Maybe we should rename Taiwan to "Sudeten Island" and let the Maoists reunite their "lost province"? Cripes, Neville Chamberlain would look at this burlesque show we're putting on and applaud with tears of joy in his eyes.

Maybe, someday in the future, they can be reunified, but not today. Not with China as it is now. This idea that China can be manipulated into becoming a productive and trusted member of international society without a complete regime change is utterly bizarre thinking to me. All you get with a wealthy dictatorial regime is a regime that can afford to stay in power. The Soviets went down because they went bankrupt. Even as a new generation of dictators try rising to power in Eastern Europe, they're being toppled and stymied in most cases because they're broke. This idea that being flush with money is going to make the Communists into Capitalists is laughable idealism and its going to earn us a well deserved sucker punch if we dare buy into it. If you think for a minute the Maoists are interested in preserving any element of capitalism, read up a few recent articles on the shuffling of power going on in Hong Kong. Let China have Taiwan back if you think that's where it will stop. Put the blinders on to what happened to Tibet and what's happening to Nepal. Try to imagine that if you just give them that little piece of land they want, they will stop there and ask for no more.

If anyone comes looking for me, I'll be at the bar with George Satayana, mourning the lost lessons of history.

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The last time I felt a warm fuzzy feeling, I was informed by my doctor that it was just gas.