Here's What a Chinese Invasion of Taiwan Would Mean for the Rest of the World
By Spencer Brown / Townhall
TAIPEI, Taiwan — "Taiwan matters for the entire global economy, and because it matters for the global economy it matters for Kentucky's economy." That's how Rep. Andy Barr (R-KY) — co-chair of the Congressional Taiwan Caucus — explained his concern for the future of the Republic of China in an interview with Townhall following a day of meetings in Taipei.
Businesses and workers in his district encircling Lexington rely on Taiwan, Barr said, including at the world's largest Toyota manufacturing facility. The Georgetown, Kentucky, plant can crank out more than 500,000 vehicles per year and employs just shy of 10,000 full-time workers.
"If you think about the way automobiles are manufactured right now, they require a lot of electronics," Barr emphasized to Townhall of the ubiquity of semiconductors. "Ninety percent of the world's advanced semiconductors are manufactured here in Taiwan," he said the industry that's become another deterring factor against a Chinese invasion, the "silicon shield."
Reiterating the message of R.O.C. President Lai's inauguration speech delivered just more than one week before Barr and the rest of the U.S. congressional delegation led by House Foreign Affairs Chairman Michael McCaul arrived in Taiwan to meet the new president, the Kentucky Republican said "peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait are indispensable for global security and prosperity." In addition, "'Peace through strength' deterrence and defending Taiwan is squarely within the national security interest of the United States."
"The Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company [TSMC], the largest manufacturer of advanced semiconductors in the world, is right in the pathway of a — God forbid — Chinese Communist Party [and] People's Liberation Army amphibious invasion of this island," Barr explained in his sit-down with Townhall. "The entire global economy would be disrupted massively within hours of something like that happening [and] Americans would instantly see a disruption in their consumer electronics and the automobile supply chain," he warned.
Here's What KJP Had to Say When Confronted About 'Full-Blown Freakout Mode' Reports
By Rebecca Downs
Estimates cited by Barr say that a Chinese invasion of Taiwan "would result in a $2 trillion hit to the global economy," another reason why Taiwan "matters to everyday ordinary Americans," he said. "Whether we like it or not, we cannot ignore the U.S. economic interdependency with the world."
Those who don't think Taiwan matters, Barr argued, belong to the "voices of isolationism in both parties in the United States" based on "wishful thinking."
"We can all wish that we can be immune from global events, but that is complete and utter naïveté," Barr continued. "The reality is we have to know what's going on in global affairs to protect our own peace, stability, and economic prosperity. Ignoring what happens over here is a recipe for disaster for our own interests," he said of China's escalating hostility and harassment aimed at the Republic of China.
"Taiwan's security and peaceful future is interconnected with our own, whether we like it or not — that is just a fact," Barr emphasized. "Taiwan is geographically right in between two critical allies of the United States — the Philippines and Japan — they're on the first island chain," he explained. "A Taiwan overrun by Communist authoritarian China would give Communist China open access to the Pacific with their submarines" and "would create doubt in the minds of our allies in the Indo-Pacific about the U.S. fulfilling its commitments to others."
The threat of such a Chinese offensive continues to grow.
"It's clear that the operational tempo of these exercises has changed and it's accelerated to the point where a lot of these exercises are now happening on the eastern side of the island, it's clearly a trial run or practice for an encirclement or a blockade of the island," Barr told Townhall of the recent CCP drills around Taiwan. "To the extent the Taiwan Relations Act exists to maintain the status quo, it's pretty obvious that the Chinese Communist Party is trying to disrupt the status quo — and this is not the status quo," he added of the intensifying harassment.
The CCP's ongoing and escalating hostility toward Taiwan, Barr added, "only reinforces the resolve of the U.S. Congress to enhance our military assistance to the island."
It's not just up to the U.S., said Barr. It's also about what Taiwan is "prepared to do on its own, separate and apart from U.S. assistance to make itself into that 'porcupine' that it needs to be to strengthen deterrence" against the Chinese. Following meetings in Taiwan this week, Barr said he is "very encouraged" that President Lai and the government in Taiwan will "build upon the success" of the previous administration when it comes to ramping up defensive and deterrent capabilities.
