Rudyard Kipling"
“When you're left wounded on Afganistan's plains and
the women come out to cut up what remains, Just roll to your rifle
and blow out your brains,
And go to your God like a soldier”
General Douglas MacArthur"
“We are not retreating. We are advancing in another direction.”
“It is fatal to enter any war without the will to win it.” “Old soldiers never die; they just fade away.
“The soldier, above all other people, prays for peace, for he must suffer and be the deepest wounds and scars of war.”
“May God have mercy upon my enemies, because I won't .” “The object of war is not to die for your country but to make the other bastard die for his.
“Nobody ever defended, there is only attack and attack and attack some more.
“It is foolish and wrong to mourn the men who died. Rather we should thank God that such men lived.
The Soldier stood and faced God
Which must always come to pass
He hoped his shoes were shining
Just as bright as his brass
"Step forward you Soldier,
How shall I deal with you?
Have you always turned the other cheek?
To My Church have you been true?"
"No, Lord, I guess I ain't
Because those of us who carry guns
Can't always be a saint."
I've had to work on Sundays
And at times my talk was tough,
And sometimes I've been violent,
Because the world is awfully rough.
But, I never took a penny
That wasn't mine to keep.
Though I worked a lot of overtime
When the bills got just too steep,
The Soldier squared his shoulders and said
And I never passed a cry for help
Though at times I shook with fear,
And sometimes, God forgive me,
I've wept unmanly tears.
I know I don't deserve a place
Among the people here.
They never wanted me around
Except to calm their fears.
If you've a place for me here,
Lord, It needn't be so grand,
I never expected or had too much,
But if you don't, I'll understand."
There was silence all around the throne
Where the saints had often trod
As the Soldier waited quietly,
For the judgment of his God.
"Step forward now, you Soldier,
You've borne your burden well.
Walk peacefully on Heaven's streets,
You've done your time in Hell."
What Taiwan needs to do to prevent an invasion by China - DW Analysis
Tuesday, April 09, 2024
Taiwan has voted in a new President, Lai Ching-te, who now faces the daunting challenge of reforming Taiwan’s defenses against the threat of invasion by China.
In this special report, DW’s Richard Walker finds out what incoming President Lai Ching-te needs to do to get Taiwan ready – in the face of repeated threats from China’s Xi Jinping.
In Part 1 we hear from the former head of Taiwan’s military, Lee Hsi-min, who says Taiwanese politicians have spent too much money on prestigious weapons that would be little use in an invasion scenario. Instead he says Taipei needs to go all-in on an “asymmetric” strategy, learning in part from Ukraine’s experience.
But as we discover, there are political hurdles to making that happen. And we hear from an influential US foreign policy analyst who served in the Trump administration – how a President Trump 2.0 might view Taiwan’s situation.
Part 2 explores whether Taiwan can reach out to China to reduce tensions – given that a majority of Taiwanese voted for candidates who sought a reset with China. A Chinese expert gives us Beijing’s view on the prospects. And we analyze whether there is any chance of Xi Jinping rethinking his threats.
Part 3 exposes major wildcards which could scramble Taiwan’s calculations – from a narrowly divided parliament that could be open to Chinese interference, to the vortex of US politics which is already shaping Ukraine’s chances of survival.
Including contributions from Admiral Lee Hsi-min, former Taiwanese President Ma Ying-jeou, Amanda Hsiao, Sung Wen-Ti, Elbridge Colby and Hsieh Pei-fen.
