Forgotten by the World, Taiwan Spins Its Wheels

Forgotten by the World, Taiwan Spins Its Wheels
China Times Editorial
translated by Bevin Chu
March 19, 2007

Comment: The following China Times Editorial, "Forgotten by the World, Taiwan Spins Its Wheels," reveals the predictable and catastrophic consequence of adopting democracy, a congenitally defective political system worshiped by its modern day champions, but rightly detested by America's Founding Fathers.


Thomas Paine

As Thomas Paine, author of Common Sense and champion of the American Revolution observed:
"A democracy is the most vile form of government there is!"


John Adams

As John Adams, 2nd President of the United States observed:

"Democracy never lasts long. It soon wastes, exhausts, and murders itself. There never was a democracy yet that did not commit suicide."


James Madison

As James Madison, 4th President of the United States and Father of the Constitution observed:

"Democracies have ever been spectacles of turbulence and contention; have ever been found incompatible with personal security or the rights of property; and have in general been as short in their lives as they have been violent in their death."

America's Founding Fathers attempted to safeguard against the defects of democracy by establishing a constitutional republic, a political system they believed to be vastly superior to democracy.

They believed that a constitutional republic was the political system that held the most hope of ensuring the long term preservation of natural rights and individual liberty.

They were absolutely right about a constitutional republic being immeasurably superior to democracy.

Unfortunately they were overly optimistic about the ability of a constitutional republic to avoid degenerating into a democracy.

Advocates of market anarchism know, with the benefit of 20/20 hindsight, that constitutional restraints such as the "separation of powers" can only delay, not permanently safeguard a republic against degenerating into a democracy.

And degenerate into democracies is exactly what both the two century old US of A and the century old R of C have done.

Over the past two decades, the Republic of China has degenerated from an admittedly flawed republic under the Two Chiangs, into a full-fledged democracy under Lee Teng-hui and Chen Shui-bian.

In case champions of democracy think that's a compliment, it's not.

Republic of China citizens living in the Taiwan region of China are now feeling the effects of this political degeneration, and paying a heavy price for their political naivete.

As you read the China Times editorial below, think of the above quotes from the Founding Fathers of America, and note the uncanny relevance they have to Taiwan's current plight.

See:
Democracy, the Worst Form of Government ever Tried
Democracy, the Worst Form of Government ever Tried, Part II
Democracy, the Worst Form of Government ever Tried, Part III

Forgotten by the World, Taiwan Spins Its Wheels
China Times Editorial
translated by Bevin Chu
March 19, 2007

In its recent 20th anniversary issue cover story, "The Journalist" weekly addressed a topic that receives little attention on today's Taiwan: "2007, The Lost Year," subtitled "Taiwan forgets the world, the world forsakes Taiwan."

Why the title "2007, The Lost Year?" This publication has listed several topics for this year's global agenda, including global warming countermeasures, progress with ASEAN, and the start-up of Asian currency and bond institutions. By contrast, what has Taiwan's agenda been this year? Taiwan's agenda has been the preliminary hearing for [Chen Shui-bian's] State Affairs Confidential Expenses case, the preliminary hearing for Ma Ying-jeou's Special Expenses case, and the jockeying for advantage among Blue and Green camp political stars. Put simply, Taiwan's ruling elite is utterly indifferent to topics which political elites in neighboring East Asia are focused on and busy addressing.

Some people may think that because it's only March, it's still early. But the truth is the nomination processes for the presidential and legislative elections are just getting warmed up. The major players haven't even entered the arena yet. These important issues, which concern the governments of the world, won't be anything that Taiwan's political stars care to respond to in the coming year. To be frank, the fact that "Taiwan has forgotten the outside world" is not that surprising. After all, many people are already concerned about these matters. So what if Taiwan isn't one of them? But how many people realize that many matters within Taiwan that demand attention have also been neglected, and that more and more people are indifferent to them as well?