That involves a "whole of society approach to make sure that there's resiliency built up among the civilian population to, again, make Taiwan into a porcupine."
"The United States is fully and completely committed to maintaining the peaceful status quo and maintaining peace and stability in the strait," Barr reiterated to Townhall. "The successful inauguration and the fair and free election that was just concluded here is a testament, not just to a particular election, but it is a victory for democracy — and Taiwan is a beacon of freedom that projects out into the world beyond this shadow of communist authoritarianism."
Taiwan's vibrant democracy that just again proved itself with the recent elections and peaceful transition of power means "not just the United States, but democracies all over the world stand in unity in a massive multilateral coalition in solidarity with Taiwan," Barr reminded. "It's not just about the United States and Taiwan — the whole democratic world stands with Taiwan."
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The View from Mount Olympus
What happens to a liberal who never gets mugged?
With names like Hercules Dr, Zeus Dr, Apollo Dr, Jupiter Dr, and, of course, Mt. Olympus Dr, it’s truly a hangout for any gods with twenty million to spare. Reported celebrity residents and owners of the gated community with 24/7 security include Leonardo DiCaprio, Katy Perry, and Harrison Ford, but even more importantly here is the Ross House, a 13,000 square foot modernist monster, where Hollywood studios hold intimate receptions, screenings and award parties for the small club of those who are famous or can help make them even more famous.
The Ross House of Mt. Olympus is usually a brief entry in industry publications, but it embodies the vast gulf between how people down in L.A. live and how those who decide their fates do.
While Los Angeles has become a crime-ridden hellhole, Mt. Olympus, like many well-off neighborhoods in the area, enjoys private security patrols so that someone is always watching. The celebrities who come and go from private parties at exclusive locations like the Ross House have their own security and studios provide security for their events. In Greek myth, Mt. Olympus may have been difficult for mortals to reach, but the Los Angeles development has a regular commuter class of illegal alien maids, cleaners and gardeners, as well as security.
“The wealthy elite of Mount Olympus are some of the wealthiest and most influential people in all of Los Angeles,” one real estate agent gushes and that may be overstating it, but the 400 or so homes and the 800 or so residents of this Hollywood Hills enclave do live apart from the rest.
As do many of the immortals of the Hollywood Hills where crime is rare and junkies don’t sleep on the streets. And when crime does happen, even the most pro-crime prosecutors are much more responsive to the needs of those on high than to the troubles of those down below.
Every city has its class divides, but the heights of Mt. Olympus and its neighbors in the ‘Hills’ are a divide not only in geographic distance, but topological territory. To pause for a moment at a reception for an Oscar winner at Ross House and cast a brief gaze down below to where street level retail is vanishing and angry hobos roam the streets stabbing people is to be above it all.
Socialism is not an ideology of street-level social reformers, but of aspiring gods who look down and imagine moving people around like so many toys until everything fits perfectly. To be down on the street is to know that there is no perfection and that nothing will ever fit. And that all we have are the imperfect solutions of common sense and whatever character we can wrest from the chaos and technological tricks we can use to stay one step ahead of the entropy horizon.
Hollywood, the people who pretend to tell our stories, play with toys in an industry of them. There are the white roofs of the studios, the large prop rental facilities and a backlot of fake streets on which fake lives will be portrayed and fake lives depicted. And then after playtime is over, the men and women will drive up the narrow winding canyon roads along streets named for old legends, past the Greystone Mansion, where an oil tycoon’s murder-suicide inspired the movie ‘There Will Be Blood’, and where everything from Batman to Star Trek was filmed, to their estates up in the sky. Is it any wonder that they’re socialists? How could they be anything else.
The view from Mt. Olympus is not nearly as glorious as the Alps or the Rockies if what you value in life is natural beauty, but if what you love is power, then the twinkling fairylights of the Los Angeles landscape, the long roads and the endless springtime are ideological ambrosia.
