Thinking Citizen Blog — Taiwan and the Korean War Analogy
Thinking Citizen Blog — Monday is Foreign Policy Day
Today’ s Topic — Taiwan and the Korean War Analogy
Who cares about Taiwan? Who should? How much should you care? Why? Are the lessons of the Korean War relevant? What are those lessons? Just a few questions raised by the most recent intriguing article on foreign policy that I read recently. Today, a summary of that article. What are your thoughts? What is the most thought-provoking article you’ve read recently related to foreign policy? Experts — please chime in. Correct, elaborate, elucidate.
THE KOREAN WAR WAS PREVENTABLE
1. “Stalin nixed Kim Il-Sung’s plan to invade the South until he was convinced the US wouldn’t strike back.”
2. “Soviet documents released in 1995 reveal that North Korea’s first dictator, Kim Il-Sung visited Stalin in March 1949 and proposed invading South Korea. Stalin, concerned that American troops “will interfere in case of hostilities,” rejected the idea.”
3. “But by 1950, US combat forces had left Korea based on the stated belief of the Joint Chiefs of Staff that “Korea is of little strategic value” and a commitment to use military force in Korea would be “ill-advised and impracticable.” General Douglas MacArthur endorsed that view publicly in a March 1949 interview as did Secretary Dean Acheson in a January 1950 speech.”
THE THEORY AND PRACTICE OF DETERRENCE
1. “Deterrence rests on a paradox: the best way to prevent was is to threaten war.”
2. “The history of the 20th century illustrates what successful deterrence can accomplish. Deterrence enabled West Berlin to survive as a free city despite a political status even more ambiguous than Taiwan’s and a truly indefensible military position.”
3. “Cold War history also illustrates a corollary: a failure of resolve can invite catastrophe. The Korean War was preventable if the US had made clear beforehand that it would forcefully oppose North Korean aggression.”
THE CHINESE THREAT TODAY
1. Economic and diplomatic sanctions have had little impact on Chinese aggression in Xinjiang and Hong Kong.
2. “The US and Taiwanese militaries need to coordinate planning so that an attack wouldn’t overwhelm Taiwan’s defenses before help can arrive.”
3. “It will require what has been called “thinking more creatively” about nonnuclear options that might cause Mr. Xi to recalculate the costs of an attack.”
Opinion | The Korean War’s Lesson for Taiwan
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PDF with headlines — Google Drive
YOUR TURN
Please share the coolest or most important thing you learned in the last week, month, or year related to foreign policy. Or, even better, the coolest or most important thing you learned in our life related to foreign policy.
This is your chance to make someone else’s day. And to consolidate in your memory something important you might otherwise forget. Or to think more deeply than otherwise about something dear to your heart. Continuity is the key to depth of thought. The prospect of imminent publication, like hanging and final exams, concentrates the mind. A useful life long habit.
