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[-] frisbird@lemmy.ml -5 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

You do understand the history right? The US chose to back the KMT on Taiwan, sort of like if England had decided to back the Confederates if they hold up in Florida. Except the KMT on Taiwan never seceded. In fact, they organized a fascist dictatorship on the island and they imprisoned and killed anyone who wanted to reunify with the mainland, and they also imprisoned and killed anyone who wanted to secede. The US was supporting them throughout the entire 4 decades of the White Terror wherein the government in Taiwan explicitly stated they were not a separate nation.

In fact, a bunch of Chinese people from Taiwan who fled to the US or Japan tried to build secessionary movements in exile and the KMT on Taiwan chased them down with spies and assassins to stop them.

Just because the US carries on the age old tradition of white European empires trying to pull pieces of China way from China doesn't mean Taiwan isn't part of China.

[-] T00l_shed@lemmy.world 4 points 1 day ago

I do understand history, thanks. I mean, if you wanted to make the comparison, you got it backwards. And saying Taiwan imprisoned and killed a bunch of people for disagreeing seems to just be part of how China functions then, because mainland Taiwan has done the exact same thing lol.

[-] frisbird@lemmy.ml -5 points 1 day ago

Given that Taiwan has never existed as a country, your position that the two bodies are part of the same country is aligned with my position

[-] T00l_shed@lemmy.world 4 points 1 day ago

Given that you're wrong, and that Taiwan is a country, no. Just because its not recognized by the un doesn't make it not a country lol

[-] frisbird@lemmy.ml -5 points 1 day ago

It's literally never been a country in its entire history. It is a province of China, it is recognized internationally as a province of China. No one has ever recognized it as a separate country. It doesn't have any legal standing as a separate country. It doesn't claim to be a separate country. And anyone in Taiwan that tried to claim it was a separate country was killed by the leadership of Taiwan for 40 years, and anyone from Taiwan that left and tried to claim it was a separate country was a target of the government on Taiwan to silence them from trying to say Taiwan was a separate country.

The only people who think Taiwan is a separate country are Westerners trying to justify why the US should have lethal military force installed and ready 4 miles off the coast of mainland China.

[-] poVoq@slrpnk.net 7 points 1 day ago* (last edited 13 hours ago)

It’s literally never been a country in its entire history.

This is factually wrong. There has been a native population with their own governance for most of its history.

There have been some smaller trading outposts from the mainland Chinese over the course of history, but the Portuguese and Dutch traders actually had more influence on the island than those Chinese traders who carefully avoided conflict with the native population.

The claim over the island by the Chinese empire ever only existed on paper until a brief period in the late 19th ~~early 20th~~ century when they tried to brutally colonize the island only to be shortly after overrun by the Japanese who happily took over the colony.

[-] frisbird@lemmy.ml -2 points 15 hours ago

There has been a native population with their own governance for most of its history.

The Austronesians of the main island lived on a couple of other islands around the mainland, but their inhabitance did not match 1-to-1 with the borders of the province of Taiwan. I agree with you that there was a country (and a nation) that the indigenous Austronesians of the region comprise, but that county is not Taiwan and that nation is not Taiwanese.

There have been some smaller trading outposts from the mainland Chinese over the course of history, but the Portuguese and Dutch traders actually had more influence on the island than those Chinese traders who carefully avoided conflict with the native population.

Correct, the Han Chinese were not anywhere near as brutal colonizers as the Europeans were. The Dutch in particular hunted the Formosa sika deer nearly to extinction. What that shows, more than anything, is that the Europeans shouldn't be trusted in any of their positions relative to the region since they've been violent psychotic extractivists for 6 centuries and their only motivations are their own personal enrichment and the total subjugation of everyone else.