Leftist politics are one part perpetual outrage, two parts magical thinking and four parts pagan godhood. The old days when powerful men could pretend to be gods were dashed by religion and then democracy. Until socialism, wealth bought you only so many privileges. Now it buys you the privilege of looking down and toying with the less well off in the name of social justice.
It doesn’t take much to toy with the really poor, but the genius of leftist politics is that the wildly rich can use it to grind down poorer rivals and aspiring members of the middle class. California’s upward mobility was turned upside down when success was more than just buying a mansion in one of the nicer parts of town, but moving uphill to rain misery on everyone down below.
California’s social justice class is even more effete than in most other places. Gov. Gavin Newsom carries vineyard country wherever he goes. The DSA socialists drive six figure cars when they go to protest for the homeless or Hamas. And their parents benevolently gaze down at them from Mt. Olympus: proud of how much Oliver and Sophia care about the ‘big’ issues.
Radicals are not made out of the molten metal of oppression but poured out of the golden crucible of prosperity. It isn’t the mobs rising up from the streets, but descending down from pricey prep schools like Harvard Westlake where the children of celebrities and their financial planners with few real skills go on to study gender theory at UCLA or USC in between shopping trips to hip boutiques on Rodeo Drive and protests around Grand Park.
The mediocre elites of Mt. Olympus have their McMansion versailles not despite their socialism, but because of it. Stockbrokers call for the redistribution of wealth, doctors demand that medicine be socialized, and celebrities champion the rise of the working man. Up in the sky, idealism seems more real than common sense and reality is for the lesser folks below.
The immortals may have to descend from Mt. Olympus to shop at Trader Joe’s (if they choose not to Instacart their order) where there are bums in the alley and tent encampments under the underpass, but a return to the heights also restores a sense of the rightness of things. In Manhattan, a liberal who had been mugged might become a conservative, but in the nicer parts of Los Angeles County, the liberal drives past the chaos, and escapes that sense of vulnerability by retreating to gated communities and estates policed by heavily armed private security.
It’s vulnerability that makes conservatives out of liberal immortals. Not just a mugging, but mortality in whatever form it comes whether it’s financial reverses, government abuses or just the passage of time. Leftist politics, like casinos and crypto, only work in a cloud of unreality. When reality touches our souls, then the impossible makes way for the realities of life.
What happens to a liberal who never gets mugged? He becomes an idiot immortal, living outside reality, convinced that everyone else could live that way too if only they voted like him.
Southern California is uniquely insulated from those realities. This is where the seasons do not change and time does not pass. Even as the cities decay and the suburbs empty out to Florida and Nevada, the immortals look down from the heights and believe that nothing has changed. Until one day they look down to find that there is nothing left to see underneath the mountain.
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And, The Palestinians must change their habit of teaching their children to hate and they much renounce their desire to destroy Israel. It will take more than simply ridding the world of Hamas.
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Hamas Must Be Destroyed Before Any Peace Talks Take Place
by Con Coughlin
May 29, 2024 at 5:00 am
The announcement by Ireland, Norway and Spain that they are to recognise a Palestinian state this week only highlights a breathtaking naivety about the fundamental reality of the long-standing conflict between Israel and the Palestinians.
In fact, the announcement is likely to extend the violent conflict currently taking place in Gaza: it sends a clear message to terrorist groups such as Hamas that carrying out brutal attacks against innocent Israeli civilians will be rewarded by supporting their demand for statehood.
Norway, the country that helped to sponsor the Oslo Accords in the 1990s, which set out a framework for a peace deal between Israel and the Palestinians, was the first country to announce its decision, with Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre declaring, "There cannot be peace in the Middle East if there is no recognition."
Do Ireland, Norway and Spain not see how appeasing terrorists anywhere only emboldens the militants in Europe? Last month, in Germany, more than 1,000 demonstrators took to the streets demanding that Germany become a Caliphate with sharia law.
The Norwegian prime minister's comments were echoed by Irish Foreign Minister Micheál Martin, who said that Ireland had announced "our unambiguous support for the equal right to security, dignity, and self-determination for the Palestinian and Israeli peoples."
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, meanwhile, said the move was "in favour of peace and coexistence."
