The New American Isolationism

The Cost of Turning Away from War’s Horrific Realities

By  William J. Astore

A new isolationism is metastasizing in the American body politic.  At its heart lies not an urge to avoid war, but an urge to avoid contemplating the costs and realities of war.  It sees war as having analgesic qualities -- as lessening a collective feeling of impotence, a collective sense of fear and terror.  Making war in the name of reducing terror serves this state of mind and helps to preserve it.  Marked by a calculated estrangement from war’s horrific realities and mercenary purposes, the new isolationism magically turns an historic term on its head, for it keeps us in wars, rather than out of them.

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Weekly Report from Taiwan Security Research (Oct. 31, 2010)

For full text, click on the title or visit the TSR web page at taiwansecurity.org

Cross-Strait Issues

China Low Key amid Taiwan Anger Over Film Fest
(CNA, Oct. 26, 2010)  A Chinese official in charge of Taiwan affairs was non-committal when asked about a row over Taiwan's name at the 23rd Tokyo International Film Festival.

Beijing Blames Communications Breakdown for Row Over Name in Japan (CNA, Oct. 27, 2010) China's Taiwan Affairs Office blamed a "lack of communication" for the row over the name of Taiwan's delegation on the opening night of the name of Taiwan’s delegation on the opening night of the Tokyo International Film Festival.

NPA Chief Begins Eight-day China Visit
(Taipei Times, Oct. 27, 2010) National Police Agency Director-General Wang Cho-chiun flew to Beijing, making him the highest-ranking Taiwanese police officer ever to visit China.

Taiwan Exports to China Record High in First Three Quarters
(DPA, Oct. 29, 2010) Taiwan’s exports to China rose to a historic high in the first three quarters of this year to 85.38 billion dollars, the Economics Ministry said.

U.S. Policy and U.S.-China Engagement

Cross-Strait Engagement Best Path to Peace: AIT
(Taipei Times, Oct. 30, 2010) Continued engagement is the best guarantee for maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, said William Stanton, director of the Taipei Office of the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT), in an interview with a local newspaper.

Currency War Averted for Now
(San Francisco Chronicle, Oct. 24, 2010) The world stepped back from the brink of a currency war Saturday when the world's rich nations agreed to keep from weakening their currencies in order to gain competitive advantage.

US-China Relations Color Clinton Trip to Asia By Kate Woodsome(VoA, Oct. 27, 2010) U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton embarks on a two-week Asian tour that is expected to bolster Washington's ties with Asian allies as it looks to balance Beijing's influence in the region.
Leaving for Asia, Clinton Says China Is Not an Adversary By Mark Landler (New York Times, Oct. 29, 2010) Opening a seven-country tour of Asia shadowed by fears about China’s rising influence, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton declared that the United States was not bent on containing China, even if its relationship with Beijing was complicated.
A Fearful View of China By John Pomfret(Washington Post, Oct. 29, 2010) Polls by the Pew Global Research Center indicate that more Americans still have a generally favorable view of China. But 47 percent of respondents consider China's growing economy a bad thing and 79 percent see its modernizing military as a threat.

Military Balance and Arms Sales

Arms Procurements to Be Delayed, KMT Legislator Says
(Taipei Times, Oct. 28, 2010) Some key arms procurements from the US would be delayed by a few years because the Ministry of National Defense does not have sufficient funds, a legislator said.

Taiwan's Domestic Issues and Foreign Relations

Survey on President Ma Ying-jeou’s Approval Rating and Removal of Missiles Deployed by China (GVSRC, Oct. 28, 2010) 38.2 percent of the interviewed were satisfied with Ma’s performance; 45.3 percent said ECFA was much more important than removal of the missiles aimed at Taiwan.

Legislators Scrap Diaoyutais Tour
(Taipei Times, Oct. 31, 2010) The legislature’s Internal Administration Committee’s plan to inspect the contested Diaoyutai Islands on Nov. 4 has been temporarily called off, with bad weather conditions cited as the primary concern.

China's Rise and Domestic Issues

People’s Daily Editorial Defends China’s Political Reform Pace
(Bloomberg, Oct. 27, 2010) China’s Communist Party mouthpiece, the People’s Daily, disputed criticism that political reform is “lagging” behind economic growth, in what analysts said may be an attack on calls for greater openness by Premier Wen Jiabao.

Chinese Article Seems to Chide Leader By Michael Wines and Sharon LaFraniere (New York Times, Oct. 28, 2010) China’s main Communist Party newspaper bluntly rejected calls for speedier political reform on Wednesday, publishing a front-page commentary that said any changes in China’s political system should not emulate Western democracies.

Regional Issues and Japan Policy

South Korea and US Shelve Plan to Stage Drill: Report
(AFP, Oct. 25, 2010) South Korea and the US have shelved a plan to stage a major joint exercise later this month in the Yellow Sea, reflecting concerns about China’s objections, a report said.

US, Russia Join Asian Summit As Regional Spats Simmer
(AFP, Oct. 30, 2010) The United States and Russia will be formally invited as members of the East Asia Summit at the group's annual gathering, in what analysts say is a blow to Chinese attempts to diminish US influence in the region.

Taking Harder Stance toward China, Obama Lines up Allies By Mark Landler and Sewell Chan (New York Times, Oct. 26, 2010) The Obama administration is stiffening its approach toward Beijing, seeking allies to confront a newly assertive power that officials now say has little intention of working with the United States.
China’s Fast Rise Leads Neighbors to Join Forces By Mark Landler, Jim Yardley and Michael Wines (New York Times, Oct. 31, 2010) China’s military expansion and assertive trade policies have set off jitters across Asia, prompting many of its neighbors to rekindle old alliances and cultivate new ones.

Japan Protests to China Over Boats Near Islands
(AFP, Oct. 25, 2010) Japan said it had lodged a protest with China after spotting two of its fisheries patrol boats near a disputed island chain at the centre of a bitter row between the Asian giants.

Japan Spins Anti-China Merry-Go-Round By Peter Lee(Asia Times, Oct. 29, 2010) Japan's accusation appears to be little more than a cynical repackaging for political gain of its unsuccessful year-long campaign to persuade China to loosen its publicly announced quotas on rare earth exports.

China, Japan Sink Deeper into Diplomatic Feud
(AFP, Oct. 30, 2010) A feud between China and Japan deepened at an Asian summit, as China angrily not only accused its rival of making false comments and hopes for landmark talks but also voiced strong dissatisfaction over remarks by U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton that the disputed islands.

U.S. Works to Ease China-Japan Conflict By Mark Landler(New York Times, Oct. 31, 2010) Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton proposed a three-way meeting with China and Japan to resolve their dispute in the East China Sea.

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