The claim over the island by the Chinese empire ever only existed on paper until a brief period in the late 19th/early 20th century when they tried to brutally colonize the island

Half truths are the worst kind. The Chinese empire invaded the region specifically to kick out the Europeans. Like, it's very explicit that the purpose of the invasion was to get rid of the Dutch East India Company. Europeans went out colonizing proactively and committing genocide because their pope said they should. The Ming invaded Formosa to get rid of foreign invaders. That wasn't in the late 19th century. The Dutch surrendered in 1662. Ming China held Taiwan at that moment. Qing China held Taiwan 20 years later when the Ming loyalists officially surrendered. When that occurred, there was a debate as to whether or not they should maintain occupation of the island. Some argued it wasn't worth it. But the argument that won day? If we don't hold, the Europeans will come back, establish their military bases on it, and attack us. Does that sound familiar? Because it's literally the exact same argument that's being made 400 years later because the Eurocentric empire is STILL establishing military bases in the region with the intent of attacking the mainland.

The Han Chinese occupation of the island is a relationship of settler colonialism. The Austronesians are the indigenous. The Han Chinese that live in the province today are not entitled to a distinct national self-determination. They are part of the Chinese nation. Taiwan seceding from China would be even less legitimate than the European colonists seceding from England because the colonists were not operating as a 70-year protectorate of a world power on the other side of the world with ZERO legitimate claims or history in the region.

I would LOVE to see to Taiwan decolonized, the place names of the Austronesians reestablished, the nation of Austronesians self-determined and self-governing. But we're not going to get that by having a bunch of comprador Han Chinese in the province align themselves with the most genocidal military in the world that continues to exterminate the culture of its own indigenous people. It's only going to happen through successive resolutions of contradiction, starting with the end of the Eurocentric empire's presence in the entire region, including The Phillipines, Indonesia, Korea, the province of Taiwan, and the Western Pacific ocean. When that happens, and China has organized Taiwan province under it's centuries-long demonstrated and proven One Country Two Systems approach, then the conditions for addressing the colonial contradiction will emerge and the work can begin. But America ripping the Han Chinese into two countries, one of them a protectorate and a proxy and the other a mortal enemy, is just a continuation of 600 years of brutal European empire building and it needs to stop.

[-] poVoq@slrpnk.net 1 points 13 hours ago* (last edited 13 hours ago)

The Austronesians of the main island lived on a couple of other islands around the mainland, but their inhabitance did not match 1-to-1 with the borders of the province of Taiwan. I agree with you that there was a country (and a nation) that the indigenous Austronesians of the region comprise, but that county is not Taiwan and that nation is not Taiwanese.

Only semantics really.

The Ming invaded Formosa to get rid of foreign invaders. That wasn’t in the late 19th century. The Dutch surrendered in 1662.

This was a naval campaign involving a few outposts and never did anything about the majority of the island that was self governed by the native population, despite European and Chinese interference. But you are right that as a backwater it wasn't really considered to be worth the hassle at the time.

This changed in 1874 as a reaction to a brief Japanese invasion, and the subsequent subjugation of the native population was indeed a settler colonial project by the Chinese that was continued by the Japanese when they took over in 1895. The Europeans also meddled with the status during the Sino-French war in 1883/84, but it was quite inconsequential.

The Han Chinese occupation of the island is a relationship of settler colonialism. The Austronesians are the indigenous. The Han Chinese that live in the province today are not entitled to a distinct national self-determination.

You are so close to getting it 😅 Taiwan was always an independent nation subject to various settler colonial efforts by the Chinese and others. The Chinese have no claim over the island whatsoever, neither the current administration of the mainland, nor the Kuomintang when they invaded and settled there.

I would LOVE to see to Taiwan decolonized, the place names of the Austronesians reestablished, the nation of Austronesians self-determined and self-governing.

And how exactly does further colonization by the Chinese mainland help with that goal? The Taiwanese nation is on the slow way of doing so, but they chose the peaceful way of integrating with the Han Chinese that settled there after WW2. Your focus on the specific Austronesian ethnicity is IMHO extremely racist, and restoring them as the sole inhabitants would be nothing short of a genocide of a large part of the current population that chose peaceful democratic coexistence in the last couple of decades.

