A well reasoned argument by Mr. Keating. I hope those CNN and AP etc can read this. Unfortunately I think those news agencies are much more stubborn than Starbucks, which is kind of ironic.
Thanks Taiwan Matter for noting this excellent article. Taiwan Matters' view on this article: LINK
Hehe...nice, I will add this one to the Taiwan Status side bar.
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Saturday, June 6, 2009
More People Need To Know
http://www.shadowgov.tw/21835_0_is.htm
I wonder how many people actually know this.
A few years ago all the pan blue media kept attacking, accusing and quite simply making it looks like they are all guilty. The prosecutors seemed to be forced and influenced by the media to charge them. Now looking back it seems a lot of those charges are quite questionable. But during that time the pan blue media made it looks like they are definitely guilty.
The lesson here is simple. Presume innocent until proven guilty under the rule of law. Those pan blue media is just using questionable rumors etc as political weapons to attack pan green politicians. That is not justice, but brainless mob action. I wonder how those people that cheer for the media and become fanatical witch hunters feel once they know about this. Would it calm them down now? The only thing is the media won't report this in the same proportion as when they were accusing those people, and those ignorant mob would never find out the truth.
The sad thing is a lot of those people's reputation is tarnished by the media for no reason...
The positive thing is the KS Metro was completed and is working fine (unlike Maokong Gondola) Which reminds me, shouldn't some prosecutors investigate the Maokong Gondola thing? Because it is very obviously falling apart.
I wonder how many people actually know this.
A few years ago all the pan blue media kept attacking, accusing and quite simply making it looks like they are all guilty. The prosecutors seemed to be forced and influenced by the media to charge them. Now looking back it seems a lot of those charges are quite questionable. But during that time the pan blue media made it looks like they are definitely guilty.
The lesson here is simple. Presume innocent until proven guilty under the rule of law. Those pan blue media is just using questionable rumors etc as political weapons to attack pan green politicians. That is not justice, but brainless mob action. I wonder how those people that cheer for the media and become fanatical witch hunters feel once they know about this. Would it calm them down now? The only thing is the media won't report this in the same proportion as when they were accusing those people, and those ignorant mob would never find out the truth.
The sad thing is a lot of those people's reputation is tarnished by the media for no reason...
The positive thing is the KS Metro was completed and is working fine (unlike Maokong Gondola) Which reminds me, shouldn't some prosecutors investigate the Maokong Gondola thing? Because it is very obviously falling apart.
Thursday, June 4, 2009
Another Nice Editorial on Taipei Times
http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/editorials/archives/2009/06/05/2003445388
Nicely written editorial.
I wonder if those strategic thinkers in the west ever thought of their policy with China actually creates this reverse wave of anti-democracy. Now every authoritarian government looks to China for guidance and diplomatic cover in the UN. Their grip on power is stronger than ever.
But perhaps that is the way things are. Like waves in the the ocean, it goes up and down. The only thing worth noting is the irony in all of this, and the realization that Taiwan has to stand firm in this storm.
Nicely written editorial.
I wonder if those strategic thinkers in the west ever thought of their policy with China actually creates this reverse wave of anti-democracy. Now every authoritarian government looks to China for guidance and diplomatic cover in the UN. Their grip on power is stronger than ever.
But perhaps that is the way things are. Like waves in the the ocean, it goes up and down. The only thing worth noting is the irony in all of this, and the realization that Taiwan has to stand firm in this storm.
Good Rebuttal On Wu's Ridiculous Statements
Taipei Times has a good rebuttal on Wu's ridiculous statements.
Also, I am sure a lot of people notice by now the pattern of the older KMT politicians.
Usually, when they are in power and in Taiwan, although sometimes you can still get a glimpse of their twisted values, they appear rather moderate. However, as they get older, and closer to the age of retirement, they start to go to China a lot and their stance starts to lean more and more toward China. This is true for James Soong, Lien Chen, and now Wu.
I suspect that they are all seeking political profit through kowtowing to China. They have very few public support in Taiwan, and perhaps they don't even have a lot of support in their own party. That is probably what prompt them to go to China and make all those shameful act to get political power from CCP. Of course they loss even more support doing so, but they probably don't care.
