If Taiwan wants to remain free they need to develop & test (to demonstrate successful development) a nuclear deterrent. They have the engineering talent and fiscal resources to do so.
It’s not our fight. We can’t even supply a small war in Europe, where we’ve had bases and materiel for decades. There is no way to defeat PRC in a conventional war at the other end of a 7,000-mi seaborne logistics train. And we’ve lost 100% of our wars since 1945. Any men, ships, planes and dollars squandered would be wasted.
Diane. Interesting. I was NAVY serving in the South China Sea in 1965-66. The Aircraft Carrier I was on entertained foreign “dignitaries”. Nuygn Kao Kai (sp) of course and also Chaing. He was very old then and needed a cane and several aides to help him navigate the tour. I actually took a photo of him. Close telephoto profile.
I knew you’d ask that ! But no. I was into 35mm color positive photography back then. The pic of him was 8x10 black and white. Somehow over many years since, my collection dwindled and I have almost none left of those years.
Ha! When we moved from the Portland cesspool three years ago I packed up 70 years of photos, and am just now going through them. My cousin called last night. He is 82 and lost his wife in 2017. Now, I want to paw through the photos to find a photo of them from 1963 when he brought her over from Germany. I was 15 and he was surprised that I remembered that. Ha! Awh, if only we had fully appreciated the freedom Americans had back then.
When he was chased out of China and arrived in Taiwan, he slaughtered about 20K Taiwanese, 2/28/47. Most were the most educated, such as the editor of the major newspaper who had a degree from Harvard.
Back in the 1950s, British newspapers portrayed Chiang as a kind of heroic figure driven from his homeland to Formosa (Taiwan) by Mao’s communists. He and his wife, Soong Mei-ling or Madame Chiang were outspoken opponents of communism. Chiang’s brutal treatment of Formosa’s native population was never highlighted. His war against Mao and communism may have softened Chiang’s image, probably aided by his greatly admired wife, Madame Chiang, who was an indefatigable opponent of communism. She made New York City her home after Chiang’s death in 1975. No stranger to the U.S., Madame Chiang was a 1917 graduate of Wellesley College. Her powerful political allies helped influence America to change its foreign policy towards China and Taiwan.
Diane: Thanks for this illuminating report. It reveals just how long we’ve been subjected to government propaganda and duped about Chiang Kai Shek being a liberator, not a tyranical thug.
Diane, @ColonelRETJohn has a lot of knowledge about Taiwan also from
his extensive Military career. He’s quite an interesting person. On GETTR he does a Thursday night live video stream. Maps, stats and everything. I learned so much when watching. There is going to be another source he is joining this month to share more also. He may have it on his Substack page.
I am loving the history lessons and personal experiences that you are sharing with all of us. Thank you 🙏
Corinne: I will check him out. Thank you for your kind remarks. Have you read my 6 or 7 Lewis & Clark articles? The latest one was posted at Christmas time. Most of the year, we live just a 5 miles from where they arrived at the Pacific Ocean. L&C are big here, so I wrote a number of L&C articles for the local newspapers, and later put them on America First Re-Ignited. Diane
The reputation of Gen Chiang Kai Chek has been sullied by US General Stillwell’s opinion of him. Reading a bit deeper about Chiang being a staunch anti-communist fighting a protracted civil war with Mao would seem to suggest Chiang was not a beastly dictator as some portray.
William: Thank you for reading my article. We lived in Taiwan when Chiang was in charge. Yes, he was anti-communist. He has THAT in his favor; but, he ruled with an iron hand. People would disappear and relatives never knew if they were dead or alive. People there were terrified in saying the "wrong" thing. We are almost to that point in America under the Biden Regime. When his regime ended and the political prisons were closed, many long lost Taiwanese "reappeared." I have returned many times. I think it was during my 2005 visit that I toured one of the offshore prisons. Diane
If Taiwan wants to remain free they need to develop & test (to demonstrate successful development) a nuclear deterrent. They have the engineering talent and fiscal resources to do so.
It’s not our fight. We can’t even supply a small war in Europe, where we’ve had bases and materiel for decades. There is no way to defeat PRC in a conventional war at the other end of a 7,000-mi seaborne logistics train. And we’ve lost 100% of our wars since 1945. Any men, ships, planes and dollars squandered would be wasted.
