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Taiwan wasn’t always a democracy, so if that is the standard for “legitimate” then Taiwan fails on that measure too. Same with South Korea. Both countries star

Taiwan wasn’t always a democracy, so if that is the standard for “legitimate” then Taiwan fails on that measure too. Same with South Korea. Both countries started as US-backed dictatorships, and US backed them mainly for its self-interest of halting communism (a threat to American invested political ideals). Like it or not the majority of Chinese people fought for and aided the communists, and continue to legitimize the communist party government by engaging in orderly civil participation. Like it or not, anything bad the Chinese government does the Chinese citizenry are culpable because they are not agent-less slaves of the party. People in China can participate in government. Believe it or not a government which has no finger on the pulse of their constituency or acting outside of their interests can and will be overthrown. You eventually run out of bullets—and people, if you point a gun to their heads.

seanmcdirmid 5y ago
Taiwan didn’t start as a US backed dictatorship. Truman had pretty much given up n Chiang Kai Shek until China crossed over to side with the North Koreans during the Korean War, making the USA much more interested in supporting the ROC again. One can easily say that China traded Taiwan (which it surely would have been able to take back without USA backing) for North Korea (which probably would have been folded into the ROK without Chinese intervention).
- rkk3 5y ago
  > Taiwan didn’t start as a US backed dictatorship. Sure because they weren't US backed but they still were a dictatorship... Truman publicly signaled the US had no intention of defending Taiwan or SK, but public sentiment changed in the US after Kim il-sung invaded. > One can easily say that China traded Taiwan (which it surely would have been able to take back without USA backing) for North Korea (which probably would have been folded into the ROK without Chinese intervention). Korea was also the Japanese invasion point into China in WW2, which made it sensitive for the US to mobilize in.
  - seanmcdirmid 5y ago
    > Sure because they weren't US backed but they still were a dictatorship... Definitely. A lot of sentiment against mainlanders in Taiwan was created by the KMT’s rule as much as by the communists. Truman’s hand was called as soon as North Korea invaded South Korea while UN troops were still stationed there. There would have been no way that the USA was going to stay out of that conflict.

seanmcdirmid 5y ago

Taiwan didn’t start as a US backed dictatorship. Truman had pretty much given up n Chiang Kai Shek until China crossed over to side with the North Koreans during the Korean War, making the USA much more interested in supporting the ROC again. One can easily say that China traded Taiwan (which it surely would have been able to take back without USA backing) for North Korea (which probably would have been folded into the ROK without Chinese intervention).

rkk3 5y ago
> Taiwan didn’t start as a US backed dictatorship. Sure because they weren't US backed but they still were a dictatorship... Truman publicly signaled the US had no intention of defending Taiwan or SK, but public sentiment changed in the US after Kim il-sung invaded. > One can easily say that China traded Taiwan (which it surely would have been able to take back without USA backing) for North Korea (which probably would have been folded into the ROK without Chinese intervention). Korea was also the Japanese invasion point into China in WW2, which made it sensitive for the US to mobilize in.
- seanmcdirmid 5y ago
  > Sure because they weren't US backed but they still were a dictatorship... Definitely. A lot of sentiment against mainlanders in Taiwan was created by the KMT’s rule as much as by the communists. Truman’s hand was called as soon as North Korea invaded South Korea while UN troops were still stationed there. There would have been no way that the USA was going to stay out of that conflict.