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Comment by atonse | Hacker News Reader

I wonder if this is also for leverage to increase the chances that the world will come to its aid in the event of a Chinese invasion.

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It's absolutely for that reason. TSMC might as well be Taiwan's defence force, given how useless the real military would be if invaded by PLA.

Taiwanese Defense forces would not be “useless”, as a cross-strait invasion would be the most risky and difficult amphibious venture ever taken. Taiwan is working on improving their defense capabilities, and they’ve definitely fallen behind China, but the island nation has some chance of a successful (initial) defense.

I think D day would have something to say about the “most riskiest and difficult amphibious venture ever taken.

This is right up there; with significantly higher difficulty. For one, Taiwan has radar.

D-day in Normandy was a much shorter and more protected crossing than the Taiwan strait. Additionally, the Taiwanese are much better fortified than the Axis were, and they have radar along with anti-ship missiles.

So far, though the attempted Mongol invasions of Japan, while premodern, were on a similar level of difficulty.

The sea between Taiwan and mainland China is really a formidable obstacle to such operations, even without radar, advanced missiles and drones. Ships are expensive, slow and vulnerable; even the Russians had to yield in the Black Sea after suffering serious losses against a nation with no navy.

I don't know why HN has this wild idea that a potential WW3 costing millions of lives would be any way altered because TSMC is ~3-4 years ahead of Samsung/Intel. Entire world would lag by years if not decade if US defends Taiwan in case of full on attack.

It has to do with the election results.

The world will come to no one's aid. The West doesn't have the appetite for war and will make every excuse to accommodate tyranny.

Junk away....

Fairly hyperbolic and opinion based. West has been freely aiding Ukraine where no 2nm chips are made at all. Without Western aid it'd all be Russian, or so Zelensky says.

They are not interested in helping Ukraine win. I think it is evident that the US and EU have only dripped in enough to exhaust both sides. Just look at the last 1000 days plus, artillery took 6 months to a year, tanks took over a year, air defense was not even on the table until Russians started bombing civilians, Jets took 2 plus years plus, and 50% of what was promised since the start of the War has not been delivered. With partners like that it is a testament to the strength of the Ukrainian people. They deserved better.

Wish the outcome would be different but, the West will forsake Ukraine just like it won't come to Taiwan's aid. Bookmark it.

Your post contradicts itself. Did the west not aid, or did they not aid enough? Ukraine is still a sovereign state and I'm not convinced that would be the case without Western intelligence and military aid.

Second, it's easy to say "They aren't aiding enough, and won't aid enough, bookmark it", if you can slide the definition of enough as far as you want, and use past delays as proof of I guess current status somehow. (Artillery was delayed therefore the fact that we're sending tons of artillery is somehow proof we aren't aiding? Ridiculous.)

Not the OP, but what bugs me is the very, very slow rearmament process in the West. The war has been going on for almost three years by now, and our collective production of ammo and weapons, while higher that before, is still anemic. Shouldn't we increase our industrial capacity faster?

Perhaps you don't understand what is happening in Ukraine and rely on Western media as your information source. Ukraine is very short on ammunition and weapons. The West has failed to provide even the basics. Ammunition is running low, the Russians received more from North Korea in 6 months than Ukraine has received since the War began in 2014. The aid the West has promised and sent is laughable, Zelensky has to come out every day and beg that they send what is promised. Can you imagine throwing a drowning man toothpicks, while you sit on the shore with a life preserver? That is what the West is doing to Ukraine and its people, it is unconscionable. The same kind of support awaits Taiwan and I tell you this while wishing the best for Taiwan but, reality suggests something different.

Taiwan is doomed if Ukraine is an example of the support they can rely on from the US/EU. It's why their President said the outcome of the War in Ukraine will determine Taiwan's fate.

Russians received more from North Korea in 6 months than Ukraine has received since the War began in 2014.

Care to provide a numerical breakdown of the assistance NK has provided (even a very rough one) that would support this view? Or is it just a "feeling" you have?

Nevermind the 10k troops it has provided -- other providing the Ukrainians with incrementally more targets to shoot at, they'll be mostly useless, and won't have any strategic impact.

Russia is also pretty inept compared to China. China has way more smarts and resources, so we can’t really draw any conclusions by looking at Ukraine.

I know what I heard from Zelensky on TV. It's not a lot. I wish we all did more, but to say we're not helping is just false.

The US and EU moderates in charge for the last 4 years definitely want Ukraine to have a decisive victory in reclaiming their invaded territory. The right-wing (conveniently supported by the Russian state) hinder that to an almost impossible degree.

I think this will continue with Taiwan too. Pompeo was the staunch Taiwanese supporter in the last Trump admin and Trump has specifically said he isn't welcome back. These peoples' WW2 ancestors are rolling in their grave.

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