They either really meant what they say in China, in which case they have been lying and pretending in Taiwan, or they are just kowowing to China in order to get wealth and power from CCP. Either way it's quite pathetic indeed.
It is very ironic that KMT always say stupid slogans like "Ping Economy, Don't Ping Politics," but actually they don't Ping neither. They only "Ping" their own pockets.
Usually, when they are in power and in Taiwan, although sometimes you can still get a glimpse of their twisted values, they appear rather moderate. However, as they get older, and closer to the age of retirement, they start to go to China a lot and their stance starts to lean more and more toward China. This is true for James Soong, Lien Chen, and now Wu.
I suspect that they are all seeking political profit through kowtowing to China. They have very few public support in Taiwan, and perhaps they don't even have a lot of support in their own party. That is probably what prompt them to go to China and make all those shameful act to get political power from CCP. Of course they loss even more support doing so, but they probably don't care.
They either really meant what they say in China, in which case they have been lying and pretending in Taiwan, or they are just kowowing to China in order to get wealth and power from CCP. Either way it's quite pathetic indeed.
It is very ironic that KMT always say stupid slogans like "Ping Economy, Don't Ping Politics," but actually they don't Ping neither. They only "Ping" their own pockets.
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
The Triumph of Reality Over Illusion? Thought About El Salvador, Starbucks And Name
Two recent events prompt me to think about..."What is in a name?"
(Because we are discussing name here, I will pretend Taiwan does not have a name, and use Island X to refer to Taiwan...because saying something like "Bob refers to Taiwan as Taiwan" simply doesn't make my point clear).
Event one is the Starbucks' correction on its website after web users in Island X took initiative to email Starbucks complaining about it. Actually I checked the Starbucks' site and in most places it uses only Taiwan to refer to Island X. Only in one of the search page it shows "Taiwan, Province of China." After the complains, Starbucks correct it rather quickly...within 24 hrs.
The other event is that El Salvador's foreign minister used the term "Republic of Taiwan" to refer to Island X. These might have another "wow" effect on most Island X citizens perhaps, similar to when former US President Bush said "Republic of Taiwan." Bush was known for frequent slip of tongue though so you wonder if he said that by mistakes. But El Salvador's foreign minister is a diplomat, which should mean that his words are mostly carefully chosen.
If we think about it though, isn't this the natural flow of things? CCP uses the name ROC in the UN, and would get angry anytime a foreigner use ROC to refer to Island X, because the name violates its "One China" G Spot. KMT only uses ROC when it is inside Island X. When it is in China, it cannot even refer to Island X as a country, and can only say ROC when it is talking about history, not current event. When it is in other places I wonder if it can actually use ROC anymore because most people around the world don't make a distinction and think ROC == PRC. DPP just doesn't like the name ROC at all. In global private sector, most companies refer to Island X as Taiwan, not ROC.
So basically, no one likes the name ROC and no one is using the name ROC. That name is basically fading away, because it simply does not reflect the reality. El Salvador has diplomatic tie with Island X, which means Island X must in reality be a nation. But the name ROC is simply confusing and does not reflect the reality. And for many years, most people refer to Island X as Taiwan, and even people on Island X prefer the name Taiwan. So why don't we just use the name "Republic of Taiwan" to refer to Island X? And thus the name in born, in the mind of El Salvador's foreign minister and many others around the world.
Of course, CCP and KMT both do not like the name Taiwan or Republic of Taiwan because they don't like the reality that Island X is an independent nation. But someone like El Salvador and Starbucks who have to do business with Island X and deal with Island X as an independent nation would ask..."But...no one in Island X like "Taiwan, Province of China" or "Chinese Taipei, " and those terms simply do not reflect the reality. So, what exactly should we call Island X then? Banana Republic?" Perhaps, perhaps. But once again Banana Republic does not describe Island X well and it is actually a trade mark used by a clothes company.
