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  On 4/15/2020 at 9:57 PM, zkom said:

The actual list of countries that officially recognize the independence is very small, only 18 countries:  Belize, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Nicaragua, Palau, Paraguay, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Vatican City.

Basically, nobody that trades directly with China?

  On 4/15/2020 at 9:57 PM, zkom said:

WHO's hands in regards to Taiwan are probably pretty much tied due to being a specialized agency of UN which does not recognize Taiwan as a country. And UN recognizing Taiwan's independence is not happening anytime soon. The actual list of countries that officially recognize the independence is very small, only 18 countries:  Belize, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Nicaragua, Palau, Paraguay, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Vatican City.

Yeah, US doesn't officially recognize Taiwan's independence either..

The politics and foreign relations regarding Taiwan are so fucking complicated that if you decide to go down that rabbit hole you'll be lost for years.

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how does taiwan compare to palestine? or am i opening a can of international worms?

  On 4/15/2020 at 10:02 PM, sweepstakes said:

Basically, nobody that trades directly with China?

Yeah, I guess China's influence in the international politics is mostly economic.

  On 4/15/2020 at 10:07 PM, mycospherologyst said:

how does taiwan compare to palestine? or am i opening a can of international worms?

They're very different cases. Simply put: both China (or People's Republic of China) and Taiwan (or Republic of China) have historically claimed to be the one true China. Taiwan as a country was the result of the Chinese nationalist army or Kuomingtang retreating from the mainland to the Taiwan island around 1949 while the mainland China was left to be controlled by the communist party. After that it's been just one long standstill. The early Taiwan wasn't a democratic paradise either with the opposition violently crushed but the Kuomingtang martial law rule ended in 1987 and Taiwan became a real democracy.

  On 4/15/2020 at 10:26 PM, zkom said:

Yeah, I guess China's influence in the international politics is mostly economic.

They're very different cases. Simply put: both China (or People's Republic of China) and Taiwan (or Republic of China) have historically claimed to be the one true China. Taiwan as a country was the result of the Chinese nationalist army or Kuomingtang retreating from the mainland to the Taiwan island around 1949 while the mainland China was left to be controlled by the communist party. After that it's been just one long standstill. The early Taiwan wasn't a democratic paradise either with the opposition violently crushed but the Kuomingtang martial law rule ended in 1987 and Taiwan became a real democracy.

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excuse me ignnoramousness but i can see parallels...

5.1G

Been in Taiwan about 15 years ago. Despite political tensions with China, the country itself seems perfectly free and safe. If you'd be ignorant about those political tensions, you'd hardly notice anything off. 

  On 4/15/2020 at 10:45 PM, goDel said:

Been in Taiwan about 15 years ago. Despite political tensions with China, the country itself seems perfectly free and safe. If you'd be ignorant about those political tensions, you'd hardly notice anything off. 

I've been to mainland China, Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan in the past year or so. It's been an interesting experience.

  On 4/15/2020 at 10:53 PM, ignatius said:

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Jesus Christ. What is wrong with those people?!

  On 4/15/2020 at 11:00 PM, J3FF3R00 said:

Jesus Christ. What is wrong with those people?

selfish morons probably

  On 4/15/2020 at 11:01 PM, ignatius said:

selfish morons probably

And/or kool-aid drinking trump cult loonies. 

  On 4/15/2020 at 11:03 PM, J3FF3R00 said:

And/or kool-aid drinking trump cult loonies. 

totally. i'm sure they're all about his messaging/talking points and if he came out and sincerely said people should stay home and it's not time to open the country etc etc he could help put this kind of thing to rest but he doesn't see it that way and has no idea how to actually lead people. 

  On 4/15/2020 at 11:00 PM, J3FF3R00 said:

Jesus Christ. What is wrong with those people?!

white people.

It's not just whitey. The stupid is strong with all races.

You believe in race theory?

The stupid is strong with all races, all one of them.

  On 4/16/2020 at 12:36 AM, caze said:

The stupid is strong with all races, all one of them.

"the only thing more infinite than the universe is human stupidity"  - i think mark twain.. but can't remember

edit: Einstein. thanks @

darreichungsform

Einstein 

  On 4/15/2020 at 10:53 PM, ignatius said:

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Why don't they put their money where their mouths are and get out of their comfy cars and march in close proximity.

  On 4/16/2020 at 12:36 AM, caze said:

The stupid is strong with all races, all one of them.

Some are stupider though  

  On 4/16/2020 at 12:17 AM, darreichungsform said:

You believe in race theory?

Race meaning "a group of persons related by common descent or heredity" (dictionary.com)

What do you mean by "race theory?"

An all-white marathon would be a racist race. An all black marathon would be the first ten people past the finish line. 

  On 4/15/2020 at 10:55 PM, zkom said:

I've been to mainland China, Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan in the past year or so. It's been an interesting experience.

Love Taiwan. Beautiful place and great people. Much better than the mainland (admittedly I’ve only been to Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou). 

Had the pleasure of meeting Taiwan at a charity do once. They were surprisingly down to earth, and VERY funny.