Diane. Interesting. I was NAVY serving in the South China Sea in 1965-66. The Aircraft Carrier I was on entertained foreign “dignitaries”. Nuygn Kao Kai (sp) of course and also Chaing. He was very old then and needed a cane and several aides to help him navigate the tour. I actually took a photo of him. Close telephoto profile.
Chiang: 1887 to 1975, he was in his late 70s when you met him. Do you still have that photo?
I knew you’d ask that ! But no. I was into 35mm color positive photography back then. The pic of him was 8x10 black and white. Somehow over many years since, my collection dwindled and I have almost none left of those years.
Ha! When we moved from the Portland cesspool three years ago I packed up 70 years of photos, and am just now going through them. My cousin called last night. He is 82 and lost his wife in 2017. Now, I want to paw through the photos to find a photo of them from 1963 when he brought her over from Germany. I was 15 and he was surprised that I remembered that. Ha! Awh, if only we had fully appreciated the freedom Americans had back then.
Agreed !
So Chiang was indeed a two-faced demon. Huh.
When he was chased out of China and arrived in Taiwan, he slaughtered about 20K Taiwanese, 2/28/47. Most were the most educated, such as the editor of the major newspaper who had a degree from Harvard.
Back in the 1950s, British newspapers portrayed Chiang as a kind of heroic figure driven from his homeland to Formosa (Taiwan) by Mao’s communists. He and his wife, Soong Mei-ling or Madame Chiang were outspoken opponents of communism. Chiang’s brutal treatment of Formosa’s native population was never highlighted. His war against Mao and communism may have softened Chiang’s image, probably aided by his greatly admired wife, Madame Chiang, who was an indefatigable opponent of communism. She made New York City her home after Chiang’s death in 1975. No stranger to the U.S., Madame Chiang was a 1917 graduate of Wellesley College. Her powerful political allies helped influence America to change its foreign policy towards China and Taiwan.
Diane: Thanks for this illuminating report. It reveals just how long we’ve been subjected to government propaganda and duped about Chiang Kai Shek being a liberator, not a tyranical thug.
John: Geez, I don't recall Big Media calling Chiang a liberator; but, you are older than me and have a longer memory. Tee Hee! Diane
Diane, @ColonelRETJohn has a lot of knowledge about Taiwan also from
his extensive Military career. He’s quite an interesting person. On GETTR he does a Thursday night live video stream. Maps, stats and everything. I learned so much when watching. There is going to be another source he is joining this month to share more also. He may have it on his Substack page.
I am loving the history lessons and personal experiences that you are sharing with all of us. Thank you 🙏
Corinne: I will check him out. Thank you for your kind remarks. Have you read my 6 or 7 Lewis & Clark articles? The latest one was posted at Christmas time. Most of the year, we live just a 5 miles from where they arrived at the Pacific Ocean. L&C are big here, so I wrote a number of L&C articles for the local newspapers, and later put them on America First Re-Ignited. Diane
I read one so I will definitely go and read the rest. I love history!
I will hunt down more later.
https://dianelgruber.substack.com/p/doctors-lewis-and-clark-treating
https://dianelgruber.substack.com/p/christmas-with-lewis-and-clark
https://dianelgruber.substack.com/p/of-sea-salt-and-blubber
https://dianelgruber.substack.com/p/revisiting-sacagaweas-contributions
https://dianelgruber.substack.com/p/president-thomas-jeffersons-biggest-397
The reputation of Gen Chiang Kai Chek has been sullied by US General Stillwell’s opinion of him. Reading a bit deeper about Chiang being a staunch anti-communist fighting a protracted civil war with Mao would seem to suggest Chiang was not a beastly dictator as some portray.
William: Thank you for reading my article. We lived in Taiwan when Chiang was in charge. Yes, he was anti-communist. He has THAT in his favor; but, he ruled with an iron hand. People would disappear and relatives never knew if they were dead or alive. People there were terrified in saying the "wrong" thing. We are almost to that point in America under the Biden Regime. When his regime ended and the political prisons were closed, many long lost Taiwanese "reappeared." I have returned many times. I think it was during my 2005 visit that I toured one of the offshore prisons. Diane
Great post
Thank you, Corinne, and Happy New Year!
Happy New Year Diane! Keep up the good work!
Bless you!!! 2024 will determine if America descends into full blown tyranny, or not. Cross your fingers! Say your prayers!