General Douglas McArthur once said "old soldiers never die, they just fade away." In Taiwan, however, an old soldier who refuses to fade away -- even if it is because his country needs him -- faces humiliation, injustice and betrayal. This has been proven by a series of appalling insults against former president and KMT chairman Lee Teng-hui (李登輝) that culminated by the KMT deciding to oust Lee yesterday.
The campaign of attrition and humiliation against Lee started the day the KMT lost the 2000 presidential election. Many of those who enjoyed a privileged life as cronies of the Chiang Kai-shek (
How sad to see the way Lee is thanked for leading this country and his party through countless political battles and victories -- battles that helped Taiwan achieve its miraculous democratic reforms.
The KMT has said that Lee's party membership was suspended because of his criticisms of the party and his endorsement of the Taiwan Solidarity Union (TSU). The problem is the KMT deserves all of Lee's criticisms and then some.
After the hard work Lee put in to give the party a "Taiwanese" identity and soul, the KMT has now reverted back into the "Chinese KMT." Party members and officials have been stampeding across the Taiwan Strait to pay homage to China's leadership. According to a report issued by the US think-tank Center for Strategic and International Studies, KMT members have been busy persuading Beijing's government to shut the door on dialogue with the Chen Shui-bian (
How ironic that the KMT now willingly kisses the feet of its old archenemy. But the irony does not end there, as the party has also rediscovered a brotherhood with James Soong (
The tolerance and generosity of the KMT and its chairman Lien Chan (
The KMT has reversed its position so many times since Lien became chairman that it is impossible to keep count. How can Lee not get upset seeing the destruction of his life's work? Why wouldn't he have endorsed the TSU, a party that promises to uphold a "Taiwan first" ideology?
Lee represents many things in which this country takes pride -- democracy and the "Taiwan first" ideology top that long list. By severing its ties with Lee, the KMT has turned its back on everything Lee stands for -- and so many people in Taiwan have fought and died for.
The recent passing of Taiwanese actress Barbie Hsu (徐熙媛), known to many as “Big S,” due to influenza-induced pneumonia at just 48 years old is a devastating reminder that the flu is not just a seasonal nuisance — it is a serious and potentially fatal illness. Hsu, a beloved actress and cultural icon who shaped the memories of many growing up in Taiwan, should not have died from a preventable disease. Yet her death is part of a larger trend that Taiwan has ignored for too long — our collective underestimation of the flu and our low uptake of the
For Taipei, last year was a particularly dangerous period, with China stepping up coercive pressures on Taiwan amid signs of US President Joe Biden’s cognitive decline, which eventually led his Democratic Party to force him to abandon his re-election campaign. The political drift in the US bred uncertainty in Taiwan and elsewhere in the Indo-Pacific region about American strategic commitment and resolve. With America deeply involved in the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, the last thing Washington wanted was a Taiwan Strait contingency, which is why Biden invested in personal diplomacy with China’s dictator Xi Jinping (習近平). The return of
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has long been a cornerstone of US foreign policy, advancing not only humanitarian aid but also the US’ strategic interests worldwide. The abrupt dismantling of USAID under US President Donald Trump ‘s administration represents a profound miscalculation with dire consequences for global influence, particularly in the Indo-Pacific. By withdrawing USAID’s presence, Washington is creating a vacuum that China is eager to fill, a shift that will directly weaken Taiwan’s international position while emboldening Beijing’s efforts to isolate Taipei. USAID has been a crucial player in countering China’s global expansion, particularly in regions where
Actress Barbie Hsu (徐熙媛), known affectionately as “Big S,” recently passed away from pneumonia caused by the flu. The Mandarin word for the flu — which translates to “epidemic cold” in English — is misleading. Although the flu tends to spread rapidly and shares similar symptoms with the common cold, its name easily leads people to underestimate its dangers and delay seeking medical treatment. The flu is an acute viral respiratory illness, and there are vaccines to prevent its spread and strengthen immunity. This being the case, the Mandarin word for “influenza” used in Taiwan should be renamed from the misleading