[tivert]

>> Then China gains control over TSMC without a fight and much of the American economy is at their mercy.

> Much of the American economy is already at China's mercy, due to the $500,000,000,000+ in goods we rely on from them annually.

Yes, but let's not use that as a justification for letting it get worse.

> This whole "Taiwan is super important to USA" narrative is itself pure government propaganda, related to military power projection over China's coastline.

The whole f*ing modern economy runs on semiconductors, and the most advanced ones are fabbed in Taiwan. You might have a point if Intel wasn't falling on its face, but it is, so you don't

[pphysch]

The way we stop making this worse, i.e. reducing our trade deficit with China and in general, is by doing virtually the opposite of what Washington is currently doing.

Rebuild the republic instead of wasting everything on hopeless adventurism and imperial expansion.

[tivert]

> Rebuild the republic instead of wasting everything on hopeless adventurism and imperial expansion.

Reducing risk from Chinese influence is "rebuild[ing] the republic" and is not " hopeless adventurism and imperial expansion."

Also, letting China encroach and control more vital supplies is a good way to make "rebuild[ing] the republic" a lot harder.