Unity is the only way
The first thing that came to my mind after reading the news about the new special defense budget is that some Taiwanese are starting to argue that President William Lai (賴清德) has declared war on China or that “this brings us to a dangerous situation.”
I do not consider myself as having any particular political stance, but I care about most issues that concern Taiwan, and I really hate to see political parties and their supporters fight with one another.
It is only right that the opposition provides checks and balances on the ruling party, especially in a two-party system like ours. However, it seems that many Taiwanese support their party over policies, and any debate descends into personal attacks.
The phenomenon might discourage those who really want to discuss the policies, because no one wants to be called a “blue bird” or “little grass” when they are seriously talking about national issues.
Taiwanese should be more focused on what is being done, not who is doing it, and discuss any issues without preconceived ideas.
In these dangerous times, if Taiwanese keep attacking one another over our respective political stances, the situation will only get worse.
I believe that everyone’s original intention is to be concerned about Taiwan; that is why we should maintain a rational discussion. Unity is the best weapon and shield to protect ourselves, perhaps even more useful than the budget.
National fragmentation due to political differences is what our enemies want.
Zhao Jia-heng
Kaohsiung
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