We have to help both.

perhaps you might wish to consider the possibility that your poll is deeply flawed.

This is like one of those posts on social media where they say, "You can only choose one!" and they show four pictures. Like of burgers, tacos, pizza and fried chicken.

I'm guessing in such a hypothetical situation, after you make your choice, the other three cease to exist.

In that case, I guess I choose burgers?

Sorry tacos, pizzas and fried chicken. It was nice knowing you. I'm so sorry. I really did like you.

Just not quite as much as burgers.

.




Lobster or cracked crab? Why not both?



.

Or maybe it's no?

Because in the real world it is not a binary choice. If one or both possibilities should occur we have many options.

It's like a cow's opinion.

It doesn't matter.

It's moo.

(Not a huge fan of Friends, but that line will never not be funny to me.)

While a shooting war that destroyed Taiwan would eliminate around 40% of semiconductor production and cause a global depression.

And not at all a trolling, I mean, fishing, expedition.

Have a heart

We should do a poll.

YOU CAN ONLY CHOOSE ONE!!!!!!!!!!!

nt

Kobayashi Maru. We need a James T. Kirk move!

As Klaralven pointed out upthread, Taiwan's semiconductor production is vital to the world economy, not to mention national security. That production capacity can't be allowed to fall under the control of mainland China. The world grinds to a halt without those chips, and the shortage is already problematic without it turning into a way for China to strangle the rest of the world.

On the flipside, while Ukraine isn't a member of NATO, they're the next best thing. If the Russians move in, failing to respond is basically throwing open the door to Putin's aspiration to resurrect the Soviet Union. Eastern Europe and the Baltic States, many of which are members of NATO these days, are watching closely, as is the rest of the world. Apart from geopolitical and economic concerns, it's a credibility issue.

As a practical matter, defending both is feasible. It'd certainly get ugly, but there's a reason we pour so much money into our military. A global scenario like this is one of those reasons. If nukes weren't a factor in the equation, Russia's military is nothing to write home about based on what I've seen. China can't project force the way we can, either. Cyberwarfare is, of course, a concern with both nations, but if things got wildly out of hand, they'd come out of the scrap in worse shape than we would.

Hopefully that worst-case scenario remains a mere intellectual discussion rather than a real shooting war.