The US dream of empire
Not long ago, US President George W. Bush announced that the US would not abide by the Kyoto protocol on global climate change. Hardly before this controversy was over, he offered to help Taiwan buy submarines to be built using blueprints from Germany and Holland. Both countries have policies against selling weapons to Taiwan. The Europeans feel that the US' new bully-style foreign policy is "announce first, consult with allies later." Confused and insulted, the Americans look at such opinions with disappointed eyes. Isn't the "great country of cowboys and football," after all, the self-sacrificing policeman of the world?
Part of the US dream has been one of empire. US technology paves the way for cultural dominance. The World Bank and IMF are largely under US control. As if these weren't enough, in the film Patton, the title character suggests that America should "finish the job" by running tanks onto Moscow.
Since a space-based missile defense system was proposed by former president Ronald Reagan in the 1980s, the Republicans have been eager to secure the US' position as the only superpower on earth. In a speech preaching the gospel of missile defense, Bush said the US "must move beyond the constraints" of the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty. Development of a missile defense shield would become a violation of it. It's only a matter of time for Bush to break out of yet another international treaty.
China is not a backward country of peasant farmers any more. The US proposal to create such a missile shield will initiate a new arms race. With the Cold War Era over, Europe has become of less importance to the US. At the recent Summit of the Americas Bush said. "We can combine in a common market so we can compete with the Far East and Europe."
With Bush taking power, suddenly, China becomes dangerous! The hard-liners toward China are increasingly ordinary American people. They believe that China is a bully, that the Chinese should back up and make their nation safe for US corporate investment.
Is a new US-led Cold War around the corner? Are we in Taiwan willing to be included in the US missile defense system? Do we even have a choice? Where does Taiwan stand in all the controversies?
Julian Wang
Chiayi
Draft dodging culture
Re: Bo Tedards' letter on military draft in Taiwan. Draft evasion in Taiwan reflects Taiwanese people's attitude toward the military service in general. A lot of men (not just medical students) try to get out of it. Those who can't get out usually "do their time" reluctantly. A high proportion of medical students dodge the draft because they have the knowledge and the means of accomplishing it. For example, placing an 18-gauge needle into both lungs would create a transient (hopefully) bilateral pneumothorax (air in the chest), which is a "contraindication" to military service. Ironically, many of the medical students who are deemed "physically unfit" for military, moved on to residency training, which is probably even more demanding than the military, both mentally and physically.
Why? First of all, there is a history of abuse in the Taiwanese military. I have colleagues who were physically abused in the military. Some were kicked and punched. One of my friends was actually urinated on by a more senior soldier (not even an officer).
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