And? Most of the rest of the world similarly relies on China for cheap goods. The real difference is physical proximity which makes Chinese goods pretty cheap in Taiwan. Doesn't hurt that their similar cultures make it easy to do business and create products for both markets. The real question is how easy it is to get substitutes. Unless China blockades Taiwanese shipping, they can go to Indonesia, the Phillippines, Vietnam, or Singapore for cheap goods.

2. Which is a disincentive for China to go to war just like the US and Mexico. But there's the interesting thing: you don't have Taiwanese citizens going across to China to look for jobs. Why? Because Taiwan has a free market system which has resulted in both industry and commerce. If the Chinese take Taiwan, it will be another shutdown just like Hong Kong.

3. Sure, because the Chinese benefit. But again, do you see many Chinese going to Taiwan for education? No - because they don't have the same opportunities. And let's not forget that the Chinese try to recruit the Taiwanese who go there to spy on their home nation to the benefit of China. The relationship is anything but neutral.

"If the DPP disrupts the status quo it will cripple Taiwan and then the world economy in turn."

A little hyperbolic, don't you think? I'm not going to deny that Taiwan declaring its total independence from China right now would be politically and militarily a bad idea, as the resulting war would put a major dent in Taiwan's economic output even if it survived. And if you're implying that China would cut off trading to the rest of the world once such a war started, that's possible, but it would be extremely unwise for China. Trade is a two-way street as much as China would like that otherwise. Their economy is already on the rocks and if they started a war with Taiwan, it wouldn't be very difficult to get a coalition of nations to embargo China - as painful as that may be to some industries like electric vehicles. And if there was anything President Trump proved, it was that China really cares about its trade. The tariffs Trump extracted on China had a profound effect on their ambitions around the globe - ambitions that are being pursued heavily under a complicit US President.

Religion is a war of ideas. Those religions which persist do a better job of capturing minds and hearts. This is no different than the marketplace. What should be looked at there are the ideals of each religion. Buddhism and Taoism are peaceful religions as is every sect of Christianity I am aware of not to mention Wiccans or the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster or Scientology or any number of others. I draw the line when a religion takes that war of ideas into the physical realm, such as with Islam. That's the same quandary Thomas Jefferson recognized when he was the President of the United States fighting the Barbary Pirates.

The problem I have with your statement is that it isn't supported. Islam and communist atheism both have far more blood on their hands: Islam since the 800's AD and atheism in the past ~120 years. Christianity - even if you aggregate all the various Christian sects together - doesn't hold a candle to either of these even if you add in the Inquisition, the England vs Ireland conflict, or the so-called Crusades (which were fights against invading Muslims).