With the recent threads on China-Taiwan saber-rattling and all of the to-do in Syria/Lebanon/Iran, I began thinking, which countries in the world that the US presumably would go to war to defend are actually worth it? And I’m restricting this only to non-UN interventions. So (for instance) South Korea, which, despite the sheer number of US troops, is still defended by UN troops since the original North-South hostilities, is out.
Is Taiwan worth getting into a war with China? I imagine so, but I really don’t relish the thought of ANY war with China. That would be ugly in the extreme.
Is Israel worth getting into a war with Syria or Iran? (My guess is that Syria and Israel could get into a shooting war all by themselves and leave us out, but I don’t imagine that Iran and Israel could get into one without dragging in the US.) My feeling is that it would be entirely dependent upon who makes the first strike. Israel bombing Iran’s nuclear facilities = no. Iran getting edgy and launching missiles at Israel (seems highly unlikely) = yes.
Feel free to introduce other countries I’m not addressing (India-Pakistan? Depsite our post-9/11 “understanding” with Pakistan, I don’t envision us getting involved in the Kashmir mess. Russia and Chechnya/Ukraine/Georgia/etc.?)
I hate to break it to you, but there aren’t too many regions of the world left that the U.S doesn’t maintain at least a token military presence or alliance system in.
I just read an article in the Atlantic about military training in Niger of local army forces by force recon Marines. A few months back, I read another one about an American Army colonel, our military attache, who was sent to Mongolia to negotiate for the use of bases there by American forces in a contingency. America now provides 90 percent of Mongolia’s foreign military training and assistance.
When I was in the Navy, I participated in one foreign war in Europe’s backwater, and participated in military exercises circumnavigating the South American continent. And I was only in for five years.
All this isn’t to say we risk war everywhere. I hope we don’t. But our interests are truly global ones, and we can’t deny that fact.
I don’t think it would be that horrible for the US. All the US and Taiwan would have to do win would be keeping China out of Taiwan. Our navy and air force would just destroy their navy and anyone who made it to Taiwan would be pretty much be wiped out by the Taiwanese. The Taiwanese have been training for a defensive attack from the sea for 50 + years, they are extremely well prepared for it. Japan also has a strong interest in Taiwan remaining independent, so I imagine they would be extremely helpful to the Taiwanese as well. The UK and Australia will also probably be up for it as well if the US throws its hat in. Other nations might join in or at least put massive sanctions on the PRC once it becomes painfully obvious that they cannot take Taiwan, in one piece at least.
The PRC knows its pretty hopeless so they just wait for a time when grabbing Taiwan is politically feasible. I think they like to rattle their sabers from time to time just so when that moment does arrive they can say to the world “see we had a legitimate claim for years.” If they didn’t make a fuss every couple of years the world and Taiwan might forget.
The US should defend Taiwan because not only is it the right thing to do, but they also have a clear advantage and an even clearer goal.
Is there some place I could find a world map showing U.S. military bases, troop presence, military alliances, etc.?