By Daniel Nardini
For the record, I will be voting for Kamala Harris this election. For most Americans, they are more likely than not ready to vote because of domestic issues like inflation, crime, immigration, and bringing back American jobs from overseas. I understand these are valid reasons why Americans will make their pick. However, in my mind, there is one important issue that can affect America in the not so distant future. This issue is defending our friends and allies from our enemies. Specifically, I am referring to the European Union, Japan, South Korea and Taiwan. These allies are in danger of either Russia or China, which are trying to create empires that could encompass half or more of Europe in the case of Russia and in a lot of Asia and parts of the Pacific in the case of China. This could very much affect the United States if Russia and China start expanding their military might well beyond their borders.
In the case of Russia, this country could threaten NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization). What too many Americans even now do not understand is that NATO has also helped the United States in its hour of need. During the beginning of the Afghanistan War, NATO countries helped patrol American airspace and America’s shores to off-set the manpower shortage due to U.S. troops being heavily engaged against Al Qaeda and the Taliban in Afghanistan. In the case of America’s allies in Asia, South Korea helped supply troops for the Afghanistan and Iraq wars, and Japan helped to provide logistical support for America. Even though the United States has no formal diplomatic relations with nor troops station permanently in Taiwan, Taiwan has proven in the past and continues to prove it is a friend of the United States. It was Taiwan that warned against the Covid outbreak which the U.S. government should have heeded back in 2019 and 2020. Are we now to simply cut all of these friends and allies of the United States loose and not care?
In my case, I have a personal connection to Taiwan and South Korea. I lived in both countries, and my wife is a Korean immigrant. For me, these two places were home, and not caring about them would be the United States not giving a damn about our friends and allies. From a purely strategic point of view, it would be suicide for the United States to become isolationist and retreat into a shell where we are no different than say Switzerland. Sadly, too many Americans seem to be thinking in these terms. In my view, this argument that the United States should be like Switzerland is bogus nonsense. This argument has too many flaws. The history of the United States and Switzerland could not be more different. Second, we have overseas territorial possessions like Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, and American Samoa. If we fail to protect Taiwan, then America’s Pacific territorial possessions would be in serious danger of not only attack from Chinese missiles but also attempts by the Chinese armed forces of seizing them. If China gets beyond the first island chain (with Taiwan being the most important part of it), then the Chinese Navy could very well make Guam a frontline. If this happens, could we stop the Chinese Navy from attacking Guam? If a war breaks out, China will NOT stop at Taiwan. Any such notion is incredible stupidity.
The field of candidates for president is to put it mildly very disappointing this election cycle. There is Donald Trump of the Republican Party. He indicated that he will not defend Taiwan. There is the Libertarian Party candidate Chase Oliver who has made it clear that he wants the United States to be like Switzerland. As I have pointed out, this example is not possible for the United States. There is Jill Stein of the Green Party. She is too busy accusing the United States of being an evil empire to want to be serious about America’s defense. There is the independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. He has called for all U.S. troops to be brought back to the United States and for negotiations between America and China. What exactly is there to negotiate? China has only one objective and that is the conquest of Taiwan and maybe attacking U.S. territorial possessions. Are we as a country going to negotiate for the handing over of Taiwan and allowing China to extend its control of the Pacific Ocean to the U.S. territories of Guam, the North Mariana Islands and American Samoa?
At this point, by default there is only one presidential candidate who has said that she will defend Taiwan and abide by America’s treaty obligations. The territorial integrity of the United States depends as much on its friends and allies as it does on the U.S. armed forces. We live now in an era that is not quite like the Cold War where the United States and Soviet Union rivalry extended throughout the whole world. However, we still do have enemies who will be more than happy to do harm to the United States, and in this fight we need all of the friends we can get, especially among the fellow democracies. What is horribly disappointing is how many Americans and our political parties just want to close off the United States to the rest of the world. This will do more to expose America to greater harm, and could cost American lives in the long run. America’s enemies, especially Russia and China, are endorsing Donald Trump for the presidency, and that should tell us something. We do not know of course what a Kamala Harris presidency will be like, but if Harris states that she is willing to defend America’s friends and allies then I have to take her word for it. Hence, I will be voting for Kamala Harris because America’s future may be at stake.
