Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Chairperson Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) met US Deputy Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Thursday for an exchange of ideas on Taiwan-US relations. She also met senior officials of the US Department of State, the US National Security Council, the US Department of Defense and the Office of the US Trade Representative. In addition, on arrival at Washington National Airport, she was met by Department of State officials to ensure things went smoothly.
A president’s duties include national defense and diplomacy, and the US is a major part of international relations. Tsai has yet to enter office, and she has already sought to address half of the president’s duties.
Apparently, veteran political activist Shih Ming-te (施明德) is none too happy with Tsai, characterizing himself as a previous DPP chairman belonging to what he calls the “hoe faction,” as opposed to Tsai, whom he places in the “sickle faction.” The hoe is a metaphor for a man tending fields, just as a president is supposed to take care of international relations.
However, why has Shih not made a trip to the US himself to differentiate his position from Tsai’s and allow Taiwanese to see what he has to offer?
Taiwan’s transition to a democracy was a collective achievement, by ordinary people. Individuals were imprisoned during the process, but the majority was not, and it is not the case that the contribution of those who were imprisoned was necessarily greater.
The end of the so-called “10,000-year legislature” — in which legislators elected in China were never subject to re-election in Taiwan — was brought about by the Wild Lily Student Movement, none of whom were ever imprisoned. Former president Lee Teng-hui (李登輝), who bested conservative forces within the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT), was never jailed for his efforts.
If there is a discussion about who made what contribution, there is no need to compare who spent time in jail for how long. If Shih insists incarceration is the only true measure of contribution to the democratic movement, it is he who is the “great sickle.”
Many people have found themselves behind bars, but only a few have had political resources. For those who have been jailed, but who do not enjoy Shih’s access to political resources, Shih is a “sickle.”
Taiwan is a strange place. Political activists do not seek to blame conservative forces: They prefer to imagine that Taiwanese somehow owe them.
Today, people in Taiwan choosing their leaders care little for how much these individuals contributed in the past; voters are more interested in what they can do in the future. Those seeking office use their achievements in attempts to secure the trust of the electorate.
Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) was elected, not because he was unaffiliated with any particular political party, but rather because he was a doctor at National Taiwan University Hospital and his work there had earned him their trust.
Tsai represents the DPP as its presidential candidate because her academic accomplishments have won her the electorate’s approval. If her previous work was poor, chances are nobody would have confidence in her ability.
Shih has the right to vie for the presidency. He should be telling voters what he can do for the nation. The electorate has chosen him before, to serve as a legislator. If he wants to move on to the next stage, he should be telling the electorate about the laws he proposed and his achievements.
Chen Mao-hsiung is an adjunct professor at National Sun Yat-sen University and chairman of the Society for the Promotion of Taiwanese Security.
Translated by Paul Cooper
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