For all practical purpose, Republic of Taiwan is the best name for Island X, because it is the most concise, most clear and best reflection of the reality. That is the reason why former US president Bush and El Salvador foreign minister both refer Island X as Republic of Taiwan, whether it is by mistakes or not. That is also one reason why Starbucks can change the name back to Taiwan on the English website so quickly, because "Taiwan, Province of China" simply does not reflect the reality.
PS. I hope some of those people in DPP also stop using "ROC == Taiwan" and "Taiwan == ROC" because seriously no one cares and if even El Salvador already used the concept Republic of Taiwan as a name, why shouldn't DPP?
(Because we are discussing name here, I will pretend Taiwan does not have a name, and use Island X to refer to Taiwan...because saying something like "Bob refers to Taiwan as Taiwan" simply doesn't make my point clear).
Event one is the Starbucks' correction on its website after web users in Island X took initiative to email Starbucks complaining about it. Actually I checked the Starbucks' site and in most places it uses only Taiwan to refer to Island X. Only in one of the search page it shows "Taiwan, Province of China." After the complains, Starbucks correct it rather quickly...within 24 hrs.
The other event is that El Salvador's foreign minister used the term "Republic of Taiwan" to refer to Island X. These might have another "wow" effect on most Island X citizens perhaps, similar to when former US President Bush said "Republic of Taiwan." Bush was known for frequent slip of tongue though so you wonder if he said that by mistakes. But El Salvador's foreign minister is a diplomat, which should mean that his words are mostly carefully chosen.
If we think about it though, isn't this the natural flow of things? CCP uses the name ROC in the UN, and would get angry anytime a foreigner use ROC to refer to Island X, because the name violates its "One China" G Spot. KMT only uses ROC when it is inside Island X. When it is in China, it cannot even refer to Island X as a country, and can only say ROC when it is talking about history, not current event. When it is in other places I wonder if it can actually use ROC anymore because most people around the world don't make a distinction and think ROC == PRC. DPP just doesn't like the name ROC at all. In global private sector, most companies refer to Island X as Taiwan, not ROC.
So basically, no one likes the name ROC and no one is using the name ROC. That name is basically fading away, because it simply does not reflect the reality. El Salvador has diplomatic tie with Island X, which means Island X must in reality be a nation. But the name ROC is simply confusing and does not reflect the reality. And for many years, most people refer to Island X as Taiwan, and even people on Island X prefer the name Taiwan. So why don't we just use the name "Republic of Taiwan" to refer to Island X? And thus the name in born, in the mind of El Salvador's foreign minister and many others around the world.
Of course, CCP and KMT both do not like the name Taiwan or Republic of Taiwan because they don't like the reality that Island X is an independent nation. But someone like El Salvador and Starbucks who have to do business with Island X and deal with Island X as an independent nation would ask..."But...no one in Island X like "Taiwan, Province of China" or "Chinese Taipei, " and those terms simply do not reflect the reality. So, what exactly should we call Island X then? Banana Republic?" Perhaps, perhaps. But once again Banana Republic does not describe Island X well and it is actually a trade mark used by a clothes company.
For all practical purpose, Republic of Taiwan is the best name for Island X, because it is the most concise, most clear and best reflection of the reality. That is the reason why former US president Bush and El Salvador foreign minister both refer Island X as Republic of Taiwan, whether it is by mistakes or not. That is also one reason why Starbucks can change the name back to Taiwan on the English website so quickly, because "Taiwan, Province of China" simply does not reflect the reality.
PS. I hope some of those people in DPP also stop using "ROC == Taiwan" and "Taiwan == ROC" because seriously no one cares and if even El Salvador already used the concept Republic of Taiwan as a name, why shouldn't DPP?
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Thoughts on Recent Statements Made by KMT
Recently there are quite a few statements made by KMT that is just inappropriate in my opinion. All I can say is...from these statements one can see what KMT's view is, and IMO they are just not in accordance with the basic human decency and values.
