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Johnny Neihu's Mailbag

Not long forgotten

Dear Johnny,
I applaud your denunciation of France's kowtowing to the Chinese Communists ("Just follow the arrows and squeeze," Dec. 8, page 8). However, there are disappointing similarities between French President Nicolas Sarkozy's outright opposition to Taiwan's UN bid and the more ambiguous comments made by US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Thomas Christensen.
Christensen continues the Washington realpolitik tradition of preserving the "status quo" at all costs in warning against the dangers of Taiwan's UN referendum.
Even as the US rightly continues to sell advanced weapons systems to Taiwan, it also follows a pragmatic course that protects its financial interests in "one China."
However, Washington's insistence on continuing the current stalemate in cross-strait relations only ensures temporary security for Taiwanese. Tragically, such a policy fails to deal with the long-term, and increasingly severe, consequences of delaying official US and world recognition of the reality that the Republic of China on Taiwan exists as a self-governing country and has a right to do so.
The continuing US foreign policy charade not only leads to Taiwan's acceptance of questionable "friends" such as Yahya Jammeh of Gambia, but also allows Communist China to deploy ever more sophisticated military, economic and political threats against Taiwan, emboldening it to think that it can take such action with the acquiescence of other world powers.
A principled foreign policy would lead the US to openly ally itself with other rights-respecting governments, which would clearly include Taiwan. Of course, such a principled stance is unlikely to emerge out of Washington (or almost any other national capital) today.
In the meantime, the spectacle of Western Europe's condemnation of Taiwan's UN referendum should be carefully considered and not long forgotten by Taiwanese or Americans alike.
Mike Williams
Boulder, Colorado

Johnny replies : Dude, don't write me about this; start lobbying those Democratic presidential candidates!
Vulgar memories

Dear Johnny,
Enjoyed your article "Election 2008: The `sissy factor'" (Dec. 15, page 8).
As Taiwanese are ready to abandon the Democratic Progressive Party and elect a decent president, please keep your good work going.
We'll miss President Chen Shui-bian's (陳水扁) corruption, big mouth, low-class tricks, bad manners and provocation of social conflicts.
Your vulgar humor definitely helps us remember him and reminds us that we should not have another president like him.
Taiwan is moving forward and we'll leave President Chen in the past, where he lives.
Richard King
Indiana

Johnny replies : I can feel your pain, Richard (may I call you Dick?). Ever since the legislature shelved reserved spots for overseas Chinese, pompous expats such as yourself can no longer compete against full-time Taiwanese.
Relax, my sojourning friend, because while you suck on the teat of one free country, others will be doing their best to keep Taiwan free, too.
And you've got it all wrong: Just because Chen comes from what you would call a vulgar culture doesn't mean he has a sense of humor.
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