For example, passage of the the central government's annual budget remains stalled in the legislature. In the past this was considered a serious matter that had to be passed even if it meant burning the midnight oil. But now it seems as if it makes no difference whether it passes or not. For example, the Control Yuan has been in limbo for nearly three years, close to the length of a Control Yuan member's term of office. How many major cases remain unsolved? For a time it looked as if it would start up again, but recently no more news has been forthcoming, and many on Taiwan already seem accustomed to not having a Control Yuan at all. Look at our presidential office. Everyone from presidential mansion staff to secretarial staff and accounting staff have been caught in the State Affairs Confidential Expenses storm. And yet President Chen constantly resorts to all kinds of evasions to avoid prosecution, using delaying tactics and hoping for more favorable circumstances. Last year the Red Shirt Army took to the streets repeatedly in protest. This year no one can even be bothered. The past few months have witnessed a rampant increase in robbery and rape. And yet hardly anyone remembers the premier's boasts and pledges to fight crime. As for the new prosecutor general, approved only after repeated review sessions, no sooner did he assume office than rumors of inappropriate socializing and exchanging of toasts with litigants at evening banquets spread. The litigants act as if the scandal is a matter of indifference. Will such a prosecutor general really be able to stand straight and prosecute major cases? Even if some people care, what can they do? Furthermore, our secretary of defense has insisted all year that he is not clinging to his official position, but until now he has been squatting in his office, playing word games, and acting like a smart aleck. The current minister of education talks about increasing compulsory education to 12 years, but when many teachers and parents consider who the minister of education is, a chill runs down their back.

The above examples are merely a short list off the top of our heads. Actually we could go on indefinitely. All these phenomenon add up to the same conclusion: Taiwan is spinning its wheels. No one should belittle the the system's absurdities and turn a blind eye to them. The public watches these major and minor political players rushing on and off stage, visiting here and visiting there, telling you they are doing this and that, when in fact all they are doing is taking two steps forward and two steps back, diverting our attention with "flavor of the day" controversies, then two days later, acting as if none of it ever happened!

As long as elections are involved, such controversies will be manipulated for all they are worth. Actually, next year's presidential election is one year off, and the legislative elections seven to eight months off. But it appears that the campaigns have already begun in earnest. Political rhetoric has taken the podium by storm: "Anti-Blue Polls" in the DPP party primaries, the "Rectification of Names" for state-owned enterprises, "Four Noes and One Yes," and the tearing down of Chiang Kai-shek's bronze statues. No move is subject to legal scrutiny or thoughtful debate. No one asks whether the move will provoke social polarization. As soon as the bell rings, they're out of the gates, often giving the moves euphemistic names such as "Judicial Reform," when in fact what the international media sees is: "Cultural Revolution!"

The global agenda mentioned at the beginning has utterly vanished from the domestic picture. Until now our leaders have attempted to shout cheap slogans in order to provoke cross-Straits tensions, not realizing that the opposite side of the Strait is undergoing rapid economic transformation and leading the reorganization of the East Asian strategic scene. Where are Taiwan's countermeasures? Who knows? At the same time, our leaders relentlessly seek to promote the "Rectification of Names," eliminate all vestiges of Chiang Kai-shek's legacy, and ratchet up internal social polarizaton. They remain callously indifferent to the personal safety of women on Taiwan, to the well-being of 20,000 latchkey kids, including some 16,000 school children who fix all three daily meals on their own. What can one say, except that not only has "Taiwan forgotten the world, Taiwan has even forgotten itself."

