A Sad Tale[1] I finally got around to reading Nancy Bernkoph Tucker’s classic detailed study of US, Taiwan, and China relations, “Strait Talk,” a few weeks ago only to find that I didn’t know nearly as much on the subject as I thought I did. Indeed, I literally kicked myself for coming so late to a book that dramatically changed my opinion of the US’s handling of its interactions with China vis a vis Taiwan during times I was directly involved in following China/Taiwan issues. Having contributed to the drafting of the Taiwan Relations Act (TRA) as a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee staff in 1979, sitting through the Executive Branch’s closed-door explanation of the 2ndCommunique in 1982, and experiencing first-hand the Department of State’s reluctance to provide appropriate arms sales to Taiwan while seconded from CIA to OSD/ISA during Bush 1, the more I learned from Nancy’s book the angrier I became. Not only had the people at State mislead and outright lied to me during the 1970’s and 1980’s about their understandings with China concerning Taiwan, but they also kept the truth from my bosses Senator John Glenn, Wild Bill Casey, and Dick Cheney among others.
Carl, excellent post. Your "weasel" has a pattern of realpolitik over the years to advocate that the US walk away from nations we support - RVN was first, then Taiwan as you've covered, and now Ukraine with his recommendation to let Russia keep what they already have to accept a ceasefire.
Carl, excellent post. Your "weasel" has a pattern of realpolitik over the years to advocate that the US walk away from nations we support - RVN was first, then Taiwan as you've covered, and now Ukraine with his recommendation to let Russia keep what they already have to accept a ceasefire.