Verbal Richter Scale
Japan was hit by an earthquake measuring 6.0 on the Richter scale yesterday…shortly before President Biden arrived in the country.
Then came the aftershock…no, not another Earth tremor…but Biden’s comment that led many to believe we were challenging China to a so-called “hot” war.
When asked what the United States’ reaction would be should China invade Taiwan, Biden said that the U.S. would intervene militarily to protect Taiwan. The led to a quick condemnation by China, with a spokesperson noting, “Those who play with fire will certainly burn themselves.” The Chinese also noted that they would not stand down in the face of actions which threaten its national security—“On issues concerning China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and other core interests, there is no room for compromise.”
This all should sound quite familiar to you…that’s the same justification Vladimir Putin used for invading Ukraine…protecting western Russia from aggression.
Those in Ukraine no doubt heard the comment and wondered why Taiwan gets that promise of military intervention, but not Ukraine. There are distinctions between Taiwan and Ukraine…but certainly on the face of it, it seems like another inconsistent policy promulgated by the Biden Administration.
White House officials denied that Biden’s comment reflected a change in official U.S. policy…and in one respect, they may be correct. CNN reports that this was the third time in recent months that Biden has made the statement, only to have the White House walk back the comments.
And people thought Donald Trump free from a teleprompter was a problem for his staff.
