Bankrupt borrowers
Greek voters have rejected the bailout proposal. What now? The big question is what if someone simply does not have the money to pay their debt? What is happening to Greece is similar to the American real-estate crash.
A common story is that a borrower buys a home, then loses a job or becomes seriously ill, or some other circumstance beyond their control renders the borrower without the money to pay the mortgage. What then? Debtors’ prison? Even jailing the borrower won’t get the lender the money owed. Even if the lender negotiates a lesser payment, it is still a loss. The lender could evict the person without jailing them, but that will not get the lender the money owed either.
Some local law enforcement agencies have even refused to carry out evictions. What if I loan someone money and that person simply can not pay it back? What to do? Whatever the solution, our economic system is simply not working.
Andres Chang
Taipei
Gay marriage corrections
I am writing to respond to comments with reference to my July 8 opinion piece on same-sex marriage (“Marriage ruling in US inspires skepticis,” July 8, page 8).
I make two corrections. It is with the exceptions of Israel and South Africa that no country in Asia or Africa recognize same-sex marriage. Also, I stated that 36 states legislated statutes to validate same-sex marriage. In actuality, 19 legalized same-sex marriage by federal court decision, 14 by statute or referendum, and five by state court decision. The editors additionally made some revisions that deviated from my original word choices and expression.
One reader alleges that the article takes a fallacious position based upon argumentum ad populam (“appeal to the people”). However, many critical comments, including his, employ the same approach. This includes citing “massive celebrations and parades” with respect to supporters of same-sex marriage or “out-of-the-trend perspective” regarding the opposition.
Understanding public opinion is an important part of maintaining democracy and political stability. And in truth, there remains no consensus on the issue. Rather than vilifying the opposition, which includes 39 percent of Americans (CNN/ORC) and 45 percent of Taiwanese (TVBS), as “embarrassing” or “shameful,” groups should respect each other’s differences and build consensus by encouraging open and robust debate. The Obergefell case was decided by a 5-4 margin and reversed the original holding by the Court of Appeals.
It is my view that some basic or fundamental gender roles, adaptable to the needs of different places and times, represent the cornerstone of a family, and also, societal stability. A society need not promote same-sex marriage by institutionalizing it, in particular through a court decision that relies on little real juridical basis. Indeed, behavior and relationships belong to a protected individual sphere, but the levels of marriage, family, and positive social mores should, to some extent, be regulated publicly.
For instance, if laws today permitted child marriage, polygamy, or incest, would they not be more popular in practice? I therefore speculate whether US Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy’s broad standard of “They ask for equal dignity in the eyes of the law. The Constitution grants them that right” should be similarly applicable to those relations in future court rulings. The comments seem to disagree.
Alfred Tsai
New York
Recently, China launched another diplomatic offensive against Taiwan, improperly linking its “one China principle” with UN General Assembly Resolution 2758 to constrain Taiwan’s diplomatic space. After Taiwan’s presidential election on Jan. 13, China persuaded Nauru to sever diplomatic ties with Taiwan. Nauru cited Resolution 2758 in its declaration of the diplomatic break. Subsequently, during the WHO Executive Board meeting that month, Beijing rallied countries including Venezuela, Zimbabwe, Belarus, Egypt, Nicaragua, Sri Lanka, Laos, Russia, Syria and Pakistan to reiterate the “one China principle” in their statements, and assert that “Resolution 2758 has settled the status of Taiwan” to hinder Taiwan’s
Can US dialogue and cooperation with the communist dictatorship in Beijing help avert a Taiwan Strait crisis? Or is US President Joe Biden playing into Chinese President Xi Jinping’s (習近平) hands? With America preoccupied with the wars in Europe and the Middle East, Biden is seeking better relations with Xi’s regime. The goal is to responsibly manage US-China competition and prevent unintended conflict, thereby hoping to create greater space for the two countries to work together in areas where their interests align. The existing wars have already stretched US military resources thin, and the last thing Biden wants is yet another war.
As Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu’s party won by a landslide in Sunday’s parliamentary election, it is a good time to take another look at recent developments in the Maldivian foreign policy. While Muizzu has been promoting his “Maldives First” policy, the agenda seems to have lost sight of a number of factors. Contemporary Maldivian policy serves as a stark illustration of how a blend of missteps in public posturing, populist agendas and inattentive leadership can lead to diplomatic setbacks and damage a country’s long-term foreign policy priorities. Over the past few months, Maldivian foreign policy has entangled itself in playing
A group of Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) lawmakers led by the party’s legislative caucus whip Fu Kun-chi (?) are to visit Beijing for four days this week, but some have questioned the timing and purpose of the visit, which demonstrates the KMT caucus’ increasing arrogance. Fu on Wednesday last week confirmed that following an invitation by Beijing, he would lead a group of lawmakers to China from Thursday to Sunday to discuss tourism and agricultural exports, but he refused to say whether they would meet with Chinese officials. That the visit is taking place during the legislative session and in the aftermath