Sun, May 27, 2001 page8

• Letters:

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  Nuclear option is no option

  Erik J. Leklem [Missile article off-target, May 16, page 8] is entirely correct that a Chinese ICBM could not hit a moving target such as a US carrier battle group, and therefore would not deter its use. But even if a Chinese ICBM could miraculously hit the carrier group, it would still be useless for that purpose Chinese nuclear attack against an American carrier group would certainly provoke a nuclear response that would end the existence of the Chinese government. Therefore this attack will never occur. It is equally unrealistic to ask, as is frequently done, whether the US would "sacrifice Los Angeles to save Taipei." The question for the Chinese leadership is whether they would, for the sake of attacking Los Angeles, sacrifice their government and their personal existences. Clearly they would not. Chinese nuclear weapons, like American nuclear weapons, are useful only to deter other nations' use of nuclear weapons. It is nonsense to talk of them being used for any other purpose.

  Robert Sherman

  Director, Nuclear Security Project, Federation of American Scientists,

  Washington DC

  KMT's self-destruction drive

  I read with interest your front page article about the former ruling party's new PR campaign, "KMT continues self-promotion" [May 22]. Surely you meant self-destruction? Chiang Ching-kuo (蔣經國) was arguably more popular among Taiwanese than Sun Yat-sen (孫逸仙) -- at least among those whose relatives were not victims of White Terror. And he did do many noble things, most important of which was to put the party in the hands of Lee Teng-hui (李登輝). So I can see why the KMT would want to use his image in their PR campaign. Even a deceased former despot has got to have more charisma than its current chairman. I just wonder what the DPP's counterpunch is going to be. That Elvis is alive and well, last seen with CCK deep in the heart of China?

  Anthony Lawrance

  Taipei

  Assessment nearly correct

  The recent assessment of Chen Shui-bian's (陳水扁) political milestone was quite well done. [May 20] Taiwan's multi-party political system is surprisingly in its infancy, and it's clear how important it was for the public to elect a new government. Great leaps and strides have been taken to strengthen Taiwan, and indeed, the president should be applauded for these measures.

  Despite the critical and thoughtful editorials concerning Chen's government, it appears that the media in general has not painted a full picture of the president's impact on Taiwan. The one-year anniversary edition seemed more like a postmortem, and perhaps it would make considerable sense if the media had taken a look at how people actually felt about the new presidency. This is a problem associated with the publishing medium and is not, to be certain, a fault of the commentaries themselves. The documented successes and failures of the government and its politicians have reached a critical mass and is slowly hinting at a massive fissure in the general constituency's spirit -- a gap that is gradually becoming deeper and wider. This break was not strictly caused by any particular political force or movement. It was caused by a heavy wedge that some social commentators might call a false social narrative.

  The idea of a meta-narrative that holds us up, ties us through difficult times, and retains our hopes, was immediately lost when postmodernism abruptly landed on Taiwan's doorstep. The lingering remnants of religion, humanism, or even honest politics were lost in the fall. Unavoidably exposed to the extended arms of the lifestyle spin doctors while embracing new found prosperity, the overhanging ideas that once kept this culture together have been pierced -- its supporting sub-narratives grew too large for its frame. Sub-narratives such as wealth, power, sex, or status are harmful to our culture if they become our only narrative. And this is the state of our lives, where we find ourselves isolated in a spiritual landscape. It shouldn't take Chen's anniversary to initiate these sentiments, but at the end of the day it does.

  Criticizing the engagement of material possessions (is there any "real" need for customized cell phones and scooters?) and the vulgarity of the money obsessed [is there any "real" need for a luxury-class car with a V8 fuel injection engine when no one drives beyond 100kph?] is an easy strawman. The president, surely enough, cannot be blamed for this turn of events. However, politicians by definition are responsible for the overall health of the citizens that voted them in, which by extension implies that they can never be exculpated. The very fact that citizens are willing to forgive or even forget about prominent leaders -- as long as they don't interfere with citizens' private interests [namely the obscene struggle to accumulate wealth] -- is proof that our culture is on the brink, encouraged in all the wrong areas and discouraged from all of the right ones.

  The missing question in the media's analysis was not whether or not Chen and VP Annette Lu (呂秀蓮) could move Taiwan toward a knowledge-based economy. The question that was lacking was whether or not their constituency was, in general, happier and more fulfilled as human beings. Gauging optimism is a minor task in a much larger project. Understanding and actively listening to each and every citizen is a call to arms for Taiwan's politicians, and no less a warning beacon for the time when citizens will again hand over their trust, their hopes, and eventually their spirits, without holding politicians accountable. Even though the political options are expanding, one should be weary of false promises in a multi-party system of government, a system that is also a broken and disenchanted narrative. Sooner or later, after stubbing our toes on postmodernism's non-achievements too many times, we will learn to humbly rebuild what we lost when our social narratives crumbled.

  Sydney C.K. Wong

  Lukang
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