Nancy Pelosi, you silly biddy

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi threatened ahead of the visit that US politicians who "play with fire" with respect to Taiwan would "come to no good end." Officially, Beijing's officials have warned of "serious consequences". Spokesman Zhao Lijian's warning came with a note of theatrical indignation: "If the US side is bent on going its own way, China will take strong measures to resolutely respond and counteract." So far, Chinese war planes have flown close to the median line of the Taiwan Strait, while Beijing has imposed a number of import bans on select Taiwanese products.

The political arithmetic is clear. Pelosi's arrival, along with a delegation from Congress, risks sparking a fourth Taiwan strait crisis. The locals, for the most part, showed little initial interest. There has been much chat about heatwaves, the usual celebrity gossip, and discussion about local elections.

But the arrival at Songshan airport of the most significant US political figure in years signalled something of a shift. Protesters gathered at the Grand Hyatt where she was due to stay, accusing Pelosi of being a warmonger. Other protesters preferred to vent their ire at the CCP itself. All it takes now is a bullet, a misfire, an accident, and the dumb will be dead, again, taking the rest of us along with them.