The US' principles
The ideals that are the very structure of the United States, the basic principles on which the country was built and continues to function, were revolutionary when first formed.
They were the result of discussions between philosophers and enlightened thinkers who believed, as stated in the Declaration of Independence, that every man has a right to life, liberty and the pursuit of justice.
It is rash to believe that abstract ideals can withstand realistic forces that might disrupt it. Who can argue against economic power, military power or political power, especially when one side is overwhelmingly stronger?
But for the founding fathers of the United States, it was precisely this idea of freedom that motivated them to declare independence and establish a democratic nation against the British empire.
Times have changed drastically since then, but the idea has not. It is not the problem of whether China or Taiwan should be independent, but which of these nations strives to follow the same ideals of democracy.
The possibility of unification is not improbable, but it is impossible to expect a democratic Taiwan to surrender its freedom. Taiwan may be forced to do so, and it is the responsibility of other democratic nations, especially the United States, to prevent this from happening.
The question before the United States is whether it can do justice to the people that built the nation, in the face of global politics and pressure, and resolve to remember and uphold the principles that the United States stands for.
Laurence Tseng
Los Angeles, California
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