By Daniel Nardini
I am constantly reminded everyday of how much the country of Ukraine is having an impact on the very psyche of the American belief of good versus evil. I see Ukrainian flags, I see signs saying “We support Ukraine,” and some people wearing Ukrainian flags and Ukrainian symbols. For most Americans, the Ukrainians’ fight for their sovereignty and self-determination against vicious Russian aggression to try and conquer Ukraine could not be more of a David versus Goliath scenario. Americans love the underdog, and in their view it is necessary to support Ukraine and the Ukrainians every and in anyway possible. I cannot argue with this—there can never be any justification of one nation subjugating another.
But there is just as much an important fight also taking place in another part of the world. This is the conflict between China and Taiwan. China has long claimed that Taiwan as a part of its territory (even though this is NOT the case), and they have never ruled out using military force to do so. Taiwan is a multi-party democracy, and when you look at it protecting Taiwan militarily makes sense for the United States because then America will also be protecting the U.S. territories of Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, and American Samoa. If Taiwan is conquered by China, there will not only be a lot of physical destruction throughout Asia but American territories will also be directly threatened. Like Ukraine, Taiwan is the clear underdog in this conflict.
While there is no war between China and Taiwan, this does not mean that there is no conflict. But why is Ukraine such a major mass movement in the United States and Taiwan is not? There are a couple of reasons why such a mass movement for support of Ukraine but not for Taiwan. The United States has always had in one form or another an orientation towards Europe as the majority of America’s ancestry came from Europe. The United States is part of (and in fact created) the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) which had protected western Europe for decades, and this is the largest single military alliance in the world today. Russia had been, and is still, seen as the main enemy and opponent not only in the eyes and minds of most Americans but also to most European nations and among most Europeans.
Even though East Asia in truth has more military and security significance to the United States than Europe and especially Ukraine in terms of security, it seems that most Americans have made their choice for “fighting the good fight” with Ukraine. The crazy thing to me is that there are millions of Americans who will protest and demonstrate for a country they have never set foot in. Worse, such people who are ready to fight for Ukraine know nothing of its history, its people, and the circumstances why the Russian invasion happened (actually, the Russian invasion began in 2014. Where was the American public in 2014 when this happened?). It reminds me of earlier mass movements that Americans have understood little to nothing about such as the Free Tibet movement, the Palestine/Israel war, and now Ukraine. Why cannot Americans fight for a cause that aligns with the security and territorial integrity of the United States? It would be like Americans fighting for Azerbaijan being invaded by Russia while China is attacking Guam. But as I have learned from experience Americans understand little about the world at large and how we fit into all of this.
Why is There No Mass Movement for Taiwan
By Daniel Nardini
But there is just as much an important fight also taking place in another part of the world. This is the conflict between China and Taiwan. China has long claimed that Taiwan as a part of its territory (even though this is NOT the case), and they have never ruled out using military force to do so. Taiwan is a multi-party democracy, and when you look at it protecting Taiwan militarily makes sense for the United States because then America will also be protecting the U.S. territories of Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, and American Samoa. If Taiwan is conquered by China, there will not only be a lot of physical destruction throughout Asia but American territories will also be directly threatened. Like Ukraine, Taiwan is the clear underdog in this conflict.
While there is no war between China and Taiwan, this does not mean that there is no conflict. But why is Ukraine such a major mass movement in the United States and Taiwan is not? There are a couple of reasons why such a mass movement for support of Ukraine but not for Taiwan. The United States has always had in one form or another an orientation towards Europe as the majority of America’s ancestry came from Europe. The United States is part of (and in fact created) the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) which had protected western Europe for decades, and this is the largest single military alliance in the world today. Russia had been, and is still, seen as the main enemy and opponent not only in the eyes and minds of most Americans but also to most European nations and among most Europeans.
Even though East Asia in truth has more military and security significance to the United States than Europe and especially Ukraine in terms of security, it seems that most Americans have made their choice for “fighting the good fight” with Ukraine. The crazy thing to me is that there are millions of Americans who will protest and demonstrate for a country they have never set foot in. Worse, such people who are ready to fight for Ukraine know nothing of its history, its people, and the circumstances why the Russian invasion happened (actually, the Russian invasion began in 2014. Where was the American public in 2014 when this happened?). It reminds me of earlier mass movements that Americans have understood little to nothing about such as the Free Tibet movement, the Palestine/Israel war, and now Ukraine. Why cannot Americans fight for a cause that aligns with the security and territorial integrity of the United States? It would be like Americans fighting for Azerbaijan being invaded by Russia while China is attacking Guam. But as I have learned from experience Americans understand little about the world at large and how we fit into all of this.