[-] frisbird@lemmy.ml -1 points 13 hours ago

how exactly does further colonization by the Chinese mainland help with [Taiwan decolonized, the place names of the Austronesians reestablished, the nation of Austronesians self-determined and self-governing]

Because of the way contradictory historical processes actually work. Chinese integration is not a process of colonization, it is a process of resolving the contradiction of Western imperialism. Western imperialism imposed a contradiction on top of the Han Chinese settler colonial contradiction. Resolving the Western imperial contradiction creates the conditions necessary to resolve the Han Chinese settler colonial contradiction.

Your focus on the specific Austronesian ethnicity is IMHO extremely racist, and restoring them as the sole inhabitants would be nothing short of a genocide of a large part of the current population that chose peaceful democratic coexistence in the last couple of decades.

I thought you just said that it was settler colonialism and not peaceful coexistence. Now suddenly saying that Han Chinese occupation is settlerdom is racist? That's like saying it's racist against white people to deny them sovereignty over the territories in the Western hemisphere. Stop the duplicitous pearl clutching. The 16 Austronesian nations of the major islands that comprise Taiwan province are not Taiwanese by nationality any more than the Lakota, Dakota, Seneca, and Navajo are American.

a large part of the current population that chose peaceful democratic coexistence in the last couple of decades

Peaceful coexistence under the "protection" of the most genocidal violent psychopathic military empire in the world. Listen, this would sound very compelling if it wasn't for the fact that US defense analysts and officials have spent years talking about the Pacific Kill Chain, Kill Web, and Hellscape infrastructure they are trying to build on the island of Taiwan. It would be compelling if the US didn't have special forces stationed 2 miles off the coast the mainland.

But if you actually look at what's happening, your story of peaceful coexistence is a lie by omission. Yes, all of the people of the province want peaceful coexistence, as do all of the people and nations in China. And China is an incredibly peaceful nation - no bombs dropped since 1989, no boats fired on since 1988. The majority of the world understands that peaceful coexistence is only possible after the vast genocidal white supremacist Western empire falls and their military presence is removed from the four corners of the Earth. Taiwan has peaceful coexistence except for that little nagging problem of literally being part of a genocidal empire's infrastructure for mass murder. I know it's a little nit to pick, but I'm gonna pick it.

[-] poVoq@slrpnk.net 1 points 13 hours ago

The Taiwanese nation is no longer ruled by the Kuomintang. There has been a peaceful transition to a democratic government that includes the native Taiwanese population and the local people with Han Chinese roots increasingly self-identify as Taiwanese. It isn't perfect, and they are struggling with their settler colonial roots, but they are on the way of healing.

None of your geostrategic arguments justify in any shape or form the continued aggression by the Chinese government towards its peaceful neighbor Taiwan 🤷

[-] frisbird@lemmy.ml -1 points 12 hours ago* (last edited 12 hours ago)

Sorry what continued aggression? Do you mean bombing fishing boats with double tap strikes? Do you mean sending in death squads to terrorize the population? Do you mean sending guns, money, training, and logistical support to terrorist groups and separatists?

China is not acting aggressively towards the people of Taiwan, it is demonstrating combat readiness to the US empire who consistently states openly that they intend to turn Taiwan into military infrastructure that they will use to attack the mainland.

The fact that the Western media portrays this as aggression against Taiwan is a function of propaganda and not reality.

[-] poVoq@slrpnk.net 2 points 12 hours ago

Pure whataboutism. And there is no realistic scenario that includes the US attacking China right now and there hasn't been one in decades. The Taiwanese military infrastructure is purely defensive in nature.

Taiwan is subject to severe diplomatic repression, regular naval blockade drills and continued threats of invasion solely based denying their right to self-govern.

[-] frisbird@lemmy.ml 0 points 12 hours ago

U.S. forces remain vigilant and postured to defend against unjustified Iranian aggression.

Israel has a right to defend itself

We have no ambition in Iraq, except to remove a threat and restore control of that country to its own people.

https://www.cnas.org/publications/reports/hellscape-for-taiwan

The Western idea of "defense" is genocide.

[-] poVoq@slrpnk.net 1 points 12 hours ago

If your only remaining argument is more whataboutism entirely unrelated to the nation of Taiwan then I guess we are finished here.

