wilhelm-

I’m all for a 12,000-pound class TF-1042. The USAF should be replacing the T-38’s with something in this class. It would make a brilliant engine for future light export fighters to sell to developing countries. The problem with American engineers and government types today is they have short-sighted goals. Everything has to be bigger and better. That works for about 20% of the developed world. Unfortunately, it doesn’t sell well to the other 80% of the world. The F-5 was an affordable option for a large swath of the developing market and something along those lines, only more modern, still has relevance today. Its not like American companies have been idle since Northrop developed the F-5, the problem is export orders depend on seeding from the American government whom is more interested in filling the niche by exporting used F-16’s.

With the improved relationship between Taiwan and China an armed conflict is highly unlikely, as the economic ties are too strong already, Taiwanese firms employ so many workers on the mainland, that a war would be damaging to China as it would be to Taiwan. In the long run there will be peaceful re-unification just like Hong Kong. Selling arms to Taiwan is a provocation to China that serves no purpose. One should tell the Taiwanese that they should expect no support and advise them to start talking about the re-unification process of the breakaway island to the motherland.

I think the natural evolution of China will implode itself much the same way the Soviet Empire imploded. One ruling class of one ruling ethnicity cannot maintain control over the rest forever. Eventually the main ethnic class of Chinese will fall apart under its own internal friction. Its the natural order of human development. Containing China to its own borders, not including Taiwan, is important to reach this end. Allowing China’s ruling ethnic group to continue to absorb more land will only delay the inevitable. Appeasement only leads to friction with its neighbors. Integrating Taiwan with the mainland will destabilize the peace that the region has been enjoying for thirty years. So soon people forget the lessons of the previous generations.