Welcome back to the Jim bohannon show as we talked with the author of China hand Scott space ex I understand you to say that's not your real name. It is a pseudonym. For all the reasons you've listed about I'd rather keep my personal personal life out of the crosshairs of China and Chinese nationalists. I can certainly understand that. Now then I had to ask you and you were about to answer when the clock intervened. I had asked about the fact that this threat to shoot down House speaker Pelosi's airplane was not the first time such intemperate rhetoric has come from what sounded like an official Chinese source. Chinese general a few years ago, when Taiwan had again become a major issue, wondered how the United States would react to a missile being lobbed into Los Angeles. And you were about to respond. So please go ahead. Well, yes, the broader question I think I understood you asking was about Chinese nationalism and Taiwan and yes, some of these threats that they've launched. And three tests that I was going to give a slightly longer, longer story. It's just to try to put I do see the way that the Taiwan situation is reported in the press. And usually the articles come from one side or another. I'll try to provide a balanced perspective. I'll try to provide my view, it's a little long winded, but I'll try to keep it punchy. The reality is the history of China is quite complicated, right? Much of this predates the People's Republic of China. Imperial China. So before 1949, was in fact invaded and parts of it taken away by colonial powers. So the French, the British, the U.S. were involved in taking territory in Shanghai or obviously Hong Kong, there were different concessions they were called to the colonial powers. And in Taiwan, itself was taken by the Japanese as a prize as a concession from the Sino Japanese war. And I think 1894, 95. So China was the victim of colonialism and when the Chinese Communist Party came to power in 1949, they vowed to reunify what certainly they view as historical China. And you can debate exactly what historical China could be, but even that is complicated because unlike you could say modern nation states, imperial China often had this kind of tributary relationship with kingdoms or cultures that were part of China. I don't know. They were certainly sort of related to Chinese culture. But anyway, China has vowed to reunify the historical China. That's just the way they view it. And we can debate it. But I certainly see certainly some merit to their view that China was a victim in the past. And even the Taiwanese government is basically the legacy of the Chinese Civil War, when the Taiwanese government Taiwan side was on the losing side, the nationalists, they fled to Taiwan and they remained the government there. And the U.S. has helped over the since World War II since the Chinese Civil War, the U.S. has helped prevent the communists from invading Taiwan. So where does that leave us today? We're in a situation where for many years, consistently, China has said they are going to reunify even the Taiwanese, I should say, believe that Taiwan is part of Mainland China, the Taiwanese constitution just argues that Mainland China should be part of the Taiwanese government run by the Taiwanese government. So it is complicated. Where do I come out? I certainly do not believe in use of force. I certainly believe there should be some right of self determination and democracy and there should not be a use of force to reunify or take over Taiwan. That said, the Chinese are deadly serious about that. They genuinely believe that the U.S. is interfering in a domestic issue in China and trying to split the country and I do think they'd go to war over it. So where does that leave us? Well, I do think the U.S. should be deterring war with China. But war would be a complete disaster. We speak, we as Americans seem to sort of. Carelessly sometimes get into these conflicts with no way out and I struggle. I'm not saying that China would the 50 U.S. and award, but I do not see how a war with China ends because they are very determined. And so what my second point would be in addition to deterrence, the best way to deter is to have a very strong military. I believe in Teddy Roosevelt's speak softly, but carry a big stick. Sometimes I think the U.S. tends to speak loudly, but not back that up, particularly in Asia with the military capabilities required. So whenever you read the war gaming, the U.S. doesn't fare so well these days in a conflict with shining and war games, we still seem distracted in the Middle East and Russia and I'm just saying if we're going to do things that could well provoke a real war with China, the U.S. better be prepared and I frankly don't see the U.S. particularly prepared for what a conflict with China could look like. No, I think you've spoken very realistically. I would agree. I had some questions on that. But here, let's see Stephen and Atlanta calls in. Hello Steven. Mister bohannon. Yes. I am thrilled, and I think you know the smile on my face and the thrill in my eyeballs. If you were looking at me about the fact that you were back. And not that I didn't enjoy your guess. I mean, your hosts that you're away. But I mean, you're just such a kind and a kind and wonderful person, as thoughtful and I just damn it, that is awesome. I thought that you were something was wrong with you. Really wrong with you, of course they don't tell us anything. Well, I had a health issue, which for the moment is put aside, and I appreciate your sentiments very much as Stephen. Did you have anything for our guest? Yeah, I do. Okay. Okay. So,