Is he ready to grant the Catalans in Spain, who for years have been fighting for their independence, a State of Catalonia?
In Ireland, even at its most violent, there were never calls to take over Scotland, England and Wales to displace the British.
No mention, though, was made in the joint announcements, which followed months of discussions between the country's governments, about precisely how recognising a Palestinian state in the midst of the war in Gaza is going to help resolve the dispute.
On the contrary, the declaration is far more likely to exacerbate tensions in the region, as its main achievement has been to further anger the Israeli government, which roundly condemned the move and responded by withdrawing its ambassadors from the three countries involved.
Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz summoned up his government's total rejection of the initiative by stating, "History will remember that Spain, Norway, and Ireland decided to award a gold medal to Hamas murderers and rapists."
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, called by Andrew Roberts "The Churchill of the modern Middle East," remains bitterly opposed to Palestinian independence as a "prize for terrorism." He claims it ultimately rewarded Hamas for launching its devastating attack against Israel on October 7. "A reward for terror will not bring about peace," said Netanyahu, "and also will not stop us from winning over Hamas."
The decision by these three countries to pre-emptively recognise a Palestinian state, before the direct negotiations that the Israelis and Palestinians agreed upon to resolve the conflict have even begun, is all the more provocative from Israel's perspective given that it took place the same week that the chief prosecutor at International Criminal Court in The Hague announced he wanted to seek arrest warrants for both Netanyahu and Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.
The willingness of Western governments and international institutions to indulge in such dangerous virtue-signalling not only exposes their wilful misrepresentation of Israel's right to defend itself in the aftermath of the atrocities committed by Hamas terrorists on October 7.
The capitulation of Ireland, Norway and Spain also reveals a deliberate misinterpretation of the root causes of Israel's long-running conflict with the Palestinians, in which the constant refusal of successive generations of Palestinian leaders to renounce terrorism as the primary means of achieving their political objectives has made the concept of a lasting peace between the two sides impossible.
During the early years of the Palestinians' quest for statehood, it was the insistence of Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) leader Yasser Arafat of relying on acts of terrorism to achieve his goals that constantly undermined international peace efforts.
More recently, the PLO, which today controls the Palestinian Authority, headed by PLO veteran Mahmoud Abbas, has been effectively replaced by Hamas, the Islamist terrorist movement which helped destroyed the Oslo Accords by conducting a deadly wave of terrorist attacks against Israelis starting in the 1990s.
Hamas's reliance on murderous acts of terrorism to achieve its goals means that any future attempt to reach a peace settlement with the Palestinians is doomed to failure so long as the terrorist organisation remains in a position of power, an argument that is accepted by both Israelis and the majority of Palestinians.
Since coming to power in Gaza in 2006, Hamas has, apart from building a terrorist infrastructure in Gaza, violently suppressed all political opposition to its dictatorial rule in the enclave.
The widespread disaffection of the majority of Palestinians to Hamas's authoritarian conduct has increased significantly since the start of the Gaza conflict, after Hamas terrorists have regularly used Gaza's civilian population as human shields, with no regard for their safety.
These inhumane tactics, moreover, have contributed significantly to the high death toll in the Gaza conflict, in which Hamas have repeatedly used their own people as human shields (such as here, here and here) and shot at them to prevent them from fleeing to safety (here, here and here).
In such circumstances, Israel's declared ambition of removing a deadly terrorist organisation such as Hamas from the face of the earth is entirely justified, especially if there is to be any realistic prospect of lasting peace in the region.
The notion that an organisation that wilfully murders innocent civilians still retains ambitions to become the undisputed leaders of the Palestinian people is totally unacceptable, a consideration meddling European nations such as Norway, Ireland and Spain would be well-advised to take on board before they indulge in their ill-judged calls for Palestinian statehood.
The idea that Hamas could one day emerge as the leaders of an independent Palestinian state is clearly a prospect no civilised nation should accept, and is the reason why it is vital that major world powers, such as the US, continue to resist calls to recognise a Palestinian state.
