If your going to argue US weapons...

[Hutch]

.....you should get some basic data

DSCA is the Defense Security Cooperation Agency--that's Department of Defense level. 36b Notification means that by Law, when a Foreign Government wants to buy some Major Equipment (or equipment that crosses a certain dollar threshold) it must be notified to Congress and Congress has (IIRC) 60 days to comment/block it--no approval needed, just no one throwing any roadblocks.

I need to note--getting permission to buy does not mean the sale went throught--but usually if a foreign customer is serious enough to get Congressional Approval via 36b, they are pretty serious about it.

Reason I put it up was some discussion on another thread about Arms Sales, so I goggled around and found this--I must admit I was surprised that this data is out there--Ed bless the FOIA I guess.

Just trolling a bit, perhaps, but it's interesting none the less. IMHO of course..

 

[Ziggurat]

Just trolling a bit, perhaps, but it's interesting none the less. IMHO of course..

I don't think posting hard data can count as trolling. Good link.

 

[geni]

Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the United States ????

 

[Hutch]

Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the United States ????

Yep, we don't officially "Recognize" Taiwan as an Independent Nation (we have bought into the 'Province of China' line as has most of the rest of the world) but since we still want to trade with them and sell weapons, we come up with this quasi-sortof-not quite but almost Governmental Office that we deal with.

Just one of the 'wink-wink, nudge-nudge' of Global Politics

 

[BPSCG]

Canada - TOW-2A/B Anti-Armor Guided and Bunker Buster Missiles

And who are them filthy, hockey-playing Canadians planning on using those bunker busters against? Let me check the map and see what countries Canada has a border with.

Oh. My. God.

 

[CapelDodger]

Yep, we don't officially "Recognize" Taiwan as an Independent Nation (we have bought into the 'Province of China' line as has most of the rest of the world) ...

I rather think that's all of the rest of the world, including Taiwan. World diplomacy operates on a foundation of nation-states, and in those terms either Taiwan is a rebel province of China or mainland China is in rebellion against the legitimate government in Taipei. If the world system allows the independence of Taiwan, it opens a can of worms. Consider the implications in the "Democratic " "Republic" of Congo, for instance. Or the desperate efforts by the UN - and most nations independently - to maintain Yugoslavia as a nation-state.

Just one of the 'wink-wink, nudge-nudge' of Global Politics.

It's often the exceptions to a rule that throw most light on reality. There is no resolution to the Taiwan is/is not independent issue within the current world-system. Yugoslavia could split because it was, at root, unimportant in world terms. That can't be said of China. Taiwan only exists because of US support for the Kuomintang faction in the civil war. It continues to exist because China doesn't particularly want it back in the fold - certainly not enough to go head-to-head with the US over it - but China is not going to allow a province to secede. The political importance of that issue will over-ride international implications, even with the US. Which makes Taiwan the tail which can wag the US dog.

Rather like Israel ... (That's not an attempt to de-rail, but a Summon Cleopatra spell )