What Was She Thinking?

I freely admit there have been times in my life when I have made mistakes. Fortunately, most of them have been in my personal life, rather than in public service.  Most of my mistakes have been redeemable, but a few have been real doozies. In at least one case, someone asked me, “What were you thinking?” Fortunately, I have never been third in the line of succession to the presidency.  We have a right to expect a higher standard from those who are entrusted with the fate of the nation. 

Christians are required to be respectful of the government and government officials. (1Peter2:13-17)  Therefore, it is with all due respect that I wonder what Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi was thinking when she announced plans to visit Taiwan.  By doing so, she gave the Communist Chinese an open door to precipitate a confrontation, the results of which may damage our national interest and security. 

If Speaker Pelosi travels by a US military aircraft (customary) escorted by fighter planes, the People’s Republic of China (PRC) is warning of possible military action to stop it.  The PRC’s state-run media has labeled the proposed visit as an “invasion.”  Our argument against that is weakened because the United States has recognized Taiwan to be a part of China. 

However, the speaker of the house is third in line if the president and vice president are not able to serve.  If we allow China to dictate where or when our government officials may travel, the possible outcomes may have dire consequences. 

Our allies and partners in the region may perceive that the United States lacks the will to do whatever it takes to oppose the Communist Chinese.  As a result, our system of alliances in the region may be weakened.  If they lose confidence in America, they may begin to gravitate to the PRC.  Our ability to promote, preserve, and protect our interests in the region could be compromised.  One reason that Communist China covets Taiwan is that it is a leading producer of semiconductors.  It is important for the US to have a dependable source of semiconductors – other than the PRC.  These days, almost everything is computerized, including our military weapons systems. 

The PRC may conclude that we are unwilling to defend Taiwan.  In turn, this could cause them to attempt military action to annex Taiwan by force.  Then, if America and our allies use military force to defend Taiwan this thing could escalate into a bigger war. 

Unfortunately, our opponents have been given time to consider their options.  Consequently, the Russian Republic has reiterated its “one China policy” in support of the PRC.  The implication is that Russia could provide support to China in the event of hostilities over Taiwan. 

We win if Nancy Pelosi goes through with the trip, and the PRC backpedals.  We are reminded, however, that “losing face” is a big deal in the Orient.  In the event that China’s overreach in this matter results in their humiliation, it will aggravate what has already become a bitter antagonism between our two countries.  The Chinese remember things like this, and there will be trouble later for it.

We hope someone will have the diplomatic acumen to find a win-win solution out of this for the USA and the PRC.  An example might be something like, we could agree to cancel Speaker Pelosi’s trip if the PRC would agree that this does not create a precedent; and also, to stop their harassment and intimidation of Taiwan by intruding their military aircraft into airspace where such intrusions are a threat to Taiwanese security. 

All of this is well beyond the control of the average American.  Yet, we will pay a terrible price in the event this thoughtless action on the part of Speaker Pelosi results in the United States’ being forced to “back down” in humiliation, or it results in open military conflict with China. 

We can only hope Madam Speaker did not announce this trip for her temporary, personal political gain.  However, somehow I doubt it.