Taiwan Gets It. Republicans, as Usual, Don't.

To Rep. Mike Collins, China is a bigger threat to the United States than Russia. So the Georgia Republican has voted against providing military aid to Ukraine as he advocates for doing more to arm Taiwan, the self-governed island that’s at risk of military aggression from Beijing.

For Collins and other Republican lawmakers, Taiwan and Ukraine are effectively rivals for a limited pool of U.S. military assistance. But that’s not necessarily how Taiwan and many of its supporters see it. They view Taiwan’s fate as closely linked to that of Ukraine as it struggles to push back a Russian invasion.

They say China is watching closely to see if the United States has the political stamina to support an ally in a prolonged, costly war. The U.S. aid to Ukraine also has led to weapons manufacturers stepping up production — something that could benefit Taiwan in a clash with China.

“Ukraine’s survival is Taiwan’s survival. Ukraine’s success is Taiwan’s success,” Taiwan’s diplomat in the U.S., Hsiao Bi-Khim, said in May at the Sedona Forum hosted by the McCain Institute.

Keeping Taiwan supplied and supported in the face of a Chinese invasion has the potential to be a harder problem than doing the same for Ukraine (or Israel). If the Republicans wilt in supporting Ukraine, the Chinese will believe that they can do what the Russians did and grind down the American conservatives.

I don't know whether Republicans are merely "yellow elephants", who talk a good game but are really cowardly as fuck or if they, like their Orange Demigod, are in thrall to Putin, but th net outcome is the same.

Part of it, I believe, is that the Ukrainians are standing up for freedom and against autocratic rule, which are both things that Republicans disagree with them on.

By the way, one might note that, in this country, whenever a political group or organization has the words "freedom" or "liberty" in their names, their stance is the exact opposite. You need look no further than "Moms for Liberty," the premier book-burning group in the country (and those that support them).