Taiwan and the Shaky 'Silicon Shield'

On the menu today: Taiwan is to semiconductors what the Middle East is to oil; this island makes the most advanced semiconductors in the world. Because everything from your cell phone to your car to the Pentagon's F-35 fighter jets runs on semiconductors, there's an argument that Taiwan's role as a key link in the global supply chain of advanced technology acts as a deterrent against a future Chinese invasion or other military aggression — that Taiwan, and in particular the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, are so valuable that the world couldn't allow that supply of semiconductors to be interrupted by a war or blockade. But there's reason to wonder if the "Silicon Shield" is really that much of a deterrent. Finally, Taiwan rocks my world, quite literally.

'If Something Happened to Taiwan, Probably Half of the World's Industries Will Shut Down'

TAIPEI, Taiwan — One of the terms you'll run across in discussions of Taiwan, China, and the possibility of an invasion in the coming years is the notion ... READ MORE

Mark Helprin's Richly
Imagined Seafaring Epic

A Navy captain near the end of a decorated career, Stephen Rensselaer, encounters a brilliant lawyer, Katy Farrar, and falls in last-chance love. Then, he is deployed on a mission that subjects his morality and skill to the ultimate test, with Katy as the force that lights his way home.

Learn more.