With regard to Bob Kuo's (
Kuo talks about cases related to Taiwanese law and the bending or disrespect of it. Most of the cases he mentions however, are related to ethics rather than to law.
The case of the fiancee of the army captain is clearly such a case; there are no laws for this kind of case, there can only be ethical discussions and the law may only come into action if parties don't agree.
Modern technology is unlimited and the law -- which may also differ from country to country -- will always be slow in catching up. Downloading is therefore again an ethical matter. If you really like the music of a specific singer, then you ought to buy his or her CD rather than download it, for only that would shows your true appreciation for the artist. After all, would you like to work hard for free?
In Taiwan the word "money" is unfortunately the only and most important word. Ethics seems to be something for the "strange" or "stupid." It is considered stupid to do things for free, it is considered strange to obey the law. Ethics means thinking; thinking by the individual not only about him or herself within society, but also about society as a whole. Ethical behavior means being honest and straight, and these are not characteristics Taiwanese grew up with.
Ethics should be taught more, especially at the university level, since these students will be the upper working class of society. Only a person with respect for ethics will respect the law.
At the moment it is hard for young academics, who have studied abroad and come back with new ideas about how to improve Taiwan, to get their acquired experiences implemented. Ethics tells us that we should respect the young as much as we respect the old, but until this older generation has gone, the young will have a tough time in Taiwan. "Ethics" should therefore be a major subject at Taiwan's universities.
Elisabeth Rutten
the Netherlands
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