Although the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) has been in power for six years, it has yet to realize its pledge to improve Taiwan's democratic system.
The red-clad protesters demanding the resignation of President Chen Shui-bian (
This nation's tragic history throughout the 20th century still haunts Taiwanese.
Those who were exiled to the island following World War II have yet to identify themselves as Taiwanese and develop a sense of belonging to the island.
Chen does not appear to have a deep understanding of culture and history. Former president Chiang Ching-kuo (
The truth is that a feared or hated president can still rule a country, but a president unable to earn the respect of the public cannot.
The major problem facing Chen and the DPP is that they have been unable to rebuild or reform the nation. However, isn't it the KMT that should be held responsible for past failed policies? The unfinished war between the KMT and the Chinese Communist Party has made the Republic of China unable to establish itself as a normal, independent nation. Therefore, I wonder if the previous authoritarian regime shouldn't be held responsible for creating a government system that is incomplete and also mired in bureaucracy.
The DPP was once a socially conscious party with democratic ideals. With the KMT, the New Party and the People First Party lurching to the political right and playing up the issue of Chinese ethnicity, the DPP has also followed it, invoking Taiwanese ethnicity in response.
If Taiwan is to establish itself as a sovereign political entity, shouldn't political parties based on their political stance, whether it be right or left, conservative or progressive, work to contribute to the development of the nation, as they do in normal democracies?
Both Chen and the DPP should be held responsible for Taiwan's decline. However, the efforts made by the pan-blue camp and certain factions within the DPP criticizing the government are not entirely well-meaning, for they are often the result of long-standing feuds between both camps.
Taiwan still has a long and bumpy road to travel in protecting democratization and bringing about reconciliation.
Lee Min-yung is a poet.
TRANSLATED BY DANIEL CHENG
Congressman Mike Gallagher (R-WI) and Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL) led a bipartisan delegation to Taiwan in late February. During their various meetings with Taiwan’s leaders, this delegation never missed an opportunity to emphasize the strength of their cross-party consensus on issues relating to Taiwan and China. Gallagher and Krishnamoorthi are leaders of the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party. Their instruction upon taking the reins of the committee was to preserve China issues as a last bastion of bipartisanship in an otherwise deeply divided Washington. They have largely upheld their pledge. But in doing so, they have performed the
It is well known that Chinese President Xi Jinping’s (習近平) ambition is to rejuvenate the Chinese nation by unification of Taiwan, either peacefully or by force. The peaceful option has virtually gone out of the window with the last presidential elections in Taiwan. Taiwanese, especially the youth, are resolved not to be part of China. With time, this resolve has grown politically stronger. It leaves China with reunification by force as the default option. Everyone tells me how and when mighty China would invade and overpower tiny Taiwan. However, I have rarely been told that Taiwan could be defended to
It should have been Maestro’s night. It is hard to envision a film more Oscar-friendly than Bradley Cooper’s exploration of the life and loves of famed conductor and composer Leonard Bernstein. It was a prestige biopic, a longtime route to acting trophies and more (see Darkest Hour, Lincoln, and Milk). The film was a music biopic, a subgenre with an even richer history of award-winning films such as Ray, Walk the Line and Bohemian Rhapsody. What is more, it was the passion project of cowriter, producer, director and actor Bradley Cooper. That is the kind of multitasking -for-his-art overachievement that Oscar
Chinese villages are being built in the disputed zone between Bhutan and China. Last month, Chinese settlers, holding photographs of Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平), moved into their new homes on land that was not Xi’s to give. These residents are part of the Chinese government’s resettlement program, relocating Tibetan families into the territory China claims. China shares land borders with 15 countries and sea borders with eight, and is involved in many disputes. Land disputes include the ones with Bhutan (Doklam plateau), India (Arunachal Pradesh, Aksai Chin) and Nepal (near Dolakha and Solukhumbu districts). Maritime disputes in the South China