Johnny Neihu's Mailbag

Saturday, Mar 17, 2007, Page 8

Tolerance of the weak

Dear Johnny,
Here's my support for you to continue writing under a pseudonym. What many people don't realize is that a short time ago, doing otherwise would have landed you an extended holiday on a prison island. As for propaganda, any media studies student past his first week could tell you that no media outlet is entirely objective or without a mission statement of some kind. The Taipei Times clearly states its position, which is a bit more honest than TVBS, the Apple Daily and CNN.

Speaking of which, CNN's Anjali Rao came up very short when Hong Kong Chief Executive Donald Tsang (曾蔭權) challenged her to name a country where the media are freer than in Hong Kong. The obvious answer, Taiwan, never came. After your critique of Mr "Wo zai xiang ni" himself last week ("Hey Mr Rice-Planter: Rectify this," March 10, page 8), what better example of free and critical reporting could have been given and in what other country can a newspaper like the China Post publish what can only be described as pro-Beijing propaganda?

A situation in which the majority of a country's population can be fearmongered into accepting an imported sense of nationality through politically manipulated -- and foreign-owned -- media is a testament to extraordinary tolerance only possible under a democracy, rather than an indictment of it.

Your thoughts?

Ben Goren
Taiwan Defense Force
International Martyrs

Johnny replies: These last weeks have been difficult for me. The night after this newspaper published that reader's letter saying that Johnny Neihu is a fake and that my columns should not be written, I came home and lay down in bed, thinking about what it all meant, when my gal Cathy Pacific suddenly rolled over, looked at me square in the eye and said: "I feel like I don't really know you."

"Cathy," I said, after it dawned on me that she had seen the letter, "I'm the figment of a shameless mind. You cannot possibly begin to know me. Now get some sleep, for God's sake."

There's truth in what you say, Ben. But the question bounces back: How do you separate tolerance from being vulnerable to manipulation? The former suggests a society has a critical mass of reasonable people. But you say the majority of Taiwanese are unreasonable because they cannot withstand malicious propaganda. Are such people worth your advocacy, let alone martyrdom?

He's got a little list

Dear Johnny,
I'm an American teacher in Kaohsiung. I've lived in Taiwan for 12 years. I love your column and can't wait to get the paper on Saturday to read it. You are right on the money time and time again.

I also love your use of vocabulary. I have a series of word lists I teach my students, and you are always using those words so I can show them your column for examples of the words I'm teaching that are in print.

Don't let losers like Justin Robinette get you down (Johnny Neihu's Mailbag, March 10, page 8). Everyone I know here in Kaohsiung loves your column.

Rock on,

Paul

Johnny replies: I hope they're adult students, Paul, because with my language you could get into trouble if they're not. By the way, how many people do you know in Kaohsiung? There's gotta be a way I can make money out of this. How about: The Johnny Neihu Cram School -- "Get Neihu in your noggin."