Taiwanese say: No Anschluss

The EU is choosing a very bad time to give up its arms embargo against the PRC -- will they prove themselves to be the new Chamberlains of our era? Hmm Poland, sure, you're short on space, of course, take it, be my guest! Ummm, Austria, well after all they do speak German!

Or should we throw out the WWII analogies???

What is most disturbing to me is the ostensible unanimity of Chinese on the Mainland with regard to the use of force against Taiwan. The intense militaristic nationalism of which this is a symptom demonstrates how authoritarianism with consumer goods has become the ideological legacy of the Jiang Zemin era.

BBC is doing a very interesting series on China. Will link to that later.

There is however a secret, but kind of absurd deadline for military action-- the Olympics. Beijing is holding out to be a host to the Games and Taiwanese here calculate that they can enjoy the status quo as long as Beijing thinks it has a chance to light the sacred flame.

Remember how much fun 1936 was in Berlin?