Character counts
I suggest public and televised debates between the candidates running for the March election. A candidate's character should be of utmost importance to the voters and questioning a politician's character should not be considered just another part of the campaign circus.
How can a public servant starting fsrom a modest beginning amass billions of US dollars during his lifetime? Who paid the price along the way? Many people have paid with their lives.
When would be a better time to raise the issue? Are there not 10 times more issues being raised in the presidential campaigns in the US? A dispute over a candidate's character would not be considered a circus in the US.
Thomas Liu
Los Alamitos, California
US only serves itself
David Evseeff accuses people who criticize the Bush administration for rebuking President Chen Shui-bian's (
The ignorance and arrogance of a lot of American people are equally astonishing. To put the entire Taiwan-China issue in perspective, almost certainly the US government would not shed a tear and no American soldiers will die for Taiwan if Taiwan was attacked, should there be absolutely no "national interests" of the US to consider.
Let's put it bluntly: The US president will decide whether or not to sacrifice the lives of US soldiers based on the need, as the No. 1 priority, to protect the US' national interests.
The lives and well-being of others, like the Taiwanese, and the so-called universal values of democracy, freedom and respect of fundamental human rights are sometimes very distant secondary considerations for the US administration.
When the US could find no weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, to justify its invasion and occupation, US President George W. Bush said he was expanding democracy. Three weeks later, he was telling democratically elected Chen that he and his people could not exercise their democratic rights.
Yes, we all know this is not an ideal world, but it does not mean that the fate and lives of Taiwanese people must be dictated by American interests only. It is only fair that we all abide by the democratic process and allow the Taiwanese people to voice their support for or displeasure with their political candidates at the ballot box. Likewise, Americans can judge their own political leaders and ask themselves whether they can tolerate the double standards being applied to other people.
What troubles me most is that some American people, especially the bureaucrats in the State Department and the National Security Council, are turning a blind eye on the bully who is constantly building his arms arsenal and explicitly harassing Taiwan with its arms buildup.
And to make matters even worse, they were convinced the PRC is maintaining the so-called "status quo," while Taiwan is not, just because of the democratic process allowing people to express their displeasure.
Does any American really believe Bush would send young American soldiers to fight for Taiwan if it does not serve America's interests?
I trust Chen and a whole lot of Taiwanese people can clearly see the big picture.
It is indeed a cruel world. Don't ever trust anyone who keeps telling you they are doing things for no one else but you. Trust your own intelligence and keep your eyes open and alert all the time, because you don't know when you will be sold out. But be grateful when true friends come to your aid when in need.
If Taiwanese people continue to pursue true democracy and respect for human rights for all, I am confident you will find lots of friends in the world, as these are true values to ordinary people, although they only provide self-serving political tools to politicians. The biggest democracy on earth, the US, makes no difference at all.
James Chou
Vancouver, British
Columbia
Two major Chinese Communist Party (CCP)-People’s Liberation Army (PLA) power demonstrations in November 2024 highlight the urgency for Taiwan to pursue a military buildup and deterrence agenda that can take back control of its destiny. First, the CCP-PLA’s planned future for Taiwan of war, bloody suppression, and use as a base for regional aggression was foreshadowed by the 9th and largest PLA-Russia Joint Bomber Exercise of Nov. 29 and 30. It was double that of previous bomber exercises, with both days featuring combined combat strike groups of PLA Air Force and Russian bombers escorted by PLAAF and Russian fighters, airborne early warning
For three years and three months, Taiwan’s bid to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) has remained stalled. On Nov. 29, members meeting in Vancouver agreed to establish a working group for Costa Rica’s entry — the fifth applicant in line — but not for Taiwan. As Taiwan’s prospects for CPTPP membership fade due to “politically sensitive issues,” what strategy should it adopt to overcome this politically motivated economic exclusion? The situation is not entirely dim; these challenges offer an opportunity to reimagine the export-driven country’s international trade strategy. Following the US’ withdrawal from the Trans-Pacific Partnership
Since the end of former president Ma Ying-jeou’s (馬英九) administration, the Ma Ying-jeou Foundation has taken Taiwanese students to visit China and invited Chinese students to Taiwan. Ma calls those activities “cross-strait exchanges,” yet the trips completely avoid topics prohibited by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), such as democracy, freedom and human rights — all of which are universal values. During the foundation’s most recent Chinese student tour group, a Fudan University student used terms such as “China, Taipei” and “the motherland” when discussing Taiwan’s recent baseball victory. The group’s visit to Zhongshan Girls’ High School also received prominent coverage in
Late on Tuesday evening, South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol declared martial law. A BBC analysis cited as reasons the opposition parties’ majority in the National Assembly, their continued boycott of the national budget and the impeachment of key officials and prosecutors, leading to frequent government gridlock. During the years that Taiwan and South Korea traveled the road to democratization, our countries hit many potholes. Taiwan cannot return to the Martial Law era. Despite the similarities in our authoritarian past, Yoon’s political travails are far removed from the issues Taiwan faces. Yoon’s actions are a wake-up call to the world about
RSS