To the Editor:
The Cuban Missile Crisis should have taught the American security agencies a systemic lesson. The lesson: Never trust a Communist dictatorship and prepare for the worst-case scenario.
The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) military leadership has several parallels to the former Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. Both see their military power as a means to control nations and international behavior through fear.
Our concept of “national diplomatic interaction” does not work with tyrannical dictators like Khrushchev or President Xi, of China. There has been an alarming change recently in the attitude of the Chinese – arrogant and aggressive. Does that remind you of the USSR?
If there is an opportunity to avoid a crisis like the Cuban Missile Crisis, there needs to be an immediate and concerted effort to formulate action now.
Taiwan is the most compelling issue as the test of will for the CCP and its military, as well as the perception of eventual “world dominance” as Xi continues on his “Mao like” aspiration.
America must lead by forestalling what is already shaping up to be a confrontation.
A “NATO” like agreement between several South China sea nations needs a formalization of effort, even a treaty. America can assist in fully arming these nations, particularly Japan in an effort to show the Chinese military that even their superiority in weapons and personnel is not sufficient to prevent Taiwan’s allies from refusing to allow an invasion of that nation.
Fully arming Taiwan and providing other kinds of aid is needed in an international effort by democracies. This is the only way to react to a bully, but time is running out.
