Wed, Feb 23, 2011 page8

• [ LETTERS ]

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  Is Taiwan the ‘Titanic’?

  Two consecutive editorials (“Racing down a slippery slope,” Feb. 18, page 8, and “Caution, there is danger ahead,” Feb. 19, page 8) give a stern warning against President Ma Ying-jeou’s (馬英九) China policy toward China.

  In spite of bad weather, poor light and hazardous road conditions, “Ma is practically driving at 200kph.”

  At such a speed, his license should be suspended indefinitely by the Control Yuan and/or the legislature.

  Ma is like “a blind man not afraid of guns” and “a man eating hastily and breaking his bowl,” in Taiwanese sayings.

  Ma should realize that the “one China” route is much more hazardous than the old Beiyi (北一) Road between Taipei and Yilan, because the former must pass through the Taiwan Strait, which was once called the “Black Water River” (黑水溝) — with many unknowns including strong currents and severe typhoons.

  It is a well-known fact that Ma has seldom kept his campaign promises and pledges. It must be pointed out that he is rebellious to his alma maters. He graduated from Jianguo (建國, meaning National Construction) High School, but his policy is auxiliary to China (附中, Normal University Auxiliary High School); he graduated from National Taiwan University (台大, meaning Taiwan Large), but he makes Taiwan small (台小); and he graduated from Harvard (哈佛, meaning admiring Buddha), but he admires China (哈中).

  Unless Ma and his followers immediately make a U-turn away from the route to “one China” with the “1992 consensus,” Taiwan, which has been known as “the unsinkable carrier,” will become the Titanic of the Taiwan Strait.

  CHARLES HONG

  Columbus, Ohio

  CCP hypocritical on rebels

  Almost a hundred years ago, the people of China toppled the last dynasty of China. The Qing Dynasty faced numerous natural disasters, famine, corruptions, internal unrest and foreign invasions that the government could not deal with properly.

  In 21st-century Tunisia and various other Northern African states, many parallels can be seen. Egypt faced widespread youth unemployment, low wages, high crime, government corruption and social injustice that were all comparable to late 19th and early 20th-century China.

  Today’s China is a highly polarized society in which the extremely wealthy and poor communities intermingle in many megacities. There is no doubt that corruption and oppression rage in China unbeknownst to most people on the outside of the “Great Firewall” of China, but judging from the recent crackdown on dissent across China, one can clearly draw a picture of an oppressive regime that is mobilizing its forces to quell its people.

  The question is, why?

  During the earlier days of the Chinese Communist Revolution (and even today), historical rebels were lauded instead of denounced as traitors. These were heroes of an earlier time who stood against oppressive regimes, such as Li Zicheng (李自成), who toppled the last Ming emperor. These figures were promoted to foster anti-monarchy sentiment and served as powerful propaganda for communist China.

  Yet today, Chinese authorities not only downplay the North African revolutionaries’ success, but openly put down those who support the “Jasmine Revolution.” A contradiction arises when a government supports revolution, yet punishes its own people who try to emulate such examples. Here, China’s government has again shown its true colors, and hopefully this time, the people of China will see it for themselves.

  JEN-CHIEH WU

  Hsinchu
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