US Approves $11 Billion Taiwan Arms Sale, Pre-Positioning 'Defense'
The latest package, described by the FT as a boost for Taiwan's 'self-defense capabilities,' includes weapons like Harpoon missiles and missiles for F-16s. This comes after years of increasing tension, with US arms sales to Taiwan totaling over $23 billion since 2010 (according to the Congressional Research Service). One might wonder if these consistent deliveries are about deterrence, or ( gasp )
actively manufacturing a threat to sustain the military-industrial complex's quarterly earnings. Remember when 'deterrence' in Ukraine involved a slow drip of weapons, only for the conflict to escalate dramatically? Yes, fun times. This 'largest weapons package of its kind,' as the FT notes, threatens to undo any 'thaw' with Beijing. One could argue the aim isn't a thaw, but rather a carefully
managed temperature necessary for continued weapons sales. How else do you justify pumping billions into 'defense' contractors when you're not actually defending anything at home, besides your stock portfolio?