Chen Shui-bian
In fact, Liu's plight in the wake of the transition of power was rather like that of Chen with state power still mired in uncertainty.
First, there were the descendants, supporters and officials of the defeated dynasty, who bore grudges against their conquerors. But they were also fearful of oppression and retaliation at the hands of their new rulers, and were therefore keen to stage a rebellion at the first opportunity.
In order to deal with their grudges and restlessness, Liu adopted a policy of accommodation and announced a grand amnesty. He abandoned all grudges and employed all the officials of the old dynasty, except die-hard loyalists. He also adopted a "stabilization" policy, announcing that all the laws and regulations of the old dynasty would be maintained except for those that were draconian or aroused public resentment. This allayed people's fears that they might lose their status, assets and power, or that they might have to change their way of life under the new dynasty.
These policies allowed Liu, after the occupation of Chang-an (長安), to establish a solid foundation for his rule in the old territory of the Qin Dynasty (秦朝) around Guanzhong (關中). This was to become the base for his decisive battle with Xiangyu (項羽).
The local warlords who joined hands with Liu in the struggle, came from very different backgrounds, but each had a very solid power base. Even though they respected Liu as the "leader," some of them were unwilling to pledge loyalty since they wanted to rule their own territories. Liu's strategy was to respect their power on the ground, allowing them to declare themselves kings and rule their own jurisdictions. In other words, he allowed them to share power and benefits with people from his own camp in order to deal with his nemesis, Xiangyu.
This decision spared him confrontations with people like Han Xin (
The Hun or Xiongnu (匈奴) people from the north took advantage of the turmoil in the central plains to stage numerous invasions. At one point, Liu personally led the war against them and almost lost his life. Emerging from his defeat, Liu adopted a "friendly" policy, swallowing the humiliation for the sake of peace and to strengthen the country's power. This policy was also followed by Liu's successors up until the time of Wudi (武帝), who reversed the policy and dealt with the Xiongnu.
This was Liu's path to stability following the transition of power. Chen adopted some of Liu's strategies -- appointing Tang Fei
Also, within his own party, Chen has been unable to find appropriate positions for party elders and people who helped him in the election campaign. On top of this, he has not shown respect for the strength of the opposition parties. In this respect his strategy differs from Liu's, who was concerned with appeasement and sharing.
Finally, when it comes to cross-strait relations, Chen is unwilling to accept the "one China" principle and give the Beijing authorities some face -- or to submit to the will of a more powerful country. This too is different from Liu's soft, humble and peaceful strategy.
Today's circumstances are different from those of ancient times. But human reason and emotions have changed little. Give-and-take is still the best strategy for easing today's impasse. If A-bian can give more and make more compromises, he will not only bring good fortune to the people, but there will also be no reason why his government will not last long.
Lin Fu-shih is an associate research fellow at the Institute of History and Philology, Academia Sinica.
Translated by Francis Huang
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