KMT must stop rocking boat I don't know about other people, but I can no longer suppress the anger I feel about the present state of our government in Taiwan. I have lived in the US where I saw both state legislatures and congress conducting their business with dignity, but when I watch TV news shots of our legislative sessions here I am embarrassed. Instead of talking rationally like human beings to work out their differences, our legislators shout at each other like a bunch of juvenile delinquents. They represent the law and security of our country, but how can the people in Taiwan feel safe when we witness anarchy among our so-called representatives? We worry about China attacking Taiwan, but how can we deal with this threat when our government is disorganized. We must put first things first. If the legislators are divided against themselves, if the Cabinet and the legislature are not in accord with one another, and if the lines of communication between the president's office and the legislature are severed, then we are wasting our energies. In this case, it is a comedy, but one that makes the rest of the world laugh while we ourselves can only weep. Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) became president by winning the election. Yet, though his seat is not even warm, the opposition is intent on unseating him. As Vice-President Annette Lu (呂秀蓮) has aptly put it, the KMT has had its chance to run this ship for 50 years and they left it in disarray. It will take time to put the ship of state in order. It will take effort to straighten up the mess that the previous administration has left. We might add that mutiny at sea will not help the ship reach its port so why can't the KMT drop their lust for power and cooperate with our new captain to give the new government a chance to see what they can do until their term is over. Then the voters can make up their minds about how good a job it has done. When you think carefully about the consequences of the nuclear power plant, it is clear that it might threaten people's lives, but, on the economic side, it is good for those in big business concerned about short-term profits. On the political front, the opposition is merely using this as an excuse to attack the DPP. If I were Chen, I would let these selfish people have their own way if only for the sake of peace. But I am not Chen. He cares for the people and wants long-term solutions that will endure, not just short-term profits that endanger our lives. We need alternative power sources and they have to be developed. This will bring profit -- but those that benefit all the people not just a privileged few. Judy Wu,
Jen Ai Hsian Give nuclear waste to KMT How sincere are Taiwan's legislators in their call for President Chen Shui Bian (陳水扁)'s resignation? Are they really such ardent supporters of nuclear power, or are they just using the scrapping of the nuclear power plant as an excuse to try to get rid of Chen because they are still bitter that their parties lost the election? Here's a litmus test of their sincerity: all legislators who are calling for Chen's recall should sign a statement saying they are willing to support building a nuclear waste dump in the area of their constituency. Because nuclear power means nuclear waste. This is a point that somehow always gets lost in the nuclear power debate in Taiwan. Everyone wants to run their air conditioners cheaply all summer, but bring up the topic of building a nuclear waste dump and the "not-in-my-neighborhood" syndrome kicks in -- no one wants one near their home. This mentality is not endemic to Taiwan, of course; people in America, for example, don't want a nuclear waste dump near them either. The difference is America is large enough that nuclear waste can be stored in areas far away from major population centers. This is not the case in Taiwan. So Taiwan has tried to come up with ways to get rid of our nuclear waste that would not upset the general population. One such way has been to ship our nuclear waste to Taiwan's outer islands like Orchid Island (蘭嶼), where the government until recently has seemed unconcerned about offending the aboriginal residents. Another way has been to try to ship it to third world countries like North Korea, where the dire economic situation would nearly guarantee that the waste would not be stored properly (fortunately the plan was scrapped after a firestorm of protest and bad press throughout the world). Which brings us to the question: what should we do with the extra nuclear waste the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant (核四) will produce? We can't morally send it to the outer islands or a third world country. We can't send it to the moon, or dump it in the ocean. The only responsible way of dealing with our nuclear waste is dealing with it right here in Taiwan. Which means someone's going to have a nuclear waste dump in their backyard. If our legislators are sincere in their enthusiasm for nuclear power, they'll offer theirs. Kevin Quinn,
Kaohsiung
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