With Putin's invasion of Ukraine, it is now clear that Xi believes that Taiwan, formerly known as Formosa, is ripe for the plucking.  They have factored in President* Biden's obvious weakness and mental decline.  It is a sure thing, as it has now been frequently observed by pundits and Trump himself, that if he were in office, Russian would not have invaded Ukraine.  But he is not in office. 

We can learn a lesson from another appropriately strong man, however. 

Eisenhower, being just elected fresh after his victorious leadership of the Allies in the European theater of WWII, was strong.  He understood the mentality of dictators when he stated "in response to a question at a press conference on Aug. 17 that 'any invasion of Formosa would have to run over the Seventh Fleet.'"

In other words, Eisenhower parked the Seventh Fleet in the waters between mainland China and Taiwan.  If China were to invade, then it would have to run over this fleet.  That statement came shortly after the Korean War ended on July 27, 1953.  We had pushed back the communists to the 38th Parallel.  Today, South Korea glows with prosperity, while North Korea sits in darkness.  America meant business.  Dictators and would-be dictators understood Eisenhower's strength and no doubt trembled or at least had second thoughts.

Men like Putin and Xi understand strong men, not postmodern, pink, feeble men like Biden.  If anyone in his administration has any sense (and I doubt such a human exists there), he would advocate parking the Seventh Fleet, which is stationed off Japan and is now the largest forward-deployed fleet in the U.S. Navy.  That would be a symbolic move with teeth in it.

But will the Biden administration act to protect Taiwan?  Probably not, because we too can read left-wing human nature, and the American left gets easily befuddled and chaotic about foreign policy, just like our president* in his mental decline. 

At James Arlandson's website, he has been translating and commenting on the New Testament (e.g., John 2) and writing basic theology and biblical ethics and policy.  Please see for example: Bible Basics about Final Judgment, The Lord's Supper in Synoptic Gospels Church Traditions, and Don't Legalize Medical or Recreational Marijuana.  Also see Right and Wrong Ways to Protest and Does the Book of Acts Teach Modern Communism and Socialism? and So What's Wrong with Socialism, Anyway?

Image: U.S. Navy — Jennifer A. Villalovos.