Former DPP chairman Shih Ming-te's (
Dreaming of a Greater China and calling for direct links across the Taiwan Strait, Shih veered away from the DPP's political platform several years ago and he eventually left the party. Surely Shih's chances of winning in December are as slim as those of another former DPP chairman, Hsu Hsin-liang (
movement.
Politicians usually have a strong sense of mission as well as a strong desire for power. It is distressing, however, to see the almost suicidal inclinations of Taiwan's older generation of politicians, no matter what their ideology. In mature democracies, politicians are often take on a completely different role once they leave office -- Jimmy Carter's globetrotting for the Carter Center's programs for peace and better health around the world is a prime example. But for Taiwan's activists and politicians, politics is their lifeblood. A rare exception to the rule so far is former DPP chairman Lin I-hsiung (
The early opposition leaders paid a heavy price for their devotion to democracy. Shih spent more than two decades in prison because of the Kaohsiung Incident. Hsu was blacklisted by the KMT and forced into exile for more than a decade. But now most of the ideals they fought for for so long for have become reality and the party they struggled to build is now in power. Giving orders and engaging in conflict are part and parcel of their personalities, not following orders and coordinating with others. At odds with the current party leadership, they can only search for another battlefield.
But is not just Shih and Hsu who can't let go of politics. Former president Lee Teng-hui (
Shih's defeat in last year's legislative elections highlighted the gap between his views and those of the general public. His chances in the Kaohsiung mayoral race are even slimmer. Only the "pan blue" camp stands to benefit from the situation. It looks as if political ideals have lost out to personal grudges in Taiwanese politics once again.
The gutting of Voice of America (VOA) and Radio Free Asia (RFA) by US President Donald Trump’s administration poses a serious threat to the global voice of freedom, particularly for those living under authoritarian regimes such as China. The US — hailed as the model of liberal democracy — has the moral responsibility to uphold the values it champions. In undermining these institutions, the US risks diminishing its “soft power,” a pivotal pillar of its global influence. VOA Tibetan and RFA Tibetan played an enormous role in promoting the strong image of the US in and outside Tibet. On VOA Tibetan,
Sung Chien-liang (宋建樑), the leader of the Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) efforts to recall Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Lee Kun-cheng (李坤城), caused a national outrage and drew diplomatic condemnation on Tuesday after he arrived at the New Taipei City District Prosecutors’ Office dressed in a Nazi uniform. Sung performed a Nazi salute and carried a copy of Adolf Hitler’s Mein Kampf as he arrived to be questioned over allegations of signature forgery in the recall petition. The KMT’s response to the incident has shown a striking lack of contrition and decency. Rather than apologizing and distancing itself from Sung’s actions,
US President Trump weighed into the state of America’s semiconductor manufacturing when he declared, “They [Taiwan] stole it from us. They took it from us, and I don’t blame them. I give them credit.” At a prior White House event President Trump hosted TSMC chairman C.C. Wei (魏哲家), head of the world’s largest and most advanced chip manufacturer, to announce a commitment to invest US$100 billion in America. The president then shifted his previously critical rhetoric on Taiwan and put off tariffs on its chips. Now we learn that the Trump Administration is conducting a “trade investigation” on semiconductors which
By now, most of Taiwan has heard Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an’s (蔣萬安) threats to initiate a vote of no confidence against the Cabinet. His rationale is that the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP)-led government’s investigation into alleged signature forgery in the Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) recall campaign constitutes “political persecution.” I sincerely hope he goes through with it. The opposition currently holds a majority in the Legislative Yuan, so the initiation of a no-confidence motion and its passage should be entirely within reach. If Chiang truly believes that the government is overreaching, abusing its power and targeting political opponents — then