Pat Buchanan's About Face on Taiwan

Patrick J. Buchanan has finally given up on Quemoy and Matsu, not to mention the ghosts of Douglas MacArthur and General Chiang Kai-shek. In a Feb. 2 column, Buchanan calls for American retreat from bases in Japan and Korea.

Now I have seen everything.  Patrick J. Buchanan has finally given up on Quemoy and Matsu, not to mention the ghosts of Douglas MacArthur and General Chiang Kai-shek.  In a Feb. 2 column, Buchanan calls for American retreat from bases in Japan and Korea. Perhaps even more amazingly he urges an end to American arms sales to the Republic of China, Taiwan, lest we offend the People’s Republic of China.

Is it worth a clash with China to prevent Taiwan from assuming the same relationship to Beijing the British acceded to with Hong Kong? In tourism, trade, travel and investment, Taiwan is herself deepening her relationship with the mainland. Is it not time for us to cut the cord?

Not so long ago, such views would have had marked a writer in Buchanan’s eyes as an Owen Lattimore or worse. Not one of Pat Buchanan’s former presidential employers would countenance his stance.  Richard M. Nixon, the dark prince, who went to China to weaken Russia, would not run from Delhi and Seoul.  Ronald Reagan would look at free Asia and rejoice and expand.

The man who used to know why we lost China owes Harry Truman a big apology.   What next? A Buchanan column in praise of the Spanish Republic?