My Vote and Growing American Isolationism
By Daniel Nardini
In the case of Russia, this country could threaten NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization). What too many Americans even now do not understand is that NATO has also helped the United States in its hour of need. During the beginning of the Afghanistan War, NATO countries helped patrol American airspace and America’s shores to off-set the manpower shortage due to U.S. troops being heavily engaged against Al Qaeda and the Taliban in Afghanistan. In the case of America’s allies in Asia, South Korea helped supply troops for the Afghanistan and Iraq wars, and Japan helped to provide logistical support for America. Even though the United States has no formal diplomatic relations with nor troops station permanently in Taiwan, Taiwan has proven in the past and continues to prove it is a friend of the United States. It was Taiwan that warned against the Covid outbreak which the U.S. government should have heeded back in 2019 and 2020. Are we now to simply cut all of these friends and allies of the United States loose and not care?
In my case, I have a personal connection to Taiwan and South Korea. I lived in both countries, and my wife is a Korean immigrant. For me, these two places were home, and not caring about them would be the United States not giving a damn about our friends and allies. From a purely strategic point of view, it would be suicide for the United States to become isolationist and retreat into a shell where we are no different than say Switzerland. Sadly, too many Americans seem to be thinking in these terms. In my view, this argument that the United States should be like Switzerland is bogus nonsense. This argument has too many flaws. The history of the United States and Switzerland could not be more different. Second, we have overseas territorial possessions like Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, and American Samoa. If we fail to protect Taiwan, then America’s Pacific territorial possessions would be in serious danger of not only attack from Chinese missiles but also attempts by the Chinese armed forces of seizing them. If China gets beyond the first island chain (with Taiwan being the most important part of it), then the Chinese Navy could very well make Guam a frontline. If this happens, could we stop the Chinese Navy from attacking Guam? If a war breaks out, China will NOT stop at Taiwan. Any such notion is incredible stupidity.
The field of candidates for president is to put it mildly very disappointing this election cycle. There is Donald Trump of the Republican Party. He indicated that he will not defend Taiwan. There is the Libertarian Party candidate Chase Oliver who has made it clear that he wants the United States to be like Switzerland. As I have pointed out, this example is not possible for the United States. There is Jill Stein of the Green Party. She is too busy accusing the United States of being an evil empire to want to be serious about America’s defense. There is the independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. He has called for all U.S. troops to be brought back to the United States and for negotiations between America and China. What exactly is there to negotiate? China has only one objective and that is the conquest of Taiwan and maybe attacking U.S. territorial possessions. Are we as a country going to negotiate for the handing over of Taiwan and allowing China to extend its control of the Pacific Ocean to the U.S. territories of Guam, the North Mariana Islands and American Samoa?
At this point, by default there is only one presidential candidate who has said that she will defend Taiwan and abide by America’s treaty obligations. The territorial integrity of the United States depends as much on its friends and allies as it does on the U.S. armed forces. We live now in an era that is not quite like the Cold War where the United States and Soviet Union rivalry extended throughout the whole world. However, we still do have enemies who will be more than happy to do harm to the United States, and in this fight we need all of the friends we can get, especially among the fellow democracies. What is horribly disappointing is how many Americans and our political parties just want to close off the United States to the rest of the world. This will do more to expose America to greater harm, and could cost American lives in the long run. America’s enemies, especially Russia and China, are endorsing Donald Trump for the presidency, and that should tell us something. We do not know of course what a Kamala Harris presidency will be like, but if Harris states that she is willing to defend America’s friends and allies then I have to take her word for it. Hence, I will be voting for Kamala Harris because America’s future may be at stake.