Our pride — and shame
There is no political discourse about China without referencing Taiwan’s achievements in democracy and human rights.
Nevertheless, democracy and freedom of the press are considered to be gained at no cost and to sanction pursuing self-interests without any regard to the interests of others.
In particular, Taiwan’s political discussions lack any political culture.
An example of this is the repeated accusation that members of the opposite party act like “fascists.”
Former president Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) on Friday last week accused his successor of transforming “Taiwan into a fascist regime” (“Tsai is leading a fascist regime: Ma,” Sept. 1, page 3).
In all friendliness, I would ask the Harvard University law graduate: What fascist acts is President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) committing — planning a holocaust, establishing concentration camps, implementing a ban on the KMT?
Such things have been done by fascist regimes. How can you compare a holocaust with a (maybe wrong) budget procedure?
According to Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Lai Shyh-bao (賴士葆) last week, Taiwan is gradually becoming a dictatorship, like Germany under Adolf Hitler (“Three KMT legislators on hunger strike,” Aug. 31, page 3).
I would also ask: Why is a procedural rule (which is common) the same as Hitler’s enabling act that overruled the German constitution? Is there any law abolishing the Republic of China constitution?
Here is my primary question to the Taiwanese media: Why are Ma and Lai not confronted with the aforementioned questions at every meeting?
The students from Kuang Fu High School in Hsinchu, who made the same stupid mistake, have faced more critics in the Taiwanese media (“School’s Nazi costumes draw Israeli ire,” Dec. 25, 2016, page 1).
Some strange freaks are requesting the German Institute in Taipei to pay the nominal amount of some hundred billion worthless banknotes from 1920.
When the institute after many explanations refused the strange idea, these freaks protested against Germany in front of Taipei 101 — with of course a swastika flag.
Here is another example: Some people disagree with the pension plan.
Demonstrating is an important freedom — but demonstrations should address the correct authority, and rights should be exercised with care given to the rights of others.
However, why not hurt Taiwan’s reputation and the feelings of many others while disrespecting many athletes’ long years of training?
The best way to get media coverage while applying pressure was to block the Universiade (“Protests dominate first day of Games,” Aug. 20, page 1).
OK, the Universiade had nothing to do with pension reform, but that was not the demonstrators’ point.
The point was: Hurt the opposition as much as possible, destroy them and their reputation in order to pursue your personal interests.
An additional point was: Get media attention — in any situation, at any cost.
Here is the main problem underlying political discourse in Taiwan: There is no respect for the opposition parties or for alternative opinions.
This political behavior is the same as that of a boy playing on the playground: “I want, I want, I WANT, I WANT! I WANT!!!”
If people cannot fulfill their interests in legal ways, they will use any means for gaining their aims. If there is any damage to this nation along the way, it will never be a point under consideration.
There is only one thing for sure: In a few years, I will write an identical letter about the [Democratic Progressive Party] as the then-opposition party.
Claudius Petzold
New Taipei City
The bird flu outbreak at US dairy farms keeps finding alarming new ways to surprise scientists. Last week, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) confirmed that H5N1 is spreading not just from birds to herds, but among cows. Meanwhile, media reports say that an unknown number of cows are asymptomatic. Although the risk to humans is still low, it is clear that far more work needs to be done to get a handle on the reach of the virus and how it is being transmitted. That would require the USDA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to get
For the incoming Administration of President-elect William Lai (賴清德), successfully deterring a Chinese Communist Party (CCP) attack or invasion of democratic Taiwan over his four-year term would be a clear victory. But it could also be a curse, because during those four years the CCP’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) will grow far stronger. As such, increased vigilance in Washington and Taipei will be needed to ensure that already multiplying CCP threat trends don’t overwhelm Taiwan, the United States, and their democratic allies. One CCP attempt to overwhelm was announced on April 19, 2024, namely that the PLA had erred in combining major missions
On April 11, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida delivered a speech at a joint meeting of the US Congress in Washington, in which he said that “China’s current external stance and military actions present an unprecedented and the greatest strategic challenge … to the peace and stability of the international community.” Kishida emphasized Japan’s role as “the US’ closest ally.” “The international order that the US worked for generations to build is facing new challenges,” Kishida said. “I understand it is a heavy burden to carry such hopes on your shoulders,” he said. “Japan is already standing shoulder to shoulder
Former president Chiang Ching-kuo (蔣經國) used to push for reforms to protect Taiwan by adopting the “three noes” policy as well as “Taiwanization.” Later, then-president Lee Teng-hui (李登輝) wished to save the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) by pushing for the party’s “localization,” hoping to compete with homegrown political parties as a pro-Taiwan KMT. However, the present-day members of the KMT do not know what they are talking about, and do not heed the two former presidents’ words, so the party has suffered a third consecutive defeat in the January presidential election. Soon after gaining power with the help of the KMT’s