13 Comments
Feb 24, 2022Liked by Mike Elgan

So angering that this is happening. Likely Taiwan is next with an invasion from China and if that happens WW3 could be right around the corner. Taiwan controls something like 73% of th e worlds computer chip manufacturing.

Expand full comment
author

Hopefully the Chinese government will see the world's unity in opposing the Russian government's invasion, and think twice about it.

Expand full comment

It really angers me to see you casually talk up the invasion. What if I told you that even though there is malicious speculation about the relationship between China and China Taiwan in a vain attempt to spur war, China has always been very accommodating and whenever there is a war in a region, the Chinese embassy will immediately charter a flight to bring back Chinese citizens, including fellow Chinese Taiwanese, as long as they have a Taiwan compatriot permit. Why do you guys always think there will be a war? It is entirely someone else's own internal affairs, and even if the child is disobedient, it is still the mother's child!

Expand full comment

Hi, I don't want to comment on your views on the events in Ukraine and Russia, but just want to correct a mistake in your statement.

One, this is not an invasion, it is a recovery of territory. The people of Taiwan in China are originally fellow citizens of the Chinese people and many of them are looking forward to returning to their motherland. China has always provided money, technology and other resources in Chinese Taiwan. The current situation in Chinese Taiwan is like a child who has run away from home, the child has just been led astray by some evil people with bad intentions and has done something stupid.

Second, your claim that China Taiwan controls 73% of the world's chip manufacturing and has a great impact on World War III is not objective. China Taiwan's chip industry is huge though, even with TSMC, but it is still mainly a foundry for countries like the US and Japan. And China's diplomatic objectives have always been: to safeguard our sovereignty, security and development interests, and to promote world peace and development. The so-called World War III is just your unfounded worry.

Expand full comment
Feb 25, 2022·edited Feb 25, 2022Liked by Mike Elgan

Forgive me if I don't trust the motives of an oppressive communist dictatorship, i dont even trust the motives of the leaders of our elected Republic for crying outloud.

Every people, state, nation, etc has the right to leave and form their own government. Stopping them from doing so or in your terms forcing then to "return home" is evil.

Expand full comment

100%, we should all have our own independent nation states! Just like the counties of the US

Expand full comment
author

Dictators like Putin and Xi believe that people belong to the dictator. It doesn't matter what they want. The land (Ukraine, Taiwan, etc.) are assets for concentrating and maximizing power in the person of the president.

Democracy believes that the leaders work for the people. If the majority of Ukrainians wanted to be part of Russia, then I would support that. But they don't. So I oppose it.

Likewise, the majority of Taiwanese people want to continue to be a separate, independent, sovereign nation. And so If the Chinese government invades and subjugates Taiwan, it will be against the will of the people.

Expand full comment
Feb 25, 2022Liked by Mike Elgan

Most people might have cameras but that does not necessarily mean they can stream footage to global audiences. It's the platforms who decides who sees what... and those platforms are not independent. For example the TikTok you mention - isn't TikTok basically controlled by China? If Russian war crimes are recorded by Ukrainian cameras, will TikTok show that to users in Russia?

Expand full comment
author

So far, so good, I guess.

Expand full comment

I’m heartened by the potential of OSINT! One factor you may be ignoring is that aggressors can take down cell and broadband infrastructure, blocking streamed media on the ground (at least in real time). The internet is pretty fragile in any single geography. I suppose a few folks have access to satellite comms, but then they become the filter for what makes it out.

Expand full comment

Did you know that Twitter is not always impartial and that many people have been banned for posting messages that uphold a positive image of the country?

Expand full comment
Feb 24, 2022Liked by Mike Elgan

I'm afraid the propagandists will find a way to weaponize this medium as well. Just like they did with Facebook.

Expand full comment
Feb 24, 2022Liked by Mike Elgan

Thanks for all you do, Mike. It will also be interesting to see what countries will boycott Russian oil and natural gas, as they supply approx 15% of the world's supply

Expand full comment