It is a upsetting truism that the impetus for every seemingly altruistic action carried out abroad by any government has self-interest as its impetus. I don’t mean this to say that governments are, thus, inherently evil ― though it’s not difficult to think that sometimes ― rather that organizations and celebrities who plead for justice, aid, or action from the world’s powerful governments need to focus less on trying to affect through pity and more through cold hard self-interest.

It’s just the way the system works, and I don’t honestly see how it could be otherwise. Legitimate governments exist to provide for their citizens, not to ensure that people on the other side of the planet experience the same rights to life, liberty, indolence of body, etc.

What’s interesting, though, is that it’s starting to become more evident to more people that the plummeting condition of life in Iraq is causing serious problems in other Middle Eastern countries that are seeing huge influxes of refugees, that supporting oil-rich dictators fosters terrorism, that lack of cohesive government in Afghanistan can mean more heroin in Dublin, that prison conditions in Russia can allow diseases to fester until they become worldwide epidemics, that on some days a quarter of the air pollution in California comes from China, and so on. It’s becoming better understood that what happens abroad has considerable effects on the way we live at home.

Yet, many times, those arguing for justice are appealing to the world’s pity ― look at these people suffering ― when they’d probably be better served saying that Hewlett-Packard built mobile, solar-powered photo studios which are rented out for $9 a month by women in rural India which have helped them to double their family income as well as challenge the taboos of working women, so what is your company going to do?

This has been one of my biggest frustrations with the debate about Global Warming: people aren’t sufficiently disturbed by hypothetical catastrophic events, but they could be swayed quite easily if they were convinced that reducing the energy they use could actually save them cold hard cash in the long run, they’d probably be more likely to take note. Moreover, organizations like Conservation International have diverged from other environmental groups in their method of working with companies to improve their environmental standing rather than trying to mobilize opposition against companies with bad records.

This is important when it comes to Taiwan too. I’ve seen many articles ― many even written by influential American politicians and world figures ― that outline the injustice and double standards that clearly define the way Taiwan is treated in the international community. Just looking at the fact that all of the world’s industrialized powers are willing to treat Taiwan as a sovereign nation, with all the fixins, all the while denying the most obvious fact that it is a sovereign nation is a good illustration of how the system works. Right now, the idea that Taiwan ’s present state of limbo is more beneficial to all those who have the power to change it, seeing as they can maintain trade and relations (to some extent) with both China and Taiwan . I have considerable doubt that anyone actually thinks that Taiwan and China will ever truly be “One China,” but its convenient right now to say they support it.

In order for this to change, I think that we ― if I may consider myself as one of those people fighting for Taiwan ― bear the burden of detailing what world powers have to gain from recognizing Taiwan and changing the status quo of the “status quo.”

I don’t mean to say that constantly trying to illuminate injustices against Taiwan isn’t important. Not at all. It is, after all, how I came to believe that Taiwan deserves independence. All I’m saying is that I believe right now that if there will ever be a change of heart within the international community, it will be because they have been persuaded that the risks of angering behemoth on the other side of the Straight are far less significant than the economic and political benefits of having normal diplomatic relations with Taiwan.

Part of the reason I’m writing this is to solicit opinions from anyone concerning this subject. I’m going to try to focus my readings as much as I can on learning what the world has to gain by changing the “status quo” of denying Taiwan what it deserves.

The first thought that comes to mind is that the world needs Taiwanese businesses. What would happen if China were to cut of Taiwan through a blockade or a military imbroglio? World businesses must be convinced of the importance of Taiwan ’s protection, seeing as it’s home to “the world’s biggest producers of computer components,” and much of the technology in iPhones, iPods, Sony and Microsoft gaming consoles, and so on have Taiwanese products inside.

But I think there are more instances that are less obvious as to why Taiwan ’s well-being is important. One area I’m considering is the so-called War on Terror ― which according to most accounts, many by former CIA agents, is only fueling terrorism, but that’s beside the point. There was an article a couple of months ago in the Washington Post about how the real winner in Iraq is China . Through Iraq wasn't a central front in the War on Terror before the invasion made it a haven for al-Qaeda, it is now, and maybe Taiwan can once again serve as a integral ally in buffering China's influence.

How? I don't know. The China-War on Terror relation is just a quick example that I have not researched which I present to illustrate how I would like to direct my research for the time being. Seeing as proving to be a counterbalance to China in the War on Terror is probably the best proof Taiwan could offer the US government right now.

Then again, it didn't help them when they were a counterbalance to spreading Communism, but that was when they were a one part state.

All of this presented, I would like to ask anyone who has any ideas or suggestions as to what Taiwan's independence has to offer economically, politically, environmentally, whatever in relation to the risk of angering almighty China.