Wednesday Morning Rant [Joe Mannix]

One of the great developments and political footballs to come out of the great wars of the 20th century is related to national self-determination and sovereignty. During and after both WWI and WWII, the great powers endorsed self-determination and sovereignty for all countries and then promptly began compromising. The US, for example, supported self-determination at the same time as it supported - largely because it had to - the Soviet domination of Eastern Europe.

Likewise later with various anticommunist conflicts. In Korea, there was the civil war along north/south lines. Which Korea's quest for self-determination and sovereignty took precedent? It depended entirely on who you asked. Korea was fighting a war over the question, the Soviets and the Red Chinese firmly backed the North's claim whereas we and our allies backed the South's. The question is still not answered. Diplomatically, there is but one legitimate Korea - though which one depends on your diplomacy. For us, it's the ROK. For others, it's the DPRK.

Ditto for the Chinas. After the Chinese civil war, the Kuomintang fled to Taiwan and formed the Republic of China (RoC). The communists under Mao took the mainland and formed the People's Republic of China (PRC). Which one is China? Are they both? The answer has varied and today the United States doesn't recognize Taiwan as an independent nation in its own right, nor does it recognize it as part of the PRC. The US usually treats Taiwan as its own country - we have some diplomatic relations, we sign military agreements, we sell weapons, we have independent trade relations, etc. - but it is not formally classified as such.

This impossible condition often causes diplomatic trouble and this week has been no exception. Speaker Pelosi's curious trip to the island this week caused quite the kerfuffle indeed. Red China views this as an attack on its own sovereignty as Beijing considers itself the master of Taiwan (excuse me - Chinese Taipei). For us, it's more of the same (though this trip may be the result of internal division and positioning). For some other Asian countries, Red Chinese provocation over Taiwan is a threat to Taiwan's sovereignty. The Russian foreign ministry declared that "China has the right to take measures to protect its sovereignty." They now put Taiwan under the PRC, too.

The recent brinkmanship over Taiwan re-emphasizes an uncomfortable and seemingly permanent reality: national self-determination and sovereignty are ideals that yield to the realities of wider power dynamics. Is it sovereign or not? According to whom? Who's opinion is even relevant? The idealized considerations of sovereignty are again, as always, subordinated to realpolitik. This is true for Taiwan, for the West's broad conflict of internationalism vs. national interest, etc.

How all of these sovereignty crises will be resolved is anyone's guess, but if history is any guide then the resolution will be the same as it usually is: with a lot of fire, steel and blood.

posted by Open Blogger at 11:00 AM

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