I have been reading many posts about the conflict building between Taiwan and mainland China and I noticed that people talked about whether or not the US would or would not intervene people talked more about if it would happen and not that if it should happen. My question is if China did invade Taiwan, should the United States intervene?

So as not to cloud the issue, let us pretend that we have left Iraq and that part of the world is happy and the US has had enough time to build the military back up to full strength. I am looking more of opinions and less about the feasibility of the conflict.

No, the US should not intervene, and I don't believe any US President would. It would be foolish to anger China when it holds the best part of a trillion US dollars in foreign reserves..that if sold for say, Euros, could shatter the US dollar and economy.

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THUS SPOKE ZARATHUSTRA

Does the US have any ethical high ground left...the US has vetoed all action concerning the monitoring of Israeli nuclear facilities.

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DUE TO THE EXPLICIT CREDIBILITY AND LOGIC UNDERPINNING THE ABOVE ARGUMENT, THIS POST COULD CAUSE SEVERE INADEQUACY, HYSTERIA OR SYCOPHANCY IN THE READER...
THUS SPOKE ZARATHUSTRA

The problem of course is that the US has said it will defend Taiwan. If China invaded Taiwan and was not challenged it, that sends the world a message that the US is a paper tiger.

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If the US helps Taiwan it would be another vietnam but worse. China would by far win because, like Vietnam and even today, America is slapping with a white glove on.
But why SHOULD the US even go? I can't find a decent reason to exept to "be nice." China would never go to war with us after Taiwan anyway! I believe this because China is a great economic partner (sadly) with the US and if they went to war with us they would cut off about 50% of their income! And we would never go to war with them because almost everything in America is made in China.....

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Many that live deserve death. And some that die deserve life. Can you give it to them? Then do not be too eager to deal out death in judgement. For even the very wise cannot see all ends.
`J.R.R. Tolkien-The Lord of the rings, Volume I

How would it compare to Vietnam? Vietnam was a conflict where the US military was fighting a guerrilla force, the Viet Cong, and dealing with a formalized fighting force, the NVA, that fought like a guerrilla force. The conflict would be much different with different tactics and strategies being utilized from the door to door fighting that is going on now.

I believe it the Chinese wanted to invade Taiwan there would be a large build up of forces near the strait so after the initial attack a occupation force could be moved in quickly. The US would see this build up and I believe should use a show of force not a intervention. If the US sent 2 or 3 carrier battle groups in to the region showing us flexing out military muscle the Chinese would back down. They could play our bluff and attack anyway but that would be a gamble if we really meant to strike back.

Unfortunately china has alot of scores to settle with the west and one of them happens to be taiwan. Communism is suppose to be dead so the reason for defending taiwan is fast fading.

I just ment by "Vietnam" that general area, sorry for making it sound like I was an arrogant fool! Of course, this is nothing like the actual Vietnam war.

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Many that live deserve death. And some that die deserve life. Can you give it to them? Then do not be too eager to deal out death in judgement. For even the very wise cannot see all ends.
`J.R.R. Tolkien-The Lord of the rings, Volume I

I dont think we even had a reason to begin with! Defending Taiwan would be pointless-what do we gain? Nothing that I can see. Can anyone point anything out?

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Many that live deserve death. And some that die deserve life. Can you give it to them? Then do not be too eager to deal out death in judgement. For even the very wise cannot see all ends.
`J.R.R. Tolkien-The Lord of the rings, Volume I

Taiwan has always been a buyer for American weapons, and is not a small customer for Lockheed Martin, Northrop Gruman, Raytheon, etc. American weapon companies still need these purchase deals. But in the other way, if Taiwan becomes another Hong Kong with more autonomy, China feels less nervous, and can be a big buyer of American weapons.