mark@sri-unix (08/18/82)
I agree completely. Who does Red China think they are telling us what other countries we can recognize? Relations between us and the Republic of China (their name is NOT Taiwan - that's just what the newspapers have been brainwashed into calling them) are the business of the USA and ROC, the People's Republic of China (Red China) has nothing to do with it. I couldn't believe that Canada bowed to the pressure in the '76 Olympics, either. Can you imagine, say, Canada telling us not to sell weapons to Greenland? Brazil telling us to dump Peru? Saudi Arabia telling us we have to start referring to Yemen as Moosylvania?
done@sri-unix (08/20/82)
The downgrading of diplomatic relations with Taiwan was an economic
necessity, in view of the fact that "the real" China, with its billion
people, was getting quite upset. Our foreign policy, like it or not,
has economic reality as its primary motivator, and I pity those people
who get upset every time America seems to abandon its "principles".
The United States, with its economic underpinning of capitalism, is
eternally faced with a search for expanding overseas markets. China
has by far the greatest potential for future expansion, so it is evident,
at least in my mind, that perfect diplomatic relations with Taiwan
(which usually equates to arms sales) are expendable. As you evaluate
the news every day, keep this thought in mind and you will begin to
understand why these seemingly "unprincipled" reversals of policy
continually take place. In any case, it makes no sense to get upset
about it; if you do, you will be constantly upset about everything.
Don Ellis
Tektronix, Inc.
(decvax or ucbvax)!teklabs!done