The United States would then be backed into a corner -- forced to choose between the betrayal of its security guarantee for the Taiwanese people, and the inanity of war with a nuclear-armed China.
Bush's unconditional security guarantee for Taiwan came before September 11th, the war on terrorism and our military adventures in Iraq. We simply cannot react quickly enough to deter a Chinese attack on Taiwan.
- As Spiderman's uncle once said, "With great power comes great responsibility..."
Superpowers ought not to place themselves in positions of strategic weakness, yet Bush's security guarantee for Taiwan does just that. Bush's warning to Taiwan yesterday is an implict realization of that weakness.
Monday, December 08, 2003
Transportation Thuggery
Here's a great op-ed in the San Francisco Chroncle by Robert Higgs of the Independent Institute in Oakland on the mighty fine job our men and women are doing in the TSA. Higgs definitely doesn't pull any punches...
-- Props to my man Tommy K for his help with the template and other goodies for my little blog...
Here's a great op-ed in the San Francisco Chroncle by Robert Higgs of the Independent Institute in Oakland on the mighty fine job our men and women are doing in the TSA. Higgs definitely doesn't pull any punches...
-- Props to my man Tommy K for his help with the template and other goodies for my little blog...
