Today we bid farewell to the Year of the Horse. Taiwan's accomplishments have been few and far between in the past year. Compared to other Asian countries, which are galloping like horses, Taiwan has been as slow as a mule.
Muckraking and wars of words continue to beset the political world. The government's reform efforts are hindered at every turn by the opposition's arm-twisting. The economy hasn't regained its vitality and the future is uncertain. Unemployment remains at a record high and continues to be a cause of discontent.
The media and the legislature are sources of social chaos. Everyone hates the vicious grandstanding acts of politicians and yet many dimwits in the media allow themselves to be used by such people, providing them with a stage on which to perform, instead of seeking to be a venue for the facts. Everyone complains about the media's bias, sensationalism and mismanagement, yet the public's strong voyeuristic desires allow poor-quality media to survive.
However, the legislature and media are simply a reflection of the society and culture here -- as they are all over the world. People elect the kind of representatives that reflect their desires and beliefs. The media develop according to the tastes of the audience. We cannot blame anyone else unless we reflect on ourselves and have the guts to use concrete action and votes to resist manipulation by the media and politicians.
Just look at South Korea's accomplishments in the Year of the Horse. Its economy rebounded strongly, it successfully co-hosted the World Cup in June, hosted the Asian Games in September and held a presidential election in December. These events helped the South Koreans rebuild their confidence.
Lee Kun Hee, chairman of the Samsung group once told his workers: "Replace everything except your wife." He wanted Samsung's employees to be continuously innovative and face up to the rapidly changing international economic environment. Innovation is as important to a nation's development as it is to running a business.
In contrast to the South Koreans' spirit of working hard to excel themselves, the people of Taiwan have sought simply to maintain their status quo. Such an attitude is cause for worry. Every country in the world is changing rapidly and Taiwan must too. The Taiwanese want to be their own masters and yet they do not want to change their status quo. They want to join the UN, but they dare not call themselves an independent nation.
The nation has chosen the path of democracy and must move forward courageously. The voters chose the reformist DPP and there is no reason to revert to the conservative, stultified KMT days.
The nation has fallen behind and now runs the risk of becoming a third-rate country if people do not work hard to catch up. It is time the ruling and opposition parties agree to end the political gridlock that has kept this nation hog-tied for more almost three years.
The Year of the Horse is ending. Hopefully, the Year of the Goat will tame the chaos and turmoil, allow society to gain some peace and harmony and help the government to work to improve the economy.
Only by revitalizing the economy can the government regain the people's faith and their support for its reform efforts. Only by revitalizing its economy can Taiwan ensure its future.
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