While the Biden administration's stance towards Israel in the Gaza conflict has often been hostile, its rejection of the joint declaration by Norway, Ireland and Spain is most welcome.
In its official response to the countries' initiative, the White House repeated its view that the only way to resolve the conflict was by "direct negotiations", a policy supported by the Palestinians themselves, as well as European powers such as the UK and France.
The best way to create the circumstances in which such negotiations can take place is for Israel to be allowed to fulfil its military campaign to destroy the ability of Hamas to wage more mass-murders like October 7 – referred to as the equivalent of "50 9/11s." -- as Hamas has sworn to do.
If Israel could be allowed to succeed in "freeing Palestine from Hamas," it would significantly improve the prospects of both Israelis and Palestinians.
Con Coughlin is the Telegraph's Defence and Foreign Affairs Editor and a Distinguished Senior Fellow at Gatestone Institute.
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An Attack on America Is Coming Thanks To Biden’s Negligence 
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In my opinion. American Jews became Americanized in two ways:
We accepted failed Jewish leadership and bought into Kissinger's approach that losing wars is acceptable.
Kissinger was German and Germans are used to losing wars. American never believed in being losers until Kissinger came along and lawyers took over our wars from cowardly politicians.
I am told. by Pomerantz. Bret Stephens wrote as much in today's (5/29) NYT's today.
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Are we the Jews of the 1930s?
The awful turn of events castigating us as the bad guy in this fight should have set off alarms.
By Steve Rosenberg
As we sit comfortably in our American homes, enjoying the freedoms and opportunities afforded to us by this great nation, it is difficult to imagine that we, as Jews, could be facing a situation reminiscent of the dire circumstances encountered by our ancestors in Eastern Europe during the 1930s. Yet the continued unsettling rise in antisemitism across the globe and here in the United States compels us to ask: Are we the Jews of the 1930s? While it is true that we are not experiencing the horrors that led to the Holocaust, the alarming parallels between the past and present warrant our undivided attention and action. Oct. 7 should have been a new line in the sand for all 16 million Jews worldwide. The awful turn of events castigating the Jews as the bad guy in this fight should have set off alarms for all of us.
In the 1930s, Jews in Eastern Europe faced escalating hostility, institutionalized discrimination and violent pogroms. They were scapegoated for economic woes and societal ills, leading to widespread persecution and eventual genocide. Today, we see a disturbing resurgence of antisemitism, characterized by hate crimes, vandalism of synagogues and Jewish institutions, and virulent rhetoric both online and in public discourse. While our circumstances are not yet as severe as those of our ancestors, the signs of rising antisemitism are unmistakable. The activities taking place on college campuses alone should cause us all considerable alarm.
According to the Anti-Defamation League, antisemitic incidents in the United States have been increasing at an alarming rate. In 2023, the ADL reported a record 8,873 antisemitic incidents, including assault, harassment and vandalism—a 140% increase from the previous year. These incidents are not isolated to fringe elements but are permeating mainstream society, with public figures and celebrities sometimes perpetuating harmful stereotypes and conspiracy theories.
In the 1930s, Jews in Eastern Europe were similarly subjected to a growing wave of antisemitism that was normalized and eventually institutionalized by Nazi ideology. The public’s tacit acceptance and, in many cases, active participation in the scapegoating of Jews laid the groundwork for the atrocities that followed. Today, we must be vigilant in recognizing that the normalization of antisemitism in any form is a dangerous precursor to more severe persecution.
The economic turmoil of the Great Depression in the 1930s provided fertile ground for antisemitic scapegoating. Jews were blamed for economic hardships, financial crises and societal decline, leading to increased marginalization and violence. In contemporary America, we see echoes of this dangerous rhetoric. Jews are often blamed for various societal issues—from economic inequality to political corruption, despite their significant contributions to society.
Conspiracy theories, such as those propagated by the QAnon movement, often target Jews, portraying them as part of a shadowy cabal controlling global events. These baseless accusations fuel hatred and division much like the anti-Jewish propaganda of the 1930s. The persistence of such narratives indicates a troubling continuity in the use of Jews as scapegoats for broader societal anxieties. When factored in with the hatred stemming from the far left, Jews have a difficult time staying out of both the literal and figurative crosshairs.
