The National Geographic Channel recently ran a special report on the search for Sharbat Gula, the "mystery Afghan girl" who first appeared on the cover of National Geographic in 1985. Years later, the expression in her terror-filled eyes remains unchanged -- as if she is still accusing the merciless land.
Even as we absorbed the shock of her new photos and sad story, however, a series of earthquakes on March 25 killed hundreds of people in northern Afghanistan and caused massive damage. In the course of the continuing Afghan tragedy, comparisons between reality and illusion and life and death have highlighted certain myths about human existence. The tragedy also carries great significance, not least as a test of people's sense of identity within society and a reflection of the hardships faced by a culture.
Taiwan is engulfed in a war of words, following the disclosure of the National Security Bureau's (NSB) secret accounts. The war has focused on the leaking of information, national security and press freedom. The leaks have pitted supporters of former president Lee Teng-hui (李登輝) and PFP Chairman James Soong (宋楚瑜) against each other. It has also become the focus of tension among different ethnic groups and reopened historical wounds. It is also a rehash of old political battles, as the ruling camp tries to extend its power and the opposition camp tries to gain power.
Scholars Theodor Adorno and Max Horkheimer long ago pointed out that "nothing is natural about our memories, that the past -- the practices, the habits, the dates and facts and places, the very furniture of our existence -- is an artifice, and one susceptible of the most varied and sometimes of the most guilty manipulations."
As globalization progresses, perhaps we already live in a world in which people share the same sorrows.
In the mid-20th century, the "progressive ideal" was replaced by "crisis discourse." Beginning in the late 20th century, we experienced "trauma discourse" not only in hospitals but in daily life. From natural disasters to wars and the collapse of trust between people, these traumas have shaken the fundamental beliefs of human existence. Moreover, our sufferings are not caused directly by the traumas themselves. Rather, they are caused by people being disabused of the illusion that the social system is able to guarantee our safety. Traumas have reminded us that our society is in fact very fragile.
If there is any form of inspiration to be drawn from the war in Afghanistan, the 228 Incident, the 921 earthquake, Typhoon Nari and the NSB leaks, it is perhaps that discussion of such traumas is a good way to reduce the pain they cause. It is therefore important to listen to and be constantly concerned about the victims of these traumas.
In Taiwan's society, over-whelmed as it is by information and consumerism, news broadcasting in a fast-food style and the settlement of political mat-ters by duel are all too common. How much damage can our society afford in the face of today's conflicts?
Lin Yaw-sheng is an assistant professor in the department of psychology of Kaohsiung Medical University.
Concerns that the US might abandon Taiwan are often overstated. While US President Donald Trump’s handling of Ukraine raised unease in Taiwan, it is crucial to recognize that Taiwan is not Ukraine. Under Trump, the US views Ukraine largely as a European problem, whereas the Indo-Pacific region remains its primary geopolitical focus. Taipei holds immense strategic value for Washington and is unlikely to be treated as a bargaining chip in US-China relations. Trump’s vision of “making America great again” would be directly undermined by any move to abandon Taiwan. Despite the rhetoric of “America First,” the Trump administration understands the necessity of
US President Donald Trump’s challenge to domestic American economic-political priorities, and abroad to the global balance of power, are not a threat to the security of Taiwan. Trump’s success can go far to contain the real threat — the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) surge to hegemony — while offering expanded defensive opportunities for Taiwan. In a stunning affirmation of the CCP policy of “forceful reunification,” an obscene euphemism for the invasion of Taiwan and the destruction of its democracy, on March 13, 2024, the People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) used Chinese social media platforms to show the first-time linkage of three new
The military is conducting its annual Han Kuang exercises in phases. The minister of national defense recently said that this year’s scenarios would simulate defending the nation against possible actions the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) might take in an invasion of Taiwan, making the threat of a speculated Chinese invasion in 2027 a heated agenda item again. That year, also referred to as the “Davidson window,” is named after then-US Indo-Pacific Command Admiral Philip Davidson, who in 2021 warned that Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) had instructed the PLA to be ready to invade Taiwan by 2027. Xi in 2017
If you had a vision of the future where China did not dominate the global car industry, you can kiss those dreams goodbye. That is because US President Donald Trump’s promised 25 percent tariff on auto imports takes an ax to the only bits of the emerging electric vehicle (EV) supply chain that are not already dominated by Beijing. The biggest losers when the levies take effect this week would be Japan and South Korea. They account for one-third of the cars imported into the US, and as much as two-thirds of those imported from outside North America. (Mexico and Canada, while