For whatever dumb-ass reason, most Americans are under the mistaken assumption that any given “binding” resolution by the United Nations is automatically set-in-stone as far as American foreign policy and armed might are concerned.
As those of us who at least have a working knowledge of the US Constitution understand that the only time any given international agreement that’s binding to the United States is if the POTUS introduces said international agreement for ratification before the United States Senate (Article II, Section 2).
If and only if said treaty is approved by at least two-thirds of the Senate does it become binding. The only thing “binding” as far as the UN is concerned would be that we are a member nation… that’s it.
Sadly, many are under the wrong impression that we are bound by treaty to defend Nationalist China (Taiwan) if attacked by whatever bad guy. Namely, Communist China.
The only nations that we are legally shackled to defend would be the other nations of the NATO alliance, Japan, the Republic of Korea, the Philippines, and the OAS (although no one pays attention to it).
Unfortunately for the American taxpayers, even NATO admits that only a minority of member nations even bother to kick-in the two percent of GDP on their own defense. By the way, in both the Wales Summit of 2014 as well as the Madrid Summit of 2022, all members agreed to the two percent target.
Just me, but I’m of the opinion that the second the Soviet Union fell, NATO was no longer necessary. Europeans have been protected by the American nuclear umbrella for long enough.
Again, just me, but I honestly believe that we are way past the date of the United States pulling the plug on NATO. Besides, the European Union already has their own military force separate and independent of NATO.
After leaving NATO, it might be a good idea to renegotiate a mutual defense treaty with who would actually step-up and fight. Namely, the Brits, the Danes, and the vast majority of Eastern European ex-NATO members (Poland, Greece, Lithuania, Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Hungary, Slovakia).
Now it comes to East Asia. There was a time when the USA actually had a mutual defense treaty with the Taipei-government, but that died during the Carter Administration.
And like Europe, our East Asian allies have been protected way too long by our nukes. Time for that to come to an end.
But I gotta tell you, if Japan, S. Korea, Taiwan, and the Philippines were smart, they’d come together with their own mutual defense pact. While they’re at it, saddle-up with Singapore, Brunei, and Indonesia.
Cut all mutual defense treaties with the United States. Not so much because I don’t think the Japanese, Koreans, and Taiwanese have backstabbed us (but the Manila-government sure as hell have), but more so because America isn’t a reliable partner.
One other thing, any possible alliance of East Asian nations should include their own home-grown nuclear weapons. Only the most naive actually believe that (especially) Japan, S. Korea, and Nationalist China don’t have the wherewithal to develop and deploy their own nukes.
Ever since the 1960s, there have been whispers in military circles that Japan had as still has “a bomb in the basement.”
As much as I hate to burst balloons, but even if Japan, S. Korea, and Taiwan don’t have nukes at this moment in time, I’d wager a year’s pay that just waving a few billion in the Pakistanis and/or Indians faces would magically make nuclear warheads appear out of thin air.
Besides, could you imagine how scared shitless Xi and the rest of his comrades in the CCP would be if Tokyo, Seoul, and Taipei announced they already have nuclear weapons?