In the 1930s, Jews faced institutional discrimination that restricted their access to education, employment and political participation. This systemic marginalization reinforced their outsider status and made them vulnerable to further persecution. While Jews in America today enjoy legal protections and opportunities, there are instances where institutional bias still exists. Discrimination in hiring practices, educational opportunities and social acceptance can subtly perpetuate a sense of exclusion.
Furthermore, the resurgence of nationalist and populist movements often brings with it a dangerous undercurrent of antisemitism. Politicians and public figures who traffic in xenophobia and bigotry contribute to an environment where anti-Semitic attitudes can flourish. It is essential that we recognize and challenge these trends to prevent the kind of institutional discrimination that characterized the 1930s.
One of the most pernicious aspects of the anti-Semitism of the 1930s was the cultural and social isolation imposed on Jews. They were segregated from broader society, barred from certain professions, and excluded from social and cultural life. This isolation made it easier for dehumanizing myths to take root and for violence to be justified.
In contemporary America, Jews are not subjected to the same overt segregation, but there are subtler forms of social exclusion and cultural isolation. Anti-Semitic tropes and stereotypes in media and popular culture can perpetuate harmful images of Jews as outsiders or “others.” Such cultural marginalization can contribute to a sense of vulnerability and alienation among Jewish communities. This type of bigotry and hatred is not tolerated against other ethnic groups.
What is transpiring across the Diaspora on college campuses, by college administrators and professors, and in virtually every other segment of society should both frighten and anger every living Jew. We were seeing random acts of violence that have now turned to an everyday occurrence against Jews of all types. If you dare to show that you are a Jew, be prepared to be physically assaulted while bystanders watch and do nothing.
Part of a larger struggle against all forms of bigotry
One of the tragic lessons of the 1930s is that many Jews did not fully recognize the danger they were in until it was too late. Complacency and a desire to believe in the fundamental goodness of their neighbors led many to ignore the warning signs of escalating antisemitism. Today, we must not make the same mistake. While we are not facing the same level of immediate threat, the increasing frequency and intensity of anti-Semitic incidents should serve as a wake-up call.
It is essential that we remain vigilant and proactive in addressing antisemitism in all its forms.
This means supporting organizations that fight hatred; educating ourselves and others about the history and consequences of antisemitism; and standing in solidarity with other marginalized communities facing discrimination. We must also hold our political leaders accountable, demanding that they condemn antisemitism unequivocally, and take tangible and actionable concrete steps to protect Jewish communities.
In our post-Oct. 7 world and with Israel continuously castigated as both the bad guy and the oppressor, we must be diligent in how we approach everything: the media’s dangerous portrayal of events, the anti-Israel venom masked as “Israel needs a new leader,” and the partnership by and between those against us who are at best strange bedfellows. When everyone has a hatred of Jews, it’s easy to make that a rallying cry and join forces.
In response to the rising tide of antisemitism, we must take steps to empower ourselves and our communities. This includes promoting self-defense and preparedness, as well as fostering a strong sense of Jewish identity and solidarity. By standing together and refusing to be intimidated, we can ensure that our communities remain resilient in the face of hatred.
We must also work to build alliances with other minority groups and advocate for broader social justice. The fight against antisemitism is part of the larger struggle against all forms of bigotry and discrimination. By supporting each other and working together, we can create a society that is more just, inclusive and resistant to the forces of hate.
As we reflect on the similarities between our current situation and that of Jews in the 1930s, it is clear that we must not ignore the warning signs. While we are not yet facing the same level of threat, the rise in antisemitism in America and around the world is a cause for serious concern. By remaining vigilant, educating ourselves and others, and taking proactive steps to combat hatred, we can prevent history from repeating itself. We owe it to ourselves, our ancestors and future generations to ensure that we are not the Jews of the 1930s, but rather a community that learned from the past and stood up against bigotry and intolerance in all its forms. We said “Never Again,” and now it’s time to make actions speak louder than words.
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