by Robert M. Traxler

In 1910 Japan invaded Korea; we did not care. In 1931 Japan invaded Manchuria; we did not care. When Japan invaded the rest of China in 1937, we covertly sent a few aircraft and volunteer pilots, but in reality, did not care.

In 1936 the Germans invaded the Rhineland; we did not care. In 1938 the Germans invaded the Sudetenland, a part of the nation of Czechoslovakia; we did not care. In 1939 the Germans invaded the remainder of Czechoslovakia; we did not care. In 1935 Italy invaded Ethiopia; we did not care. In 1939 Italy invaded Albania; we did not care.

The world paid the price for not caring to stop aggression early; 50 to 56 million people ended up dead in World War II. In all three Axis nations, invading other nations before WW II gave them an advantage in manufacturing, raw materials, geography, population and national prestige.

Germany seized the excellent Czechoslovakian heavy weapons manufacturing capability, grain production and the extended population and strategic materials of the Rhineland, all excellent combat multipliers. Japan doubled its manufacturing capability and its strategic raw materials invading Manchuria. Japan’s invasion of Korea provided labor, coal, timber, and bases from which to invade China.  Italy’s invasions of two nations gave Benito Mussolini popularity with his people and national prestige.

Before the Axis countries invaded others, their industrial output was limited, as was their population and raw materials; adding hundreds of millions to their populations, strategic materials, heavy manufacturing capability and military bases empowered them to become more aggressive.

So, today we look to China and Russia and see the same pattern developing. Are we inviting aggression when we advocate for abandoning the Ukraine under the excuse Ukraine is a corrupt nation? It is; this is Eastern Europe, where corruption is a way of life, has been for centuries and will be in the future. We need to take a few minutes and look at what conquering Ukraine will provide the Russian bear and President for life Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin.

Seizing Ukraine will increase the Russian population by 32%, with 54% being of military age. Ukraine has an excellent manufacturing capability and is a leader in food production and rare earth minerals, oil, natural gas, and many strategic raw materials. Ukraine also can be used to place pipelines, rendering Mother Russia’s gas and oil more valuable as it is easily exported to Western Europe.

Ukraine has nuclear power plants of Russian design that can be used as breeder reactors to enrich uranium for weapons. Having Ukraine gives the Russians all-weather land access to the Black Sea, a very important combat and economic multiplier. Ukraine is the Czechoslovakia of our time, as Czechoslovakia empowered the German Socialists to expand, starting WWII; seizing Ukraine will empower Russian socialism, making them more dangerously aggressive. 

China’s seizing the Island nation of Taiwan (or as China calls it, Chinese Taipei) will enrich China with 27.57 million people and add $190,771,000,000 to China’s coffers. Taiwan’s gross national product is 30% more than China’s. Taiwan produces 60% of the world’s semiconductors and 90% of the most advanced ones. Taiwan produces machinery and equipment, precision medical equipment, iron, copper and steel ,and other items that will assist China in expanding its military capability. 

We should care that Russian expansion will make our world a more dangerous place. We should care that Taiwan will greatly expand Chinese military capability. We should care that China produces up to 97% of our antibiotics; we should care that most folks who tell us we are not dependent on China are using 2018 data.

Currently we are joined at the hip with China. We should care that the Silicon Valley billionaires are getting even richer doing business in China and then paying off American elected officials, laundering it through environmental groups, even as China is one of the most polluted places on the planet. Outsourcing our pollution and killing millions is fine with our environmental movement, who pat themselves on the back and give each other awards and decorations as American pollution is reduced.  

We should care that Russia has said they have an historic claim to most of eastern Europe. We should care that China is expanding its influence into South America, the Mideast, Africa, and space, but we just do not give a damn. 

My opinion.