Yes, and under the previous program the US merely sold weapons like any other dealer. This new program provides grant assistance i.e. direct transfer of arms for free. That’s clearly different!
I just literally said that arms sales are different from direct military transfer! How is that moving goalposts? Taiwan bought weapons before and, if I understand the grant program correctly, it’s now getting them either greatly discounted or free. That’s an escalation!
If I buy a gun, the store is not directly transferring the gun to me. It’s a transaction.
If I am granted a gun grant by the store and then get a gun for free or greatly discounted through a guaranteed low/zero interest loan, that’s not really a transaction. That’s a transfer.
It wasn’t being armed to the teeth before.
Again, remember the Cuban missile crisis.
… what?
Are you completely unaware of the history of ROC-US relations? We’ve been arming them ‘to the teeth’ for as long as the PRC has existed.
August was literally the first time the US has ever directly transferred US military equipment to Taiwan.
Do not pretend like this isn’t new or that there hasn’t been an escalation.
Did you not read your own fucking source.
The difference is that the current program being used is one normally reserved for assistance to sovereign nations.
Yes, and under the previous program the US merely sold weapons like any other dealer. This new program provides grant assistance i.e. direct transfer of arms for free. That’s clearly different!
You said:
But keep moving those goalposts, you’ll find one you like eventually. Probably. If the heat death of the universe doesn’t occur first.
I just literally said that arms sales are different from direct military transfer! How is that moving goalposts? Taiwan bought weapons before and, if I understand the grant program correctly, it’s now getting them either greatly discounted or free. That’s an escalation!
“This was literally the first time the US has ever directly transferred US military equipment to Taiwan.”
“It’s literally not, we have directly transferred arms for as long as Taiwan has been a thing, and your own fucking source notes that.”
“Okay, but it’s the first time you’ve ever directly transferred equipment for free!”
Yeah, definitely not a movement of the goalposts. I’m always at a loss as to whether tankies are dumb or just disingenuous cretins.
Transaction is different from transfer.
If I buy a gun, the store is not directly transferring the gun to me. It’s a transaction.
If I am granted a gun grant by the store and then get a gun for free or greatly discounted through a guaranteed low/zero interest loan, that’s not really a transaction. That’s a transfer.
Why do you deny that this is an escalation?