[-] Mulligrubs@lemmy.world -1 points 11 hours ago* (last edited 11 hours ago)

If your only remaining argument is more whataboutism entirely unrelated to the nation of Taiwan

Comparing Chinese aggression to USA aggression in regards to national aggression finishes the argument for you?

If so, not in your favor

"Whataboutism" is weak, lazy, and intellectually insulting. Do better.

(lots of history and a good discussion until you squeezed the whataboutism turd out)

[-] poVoq@slrpnk.net 1 points 6 hours ago

So what would you call someone trying to divert the discussion about Chinese agression towards Taiwan with an entirely unrelated agression the US does on the other side of the world? That is clearly a "but what about" argument... that is indeed weak, lazy and interlectually insulting.

[-] frisbird@lemmy.ml 0 points 11 hours ago

You have no idea what whataboutism is then. You said:

there is no realistic scenario that includes the US attacking China right now and there hasn’t been one in decades. The Taiwanese military infrastructure is purely defensive in nature.

and I said the definition of defense, according to the US, is genocidal force projection. If you think that's whataboutism, then you can maintain your thought-terminating cliche and ignore the fact that the empire is consistently lying to you about what defense is.

[-] poVoq@slrpnk.net 1 points 11 hours ago* (last edited 11 hours ago)

Look, if you can not honestly engage with the topic of Taiwanese self-governance and keep trying to find excuses for Chinese aggression towards their peaceful neighbor, even going so far as denying the existence of the Taiwanese nation (both historical and present) then you clearly need to do a deep self-inspection on who here is operating with "thought-terminating cliches" and needs to lay off on imperial propaganda 🤷

[-] frisbird@lemmy.ml 0 points 10 hours ago

Again, you are characterizing Chinese national security as aggression when China is literally not committing acts of agression. I don't know why you think that's a form of honesty.

I am engaged in the topic of Taiwanese self-government - I honestly don't believe they are entitled to it and I have stated my reasons why. If you think my honesty is being dishonest because the only honest position is believing that Taiwan should be a sovereign nation, then I hate to break it to you but you have no idea what honesty is and you are using the term "honesty" to mean "agrees with me".

If you think that my arguments about nations, countries, being states having related but distinct historical processes that can be compared across continents, regions, cultures, and time periods is a set of thought-terminating cliches, then maybe I overestimated your ability to participate in discourse above the level of "I know you are but what am I".

[-] poVoq@slrpnk.net 1 points 7 hours ago

So you were lying when you said earlier:

I would LOVE to see to Taiwan decolonized

And it is full mask off imperialism, where you think it is justified for one nation to subjugate another. Great that you are finally honest here with anyone reading this 😏

[-] frisbird@lemmy.ml 0 points 7 hours ago

Talk about intellectual dishonesty.

I would love to Taiwan decolonized is true statement. Like I would love to see Canada, the US, and Australia decolonized. It's also true that I don't think there is a Taiwanese nation, much like I don't think there's a Canadian nation, a USian nation, nor an Australian nation. For Taiwan to be decolonized would not mean for the acceptance of a Taiwanese nation but rather to establish the sovereignty of the indigenous nations on the islands that are not Han, and to make the Han subject to the sovereignty of the indigenous nations.

None of that is inconsistent. None of that is imperialism. None of that is subjugation.

[-] poVoq@slrpnk.net 1 points 7 hours ago* (last edited 7 hours ago)

The interlectual hoops you are jumping through to justify your cognitive disonance is truly astonishing 🤡

The Taiwanese nation is a historical and present fact as I have clearly laid out above. Your semantic arguments hold little water and arguing that only the indigious population has a right to claim nationhood is a very transparent excuse to deny the existing local population the right to self-governance (which they already peacefully do together with the indiginous population).

[-] T00l_shed@lemmy.world 5 points 1 day ago

Nah dawg, maybe some of the people think that. Most of think that China just needs to fuck off. It is a country, it checks all the boxes required. I just don't like the taste of boot leather

this post was submitted on 17 Jun 2026
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