Fighting an evil empire
Mao Zedong’s (毛澤東) death in 1976 ended his naive and brutal communist administration. After a series of internal struggles, Deng Xiaoping (鄧小平) rose to power in the late 1970s. He advocated a new “socialism with Chinese characteristics” (state-controlled capitalism). Thus, the backward and extremely poor Chinese nation succeeded in hijacking the wealth and technology of the free world, including Taiwan.
The improved economy in conjunction with persistent communist autocracy, led to the 1989 peaceful student-led pro-democracy demonstrations in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square being met with an onslaught of guns and tanks.
On the 2565th anniversary of Confucius’ birth in 2014, Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) abandoned Mao’s anti-Confucian movement and proclaimed that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) was the successor and promoter of a fine Chinese culture exemplified by Confucianism.
Xi is now the supreme leader of communist China.
Xi has consistently refused any dialogue with Taiwan’s democratically elected President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) and her administration. On the other hand, he collaborates with the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT), which also believes in Confucianism, but has a record of autocracy and systematic, inhuman cleansing of elite Taiwanese intellectuals in 1947 during the 228 Massacre.
Xi does not believe in Western democracy and uses the KMT’s Confucianism tactics to conceal the brutality of communism, while advancing his sole leadership and “socialism with Chinese characteristics” with media censorship.
Xi has recently threatened Taiwan if China’s demand for annexation is not met, and is oblivious to its backward autocracy, which is despised by Taiwanese.
Moreover, the CCP and the KMT are working in concert to undermine Taiwan using clandestine infiltration, cyberwarfare and subversion.
It must be stressed that the CCP and the KMT are not capable of observing law and order domestically or internationally.
Therefore, Taiwan must join the community of free nations, take the path of self determination and march bravely toward a modern civilization based on human rights, freedom and democracy, as stated in the UN Charter, and decisively reject anachronistic Confucianism.
Xi’s ambition expands beyond occupying Taiwan, his Belt and Road Initiative advocates spreading socialism with Chinese characteristics across the world, replacing the supremacy of the US. Therefore, the free world would do much better to support US President Donald Trump and his administration in protecting democracy, and advancing peace and security with strength.
A strong, free world would force communists to stop abusing the UN, which is now a hotbed of conflict. China’s premeditated and aggressive scheming against Taiwan must be condemned by the UN’s International Court of Justice.
Losing Taiwan to the evil Chinese empire would jeopardize the peace and security of not only Asia, but the entire world.
May God bless Taiwan’s democracy. Remember: liberty or death.
Concerned senior Taiwanese Americans: Samuel Yang/Shane Yeun, Joseph Tiun, Timothy Ann, Todd Kue, Ryan Yeun and James Ann
Allowing gay men to donate
Minister of Health and Welfare Chen Shih-chung (陳時中) said that allowing gay men to donate blood is a meaningful step toward the protection of human rights, and that any person who has had unprotected sex could pose a risk of HIV infection, which is not limited to gay men.
In addition, the accuracy of nucleic acid testing has significantly improved over the years and is nearly 100 percent accurate, so ensuring the safety of donated blood through advanced screening methods is better than relying on personal claims.
Amending the regulations to lift a ban on blood donation from gay men who have not had sex with another man in five years shows respect toward them and their sexual orientation.
However, in my opinion, it is a kind of sexual discrimination to forbid gay men who have sexual intercourse from donating blood. Although gay men who have sex can contract HIV much more easily, even heterosexual people can contract HIV.
People should not be biased against homosexuals. They should put more emphasis on promoting safe sexual conduct rather than focusing on sexual orientation.
It is vital for the government to inform all generations that being homosexual is not a strange, guilty or wrong thing and people should accept, respect and support everyone’s differences.
What is more, existing technology for blood examinations has become more advanced and, using questionnaires and instruments, medical personnel can distinguish a blood donor’s HIV risk precisely.
Taking into consideration the need to provide blood, the government has decided to propose relaxing the restriction.
Taiwan could still make a lot of improvements to foster respect for homosexuality. However, if the proposed amendment is passed, it would be a significant milestone for gender equality and homosexual rights.
Zooey Yang
Changhua
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