Wang Yu-chih's Statement Regarding former South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun’s suicide
Cloudia Jean already point out well the fundamental flaws and problems in this guy's statement. So I am not going to write about it in detail here. I would just like to add that this guy did not say this by mistake, and this fundamentally wrong statement is not due to lack of explanation. No...this guy said it because the KMT truely believes that is the case. Why? 2 Reasons. First, if you look at his further explanation a day after, you will notice, he did not recognize there is something fundamentally wrong with his statement. He said something like "To preserve his dignity and honor, he choose suicide, and we think that deserve our respect." In another word, he only knows that people are uncomfortable with his statement but he does not know where the problem is. Thus he only reaffirms his praise when he tried to explain it further. This shows that he and those behind him truly believed what he said.
Furthermore, just a few days ago, KMT updated their news website with their comparison between Roh and Chen. It clearly praised Roh's suicide and accusing Chen of being shameless. All these statements and publication indicate that KMT attempts to use Roh's suicide to further attack Chen. They seem to miss the point: the cause behind Roh's suicide is largely due to prosecutors leaking information to the media (similar situation in Taiwan) which created undue psychological pressure on Roh during the investigation. Under the rule of law, all are presumed innocent until proven guilty. What is happening in Taiwan and Korea is the judiciary branch broke the law and stray away from the due process, creating "mob justice" through media, and initating this trial by morality instead of trial by the Law. These are fundamentally wrong. That is why, a lot of Korean turn up in Roh's funeral, because they feel sorry for him. Perhaps they even feel a sense of guilt and shame. But KMT did not see this. Instead, they try to use Roh's suicide to create more "moral judgement" and "trial by the mob" on Chen.
Wu Poh-hsiung's Statements in China
A lot of people pick on his use of term "in the island, " which again just shows how twisted KMT's mind is. It is the same with the term "mainland." All of it is used to create the sense that China and Taiwan belongs to one country.
A person that is aligned with the majority opinion in Taiwan would use the term "in my country" etc. But I am not really surprised or angered by this because KMT is always like this. No matter what decoration they add on, fundamentally, their view is the same.
I look at his visit in the whole instead. And I can only say, comparing to DPP's Chen Chu, the visit is a totally shameful act, and his and his party's interests does not align with Taiwan's interests.
Ma's Refusal for Referendum on ECFA
Ma once again refuse to have a referendum on ECFA. I guess a lot of people already beat Ma's argument to death. Basically, Ma think we don't need referendum on ECFA is not a sovereignty issue thus it does not need referendum. But Peng Hu, for example, is going to have a referendum on legalize gambling. It is clearly a double standard. Clearly, the issue does not have to be sovereignty related to have a referendum. Anything that the legislature or the government cannot decide is a plausible referendum issue. The other thing he said is if we have referendum on everything, then there is no need for legislature etc. But who says we need referendum on everything? We are just talking about ECFA here. Ma is clearly trying to loss the focus on the issue and avoiding the question.
All these statements I guess would not surprise anyone who has observed KMT behavior for a while. The only thing I can say is that KMT has too much abnormal element in it which makes it a cancer cell and parasite in Taiwan. KMT either needs to be completely removed, or break into pieces in order to be completely transformed into a normal democratic party. Right now I think a completely marginalization of KMT would be the easiest path, but is that even possible?
Wang Yu-chih's Statement Regarding former South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun’s suicide
Cloudia Jean already point out well the fundamental flaws and problems in this guy's statement. So I am not going to write about it in detail here. I would just like to add that this guy did not say this by mistake, and this fundamentally wrong statement is not due to lack of explanation. No...this guy said it because the KMT truely believes that is the case. Why? 2 Reasons. First, if you look at his further explanation a day after, you will notice, he did not recognize there is something fundamentally wrong with his statement. He said something like "To preserve his dignity and honor, he choose suicide, and we think that deserve our respect." In another word, he only knows that people are uncomfortable with his statement but he does not know where the problem is. Thus he only reaffirms his praise when he tried to explain it further. This shows that he and those behind him truly believed what he said.
