https://apnews.com/article/trump-taiwan-arms-sales-china-2743b66e3a4e47a895e731568cef9008
Beijing has imposed sanctions on 20 U.S. defense-related companies and 10 executives
++++++++++++++=
The US defends new arms sales and urges ‘meaningful’ dialogue, but analysts warn the deepening rift risks hollowing out the agenda for the Trump-Xi summit next year
++++++++++++++++=
Knowing Trump, if not for the Supreme Court about to strike down his tariffs, he would be imposing more tariffs on China for the 5th time this year.
Donald Trump, the president who has settled 8 FAKE wars and started new conflicts all over the place, while causing many countries to lose respect for the United States and hate our president because of what he's doing to them.
The U.S. military is fighting or preparing to fight in more countries than it was when the self-proclaimed "peace president" took office.
https://reason.com/2025/12/26/here-are-5-wars-trump-started-or-expanded-in-2025/
+++++++++++
Though not wars being fought by the military, Trump has started a trade war with most of the countries in the world. Canada, our closest ally now hates us. Same with Greenland.
By metmike - Dec. 29, 2025, 12:23 p.m.
Thanks, fayq. NOT fake news!
https://www.axios.com/2025/12/29/china-taiwan-live-fire-military-drills-us-arms-deal
++++++++++++
Donald Trump is the most powerful man in the world and can win almost every battle with other countries because he has the most powerful country in the world to back him up.
But he CAN'T win against China. They are economically too powerful and their leader is a brilliant man that will ALWAYS out think our delusional, pathological thinking leader that is suffering from progressive dementia.
Xi embarrassed Trump and his ruinous tariffs on the global stage by not backing down. Now delusional Trump thinks he can use the implied threat of the most powerful military in the world to intimate the president of China in an area that China will NEVER lose on. NEVER!
Regardless of our opinion on Taiwan and what we think is best for that country and its people, WE DON'T GET TO CHOOSE what's right.
Very often, the choices we make are not between good and bad. The are between bad and REALLY BAD!
In 2021/22, Ukraine had that choice in deciding whether to NOT join NATO and NOT fighting a war over it with Russia or fighting a winner get's Ukraine war with Russian, instead...........the REALLY BAD choice. We're witnessing the consequences of the REALLY BAD choice by Biden/NATO and their puppet, Zelensky.
We have the same choice with Taiwan.
The REALLY BAD choice would be for the United States to get into a war with China over Taiwan. Our current leader is just the man to do that!
Hopefully not.
+++++++++++++
It's likely that Trump is doing this, exploiting his strength as leader of the most powerful military in the world and the most powerful military-industrial weapons producer in the world to try to resurrect his image and refocus in an arena that his delusional mind thinks that he can win.
This is NOT Venezuela.
We can't beat China!
We should not WANT to beat China.
We should be trying to GET ALONG with China. Having FREE TRADE with China. Protesting their human rights violations RESPECTFULLY and expressing our disagreements RESPECTFULLY. Negotiating RESPECTFULLY!
Not imposing huge tariffs and playing high stakes DISRESPECTFUL games of economic trading "chicken".
Our leader doesn't understand the concept of respecting other people or countries that disagree with him. He is a perpetual bully that assumes he will win every battle that way because he's infallible.
This is the exact WRONG tactic to use with China. 30+ years ago, that might have worked. The world has changed and in 2050, China WILL BE the world biggest economic power by a wide margin. India and the United States will be #2.
We need to position ourselves favorably for that certain transition by doing what's best, working WITH China. Not fighting it counter productively and pretend that the US can somehow stay #1 if Donald Trump just waves a magic wand, imposes ruinous tariffs and repeats complete nonsense over and over.
Make China our allies, not our enemies while still defending our positions and ethical concerns.
It's called RESPECT for others!
If China takes Taiwan using military force, what should we do?
If China wants Taiwan, let's face it, nobody can stop them.
Here's the thing. Trying to slow them down and hurt them doing it with military force, when they WILL win in the end accomplishes what? Other than killing Chinese soldiers at the expense of sacrificing the lives of brave soldiers fighting for freedom and democracy on our side.......to end up with China winning anyway.
I'm for sanctions and penalties imposed by numerous countries working together to oppose this, even though that won't stop them.
Again, the choices are not good vs bad.
They are bad compared to really bad.
Choosing the option that does the least amount of harm.
https://www.funblocks.net/thinking-matters/classic-mental-models/least-harm-principle
++++++++++++++
metmike: Please note #s 4-6 below.
Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy
War
https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/war/
Traditional just war theory construes jus ad bellum andjus in bello as sets of principles, satisfying which is necessary and sufficient for a war’s being permissible. Jus ad bellum typically comprises the following six principles: