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[Lord Shonus]

The KMT party was well on the way to producing a peaceful reunification with the mainland until the PRC outlawed democracy in Hong Kong and started disappearing anybody who objected. At which point the KMT lost all popular support.

This is the same sort of "fear-mongering" that the US was pushing at the start of this year regarding Russia and Ukraine. That is to say, not fear mongering at all. China's building a massive navy that is blatantly intended for conquest of their "renegade province". That isn't US propaganda - they openly state it as their goal. They probably don't have the strength to do so right now, and would obtain nothing but ruins if they pulled it off, but they openly have a "That land is fucking ours, anybody who questions that is our enemy" policy.

[lemon10]

Its possible they will invade, and they certainly talk like they will invade... but they are quite unlikely to actually do it.

The leadership of China is very pragmatic, and the potential costs: Re: Losing a shitload of economic growth due to the west getting pissed and restricting trade far outweigh the gains: Re: Bragging to their people about taking Taiwan.

If the west hadn't reacted meaningfully to the invasion of Ukraine things might be different... but their unity showed China that there is the real potential for the west to drop major sanctions, which would majorly screw up the Chinese economy, which chances the calculations from: "Yeah, we can win this war" to "Even if we win we probably get screwed".

And the Chinese goverment cares about the economy. They care about it a lot, because as long as the economy is good unrest is very low. If they screw it up unrest could become a problem, and they really don't want that.

In the future if they don't rely on trade for the west for their economy they would totally invade, but that ain't gunna happen any time soon.

[Micro102]

I think China would take a look at what happened to Russia and will avoid an invasion of Taiwan like the plague. Biden has already said that the US will use the military to defend Taiwan from China, so it's like Ukraine but on hard mode. And why deal with that when you have plenty of economic growth to look forward to?

[McTraveller]

I don't understand why any population accepts their government signing them up to get killed, maimed, or mentally scarred just for the pride of their leaders.

I can understand fighting against invaders, but I just can't understand fighting for a piece of geography even due to resources, let alone mere "history".  I can even understand wanting to step in and defend someone getting attacked by an aggressor.  Even for resources, it seems like it would be more efficient to set up trade, rather than take the highly expensive "investment" strategy called combat...

I acknowledge exceptions for fanatics, or situations where people are drugged and whatever to be combatants, but to voluntarily think it's acceptable to go just take things?  I don't get the confusion of ideas or world-view building that can result in such a thing being tolerated let alone lauded.

[Egan_BW]

There was a time when states who didn't like to invade weaker neighbors and take their stuff were the states which got invaded and sacked and stopped existing. Repeat that enough times and you have the idea sticking around, even if it's clearly immoral and, in today's world, a bad investment strategy.

[MonkeyHead]

I don't understand why any population accepts their government signing them up to get killed, maimed, or mentally scarred just for the pride of their leaders.

I can understand fighting against invaders, but I just can't understand fighting for a piece of geography even due to resources, let alone mere "history".  I can even understand wanting to step in and defend someone getting attacked by an aggressor.  Even for resources, it seems like it would be more efficient to set up trade, rather than take the highly expensive "investment" strategy called combat...

I acknowledge exceptions for fanatics, or situations where people are drugged and whatever to be combatants, but to voluntarily think it's acceptable to go just take things?  I don't get the confusion of ideas or world-view building that can result in such a thing being tolerated let alone lauded.

Propaganda is powerful. Hence why control over the media is an oft used tool - people will often accept what they are told if it lines up with some preconceived notion. As the old adage goes: make the lie big, and repeat it often. Make your population "otherise"  your desired enemy, dehumanise them, hark back to some fantastical glory days that will come again if the "enemy" can be defeated, and that you need to get at them before they get to you and your family... 

Literally age old tricks, used because they work , goddammit.

[scriver]

Hello mwncihead. It's very nice to see you again. I missed having you around during the "return to monke" meme period. I thought many times that it would be funny if you were here back then, like prophet. You were ahead of your times

[Bumber]

tHe LoNgEr ThE lOcKdOwNs, ThE bEtTeR tHe EcOnOmIc ReCoVeRy!

Welcome to recession.

[Rolan7]

I'm getting a lot of videos in my Youtube recommendations about China's Economic Decline, and this issue with people refusing to pay mortgages on unbuilt skyscraper homes, and a subsequent bank run on China's biggest bank since trust in the banks seem to be plummeting after people getting scammed by legal pseudo-banks that offered crazy high interest rates for the depositors.

See, communism doesn't work! 

[MorleyDev]

tHe LoNgEr ThE lOcKdOwNs, ThE bEtTeR tHe EcOnOmIc ReCoVeRy!

Welcome to recession.

Pretty sure the foundation of the global ecosystem being destroyed by the basis of food, gas and petrol prices being sent through the roof by some of the biggest providers in them (Ukraine and Russia) being either effectively or partially taken out of the market doesn't help.

Covid aftershocks at this point are basically a footnote compared to the effects on the cost of energy and grain, which mean everything above them (which is...well, everything) get hit.

[nenjin]

tHe LoNgEr ThE lOcKdOwNs, ThE bEtTeR tHe EcOnOmIc ReCoVeRy!

Welcome to recession.

Yes, because we gave lockdown a real go, didn't we?

Next you're going to tell me Covid and lockdowns are responsible for inflation, and not the absolute unchecked greed in this country. Go on!

[hector13]

tHe LoNgEr ThE lOcKdOwNs, ThE bEtTeR tHe EcOnOmIc ReCoVeRy!

Welcome to recession.

Yes, because we gave lockdown a real go, didn't we?

Next you're going to tell me Covid and lockdowns are responsible for inflation, and not the absolute unchecked greed in this country. Go on!

Of course it is!

People should eat less if they can’t afford the food to power them, and walk if they can’t afford gas to power their car!

[TamerVirus]

No it's Putin's fault! Biden said so!

[Starver]

(Well, give the Devil his due, it probably is. Intentionally or not.)

[MaxTheFox]

No wonder the US military are the primary fear-mongers of the 'threat'.  Perhaps a last gasp gambit on their part to cling on to some semblance of economic superiority?  My personal bet is the China is too smart to try an invasion preferring the economic (or other 'soft') route   

And amphibious landings on developed countries... ha, ha, what sort of script is that. 

The military exercises are sus. Could be just saber-rattling. But remember when people said "Russia won't invade Ukraine"? Because clearly Putin was too much of a smart and adept leader to do such a thing. I don't trust his "friend" to be very smart either. Then again, I hate China and want it to fail, so I might be biased.