Zimbardo and Boyd believe that some Islamic suicide bombers think like this. They believe in the attainment of a perfect life at some point in the future and consider suicide attacks necessary to facilitate the realization of that vision.
Ma’s lack of memory regarding the past animosity between the KMT and the CCP means that he has positive and optimistic memories of the past. This can be seen in his immense goodwill toward China regardless of the cost.
Ma’s view is that all benefits exist in the future and that all disagreements should be forgotten, to the point that the military has stopped using live ammunition in exercises. He may even see the rise of China as an entirely positive thing.
Unfortunately, it appears as though Ma has moved from one extreme — blocking all deals with China — to another, namely gambling Taiwan’s future on developing a healthy relationship with China. In this context, an ECFA provides an important litmus test for his view of the future. Ultimately, if Ma is unable to deal with such a “soft” issue as an ECFA, China is unlikely to ever trust him to handle “hard” issues like political negotiations?
It is good for a country’s leadership to govern with an eye on the future. However, plans for the future must not be based on subjective or overly optimistic ideas. The past offers us many lessons that we absolutely must learn from. Future power requires in-depth knowledge of history, because the past holds many clues to the future.
Indeed, our current actions only become meaningful when carefully thought as part of a plan for the future, with goals set accordingly. Taiwan would benefit greatly if the ruling and opposition parties, as well as society in general, learned how to make the best use of the future power.
Ji Shun-jie is an assistant professor at Tamkang University’s Graduate Institute of Future Studies.
TRANSLATED BY DREW CAMERON
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