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PHATsakk43 t1_ityydeb wrote

Reply to comment by vhu9644 in TSMC says efforts to rebuild US semiconductor industry are doomed to fail by 0wed12

US defense policy towards Taiwan has really not been tied very well to Taiwan's advanced semiconductor technology. I think that kids believe this to be the only thing, but it is a far longer history.

There was absolutely no industry of value when Eisenhower threatened to use nuclear weapons in the mainland to stabilize the control of the KMT led ROC there in the 1950s. In many ways, the US commitment to Taiwanese sovereignty today is less than when it had virtually zero hi tech industries.

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vhu9644 t1_itz1rqc wrote

Oh but the reasoning was different then.

Anti-communism was strong then, and arguably not as strong now. The PRC was much shittier of a power. The American people then were more willing to do what it took to be the hegemon.

Now, China is less communist, more powerful, and the Americans more isolationist. My view is that the US is less interested in Taiwan now because domestically there is less support for maintaining this and destabilizing that region.

I could be wrong. I’m definitely a kid in the sense I wasn’t alive back then. But from my read on history, we’re supportive of Taiwanese sovereignty, but it’s not as strong as it used to be, and Taiwan losing semiconductor priority would also decrease that support.

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ghoonrhed t1_itzk63f wrote

There's also the economic impact. There's no way after seeing covid and Russia the world or the USA would want war with China if it wasn't for something as important as semiconductors.

It'll make the current economic problems seem like child's play.

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