Why should Americans care about the fate of the Republic of China ("ROC"), or as we call it, Taiwan?  At a time when many of us are tired of foreign commitments and misadventures abroad, it can be hard to understand why the security travails of a small island nation -- half a world away -- should preoccupy citizens or policy makers.  And when you consider that Taiwan's security threats derive entirely from its rocky relationship with Communist mainland China (which regards it as a renegade province), the desirability of committing to Taiwan's security becomes even less obvious.