Furthermore, just a few days ago, KMT updated their news website with their comparison between Roh and Chen. It clearly praised Roh's suicide and accusing Chen of being shameless. All these statements and publication indicate that KMT attempts to use Roh's suicide to further attack Chen. They seem to miss the point: the cause behind Roh's suicide is largely due to prosecutors leaking information to the media (similar situation in Taiwan) which created undue psychological pressure on Roh during the investigation. Under the rule of law, all are presumed innocent until proven guilty. What is happening in Taiwan and Korea is the judiciary branch broke the law and stray away from the due process, creating "mob justice" through media, and initating this trial by morality instead of trial by the Law. These are fundamentally wrong. That is why, a lot of Korean turn up in Roh's funeral, because they feel sorry for him. Perhaps they even feel a sense of guilt and shame. But KMT did not see this. Instead, they try to use Roh's suicide to create more "moral judgement" and "trial by the mob" on Chen.
Wu Poh-hsiung's Statements in China
A lot of people pick on his use of term "in the island, " which again just shows how twisted KMT's mind is. It is the same with the term "mainland." All of it is used to create the sense that China and Taiwan belongs to one country.
A person that is aligned with the majority opinion in Taiwan would use the term "in my country" etc. But I am not really surprised or angered by this because KMT is always like this. No matter what decoration they add on, fundamentally, their view is the same.
I look at his visit in the whole instead. And I can only say, comparing to DPP's Chen Chu, the visit is a totally shameful act, and his and his party's interests does not align with Taiwan's interests.
Ma's Refusal for Referendum on ECFA
Ma once again refuse to have a referendum on ECFA. I guess a lot of people already beat Ma's argument to death. Basically, Ma think we don't need referendum on ECFA is not a sovereignty issue thus it does not need referendum. But Peng Hu, for example, is going to have a referendum on legalize gambling. It is clearly a double standard. Clearly, the issue does not have to be sovereignty related to have a referendum. Anything that the legislature or the government cannot decide is a plausible referendum issue. The other thing he said is if we have referendum on everything, then there is no need for legislature etc. But who says we need referendum on everything? We are just talking about ECFA here. Ma is clearly trying to loss the focus on the issue and avoiding the question.
All these statements I guess would not surprise anyone who has observed KMT behavior for a while. The only thing I can say is that KMT has too much abnormal element in it which makes it a cancer cell and parasite in Taiwan. KMT either needs to be completely removed, or break into pieces in order to be completely transformed into a normal democratic party. Right now I think a completely marginalization of KMT would be the easiest path, but is that even possible?
Monday, June 1, 2009
?Even Military Community Can't Seem to Stand It Anymore?
http://www.hi-on.org.tw/bulletins.jsp?b_ID=90937
Traditionally Taiwan's military has more pan blue supporters, but looks like right now even quite a few of them cannot stand the recent policy of Ma.
I found the guy's reasoning very clear. And he confirms a lot of people's concern, especially pan green's concern, that the recent BOT proposals, ECFA and various other policies created by Ma's government is endangering Taiwan. The only difference between him and some pan green supporters are their views of Ma's intention. He thinks that Ma is basically totally clueless, arrogant and ignorant, while some pan green supporters think Ma is basically trying to sell Taiwan out piece by piece. But this difference is quite minor, comparing to the acknowledgment from both sides that what Ma is doing is a huge problem for Taiwan.
Military should be politically neutral of course. But when it is about grave national security matter they should also give out some of their honest opinions when necessary.
Traditionally Taiwan's military has more pan blue supporters, but looks like right now even quite a few of them cannot stand the recent policy of Ma.
I found the guy's reasoning very clear. And he confirms a lot of people's concern, especially pan green's concern, that the recent BOT proposals, ECFA and various other policies created by Ma's government is endangering Taiwan. The only difference between him and some pan green supporters are their views of Ma's intention. He thinks that Ma is basically totally clueless, arrogant and ignorant, while some pan green supporters think Ma is basically trying to sell Taiwan out piece by piece. But this difference is quite minor, comparing to the acknowledgment from both sides that what Ma is doing is a huge problem for Taiwan.
Military should be politically neutral of course. But when it is about grave national security matter they should also give out some of their honest opinions when necessary.
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