Recent developments in the nation's democracy, economy and social justice have people worried. Can Taiwan's democratic values, economic development and social justice be maintained?
Taiwan's status as an M-shaped society has been the subject of much discussion. An M-shaped society is one in which incomes are concentrated at two extremes and the middle class dwindles.
This is happening because domestic politics -- like the economy -- is also shaped like an M in that it is dominated by two extremist parties.?
Faced with these two extremes, the Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU) has a historic mission that it needs to accomplish. But to fulfill this mission, the TSU must resolutely and completely remake itself so that it can win the trust of Taiwanese with a brand new look.
How can the TSU remake itself??
The TSU needs to awaken the people with its passion and lead them with its values. The TSU must take action to fulfill and realize the promises it has made to the people.
What are the TSU's values??
The TSU stands for Taiwanese consciousness and Taiwanese being the masters of their own fate, democratic freedom, social justice and clean government. Here I must clearly state that the TSU is the only minority party that supports Taiwanese mastery over their fate.
Based on this principle, the TSU must build up a strong position grounded on Taiwanese autonomy and must watch over the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) to ensure that it does not deviate from the path of Taiwanese autonomy.
The TSU is also an emerging party that represents the middle class and the poor. The policies it puts forward must not narrowly benefit? a few select groups or individuals. These policies must be founded on public interests and promote public livelihood.
More importantly, the TSU should awaken the silent majority with its passion. The party cannot ignore the facts: Democracy is being rolled back, the economy is listless and crime is getting worse. We must stand up and speak out, but most of all we need to articulate these issues via action.
To end the political deadlock, we must first see through these false ideologies. We must end the domination of Taiwanese society by two extremist ideologues. The pan-green and pan-blue camps have deceived voters with their empty, extremist ideologies of independence and unification -- ideologies that they have used to cover their corrupt practices and struggle for power.
Taiwan has been an independent country with sovereignty vested in the people since the 1996 presidential election. Independence or unification is a non-issue. The only thing preventing Taiwan from calling itself an independent nation are fading historical reasons and international pressure.
The TSU advocates changing the nation's name to Taiwan and instituting a new constitution to make Taiwan a normal nation.?Blue and green extremism grows out of their struggle for power. They are unwilling to acknowledge the truth that Taiwan is already an independent and sovereign democracy.
Instead they work the public up into paroxysms of passion and pathos over the fictional issues of independence and unification. In their naked struggle for power, the DPP has never stopped pretending it is "moving toward independence," while the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) waves the flag by "allying itself with the Chinese Communist Party to stop Taiwanese independence."?
It is for these reasons that the TSU's status as the only party supporting Taiwan's mastery over its own fate has such profound meaning. It is also why the TSU has such great responsibility.?
Of course the TSU has many problems. We need to be honest. The TSU today does not have what it takes to fulfill the historical mission that the public has given it.?
The TSU needs to be completely and thoroughly over-hauled from top to bottom. It needs to overhaul not only its values, but its whole organization. It may also have to change its name to present the public with a new look and crystal-clear values.
Many far-sighted people and organizations are already working hard to break the polarization of Taiwan's political parties and the nation's development problems.?I say, with utmost good faith, that I am ready to work hand in hand with those people and organizations.
I would also like to call on everyone who loves Taiwan to join the TSU in undertaking the historical mission of transcending the political warfare between the pan-blue and pan-green camps, the ethnic differences and the historical tragedy and work on creating a new era in Taiwanese history.
Huang Kun-huei is chairman of the Taiwan Solidarity Union.
Translated by Michael Fahey
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