Clearing up misconceptions
Is there an unfortunate misunderstanding about German politics and history among some Taiwanese?
After two of us had to clarify the path Germany took to abolish the death penalty, (“Real deal behind abolition,” March 17, 2011, page 8), we now have to clarify a misrepresentation of the anti-nuclear stance of Germany’s Green Party (“Anti-nuclear protesters confronted by Taipower ‘thug’ police: DPP lawmaker,” Sept. 10, page 3).
Contrary to allegations made in an article on Taipower’s Web site, the German Green Party was partly founded by people emerging from the popular anti-nuclear movement formed during the 1970s. It always had a staunch and unwavering anti-nuclear platform, and, most importantly, has been a key factor in pushing Germany toward a path of sustainable energy based on clean renewable energy and away from dirty coal and potentially calamitous nuclear fuel.
Germany is now a world leader in producing and installing renewable energy, such as wind power, thanks in large part to the Green Party’s insistence of giving clean energy a chance during its stay of power in German’s national government in the early 2000s.
Moreover, it was the current center-right German government which officially ended the use of nuclear power in Germany after the Fukushima accident struck because, according to various opinion polls, almost 80 percent of the German population supported an abolition of all nuclear power.
Consequently, the conservative government under Chancellor Merkel felt that it had no other choice but to withdraw its support.
Therefore, it is laughable to suggest that the German Green Party lost elections because of its anti-nuclear stance. Rather, it won several elections because of it, including a historic win in Baden-Wurttemberg in March last year which ousted the ruling pro-nuclear center-right coalition after six uninterrupted decades in power.
There are many arguments to be made against nuclear energy (“Nuclear is no answer,” March 28, 2011, page 8) which we do not want to rehash here.
Just one reminder: More loss of land and suffering of people was caused by the Fukushima disaster than could ever be gained by winning sovereignty over the Diaoyutai Islands (釣魚台), which take up so much of the media’s attention at the moment — but then the media’s attention is always easily diverted.
What we hope for is that all the nations of the world, including Taiwan, will embrace the path toward clean energy adopted by Germany, Denmark and other countries which clearly illustrates that countries can gain energy independence and security while being economically successful without having to pollute the planet for centuries or even millennia to come.
Bruno Walther,Taipei
Linda Arrigo,Taipei
Peter Chang,Taipei
Jens Damm,Tainan
Paul Jobin,Taipei
David Reid,Taradale, Australia
Scott Simon,Ottawa,Canada
Thorsten Spath,Taipei
Gunter Whittome,Taipei
As part of its relentless pursuit of hegemony, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and its People’s Liberation Army (PLA) are now sustaining two regional wars while threatening further arms races that shift the global balance of power in order for the CCP to advance its ultimate objective. Russia’s and Iran’s war efforts are being materially supported by Chinese supplies of drone components and missile fuels. So far in 2026, such Chinese support has enabled a 60 percent increase in civilian casualties in Ukraine caused by long-range Russian weapons such as missiles and drones from January to June 2026 compared with the same
Taiwan is home to thousands of foreign residents who build careers, families and lives here. However, what happens when one of those residents loses the ability to prove his identity — not because he has broken Taiwan’s laws, but because his own government refuses to renew his passport? That is the situation my husband, Matteo (not his real name), a Nicaraguan national, has found himself in. After about three years of attempts to renew his passport, our future in Taiwan remains uncertain. It all comes back to Taiwan’s giant geopolitical issue: the multitude of countries cutting diplomatic ties with Taiwan
A controversial fenced-in smoking area installed near Taipei’s Gongguan (公館) shopping district was dismantled on Wednesday last week after it was widely ridiculed for looking like a dog cage and for being ineffective at blocking secondhand smoke. The Gongguan smoking area, which is part of Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an’s (蔣萬安) push for a smoke-free city, was removed in less than 10 days after its installation, while six others were removed on the same day. City councilors have continued to question other designated smoking areas in the city, including open-air spaces enclosed by potted plants, or areas in parking lots marked by only
The devastation in Tibet from flooding caused by a glacial collapse in the Himalayas was immediate and profound. Entire communities were left in shock, families were torn apart and countless lives were disrupted. That was followed by deafening silence from the Chinese authorities. No official tally of the missing, no acknowledgment of the dead — only a void filled with rumor, grief and suspicion. Disasters demand transparency. The first responsibility of the state is to inform its citizens of the scale of tragedy. By withholding that information, Beijing reduces Tibetan lives to abstractions, erasing their suffering from public record. The refusal to
RSS