Foolish visionaries
Following the Sunflower movement, people optimistically believed that the generation born and raised in a democratic Taiwan would naturally be independent — a generation that identifies as Taiwanese rather than Chinese, and that clearly recognizes that Taiwan is an independent, self-sovereign state. At the same time, this generation would be deeply concerned about China’s influence on Taiwanese society.
However, that optimism clearly overestimated the potential of “identity” to accumulate, while underestimating the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) aggressive intentions, and the power and tactics behind its infiltration.
Judging from the current social situation, it seems possible to rapidly create an environment that fosters the growth of a naturally independent generation, but it is equally possible that many members of a “democratic rich second generation” would be produced as a result.
Just as terms such as “rich second generation” (富二代) and “second government official generation” (官二代) carry negative connotations — because democracy and freedom have already become a part of Taiwanese’s daily life — many members of this young “democratic rich second generation” are indifferent to the origins of Taiwan’s democracy and freedom. They cannot imagine the consequences of losing it.
I have long been concerned with generational issues and, because I work in education, I am especially attentive to the cultural identity and values that young people prioritize. It is upsetting to see many of them casually make fun of the term “martial law” on social media, or use absurd and unfounded terms such as “green terror.”
Such comments, which reflect a lack of knowledge, logic and critical thinking, are quite worrying.
To interpret pro-CCP, anti-Taiwan rhetoric and the behavior of disseminating such ideas, I often use an idiom from Chinese Taoist philosopher Zhuangzi (莊子): “If they are not stupid, they are visionaries.”
The idiom means that if someone’s unjust actions do not stem from their own foolishness, they are intentionally and maliciously deceiving others.
I am willing to believe that the remarks of young people are not being made with malicious intent, but I also sincerely hope that this generation will learn to think independently and develop an earnest understanding of Taiwan’s history. They must not continue to be so easily fooled and brainwashed by pro-CCP forces.
Chiu Tzu-huan
Taipei
For Taipei, last year was a particularly dangerous period, with China stepping up coercive pressures on Taiwan amid signs of US President Joe Biden’s cognitive decline, which eventually led his Democratic Party to force him to abandon his re-election campaign. The political drift in the US bred uncertainty in Taiwan and elsewhere in the Indo-Pacific region about American strategic commitment and resolve. With America deeply involved in the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, the last thing Washington wanted was a Taiwan Strait contingency, which is why Biden invested in personal diplomacy with China’s dictator Xi Jinping (習近平). The return of
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has long been a cornerstone of US foreign policy, advancing not only humanitarian aid but also the US’ strategic interests worldwide. The abrupt dismantling of USAID under US President Donald Trump ‘s administration represents a profound miscalculation with dire consequences for global influence, particularly in the Indo-Pacific. By withdrawing USAID’s presence, Washington is creating a vacuum that China is eager to fill, a shift that will directly weaken Taiwan’s international position while emboldening Beijing’s efforts to isolate Taipei. USAID has been a crucial player in countering China’s global expansion, particularly in regions where
Looking at the state of China’s economy this year, many experts have said that weak domestic demand and insufficient internal consumption might be its Achilles’ heel, with the latter being related to culture and demographics. Since Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) took office in 2013, he has been combating extravagance and corruption as well as rectifying a bad atmosphere. China expert Stephen Roach said the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) regulatory crackdown has been targeting Chinese tycoons, such as Alibaba Group Holding Ltd founder Jack Ma (馬雲), and opposing what the CCP defines as “excessively extravagant lifestyles,” such as playing too
With the manipulations of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP), it is no surprise that this year’s budget plan would make government operations difficult. The KMT and the TPP passing malicious legislation in the past year has caused public ire to accumulate, with the pressure about to erupt like a volcano. Civic groups have successively backed recall petition drives and public consensus has reached a fever-pitch, with no let up during the long Lunar New Year holiday. The ire has even breached the mindsets of former staunch KMT and TPP supporters. Most Taiwanese have vowed to use