Original Chinese below:

被世界遺忘的台灣，依舊忙著在空轉
中時社論
中時電子報
2007.03.19

「新新聞」周報最近在它創刊二十周年一期的封面故事中，做了一個在目前台灣算是挺冷門的專題：「消失的二○○七」，搭配的副題是「台灣遺忘世界，世界遺棄台灣」。

為什麼說是「消失的二○○七」？該刊列出了幾項今年初以來的全球議程，包括全球暖化對策、東亞自由貿易區進展、亞洲貨幣及債券機構啟動等，而相對的在此同時台灣的年度議程是什麼？是國務機要費一審、馬英九特別費一審、藍綠天王卡位戰……。簡單的說，包括東亞近鄰的所有政治菁英最近所關注與與忙碌的議題，台灣的領導菁英不僅不在意，甚至是根本懶得理會！

或許有人會認為今年還沒過完三月，時間還早嘛！然而實情卻是總統與立委的提名熱身才剛開始，所有重頭戲都還沒登場呢！那些全球政府都在關心的重大課題，在當下乃至可預見的這一年，是不會有台灣檯面上任何天王想搭理的。講實在話，「台灣遺忘世界」也許並不會令人太驚奇，那些重要大事既已有全球那麼多人在關心，不差一個台灣嘛！但不知有多少人會察覺：就算台灣自己內部，也有不少非常嚴重且需要關注的事被忽略了，甚至是越來越多人根本都不在乎了。

譬如說，中央政府年度總預算到現在都卡在立院尚未審議通過，過去這是多嚴重的事，挑燈夜戰也要通過，但現在好像都無所謂了；再譬如說我們的監察院停擺都快三年了，算算都快屆滿一任監委任期了，想也知道不知積了多少大案沒查！前一陣子好像要啟動了，但最近又沒消息了，而如今許多人好似早已習慣了台灣沒有監察院；再看看我們的總統府，從官邸到秘書會計機要在內一堆人都陷入國務機要費的起訴風暴，但自陳總統以降卻不斷祭出各種手段閃躲，擺明就是以拖待變到底，去年還有紅衫軍嗆聲，今年連批都沒人想批了；近幾個月民間搶劫強暴行徑愈見囂張，卻已沒多少人還記得現任閣揆當初曾對拚治安所下過的豪語與承諾；至於幾番周折才通過的檢察總長，才剛上任就已傳出多起不當的夜宴酬酢，當事人卻表現的一副無所謂，至於這位檢察總長未來究竟還能不能挺起腰桿辦大案？就算有人在乎又能如何！還有，我們的國防部長從去年就說他毫不戀棧，但一直到現在他都還安穩地在位子上使勁耍嘴皮子；我們的國教據說要延長到十二年，但只要想到主其事的現任教育部長，不少教師與家長都感到一陣害怕……。

上述所列只是我們馬上想到的少數例子，我們其實還可以一直列下去，這一切現象標誌著還是那句老話：空轉！所有體制上的荒謬，大家都不以為意，所有行為上的乖張大家都視若無睹，民眾每天都看著那些檯面上的大小人物忙著上台下台，忙著巡視這裡走訪那裡，忙著告訴你他們要做這做那，究其實全都是進兩步退兩步，三不五時拋一個話題鬧兩天新聞，然後就彷彿一切都沒發生過！

但只要是一扯到選舉，勁頭又全來了！距離明年總統大選其實還有一年，距離年底立委選舉也還有七八個月，但彷彿選戰現在就已開打，所有意識形態的語言與操作都提前登場：排藍民調、國營事業正名、四要一沒有、拆蔣中正銅像……，所有的動作不管合不合法，也不問是否需經任何審慎的研議與討論，更不問有否激化社會對立，反正一聲令下就硬幹了，自己在內部動不動就美其名曰「轉型正義」，國外媒體對台灣這一切所下的註腳卻是：「文革」！

回頭再來看看我們一開始所提及的全球議題，在台灣內部倒好像真是徹底消失了！我們的領導人迄今為止還不斷企圖藉玩弄廉價口號以激化兩岸關係，殊不知此刻對岸的政經體制正在快速轉型，也正在主導東亞區域的快速整合，台灣的對策在哪裡？不知道！同樣的，我們的領導人也不斷企圖藉由正名、去蔣化等操作以激化社會內部的對立，卻對台灣當下的婦女人身安全亮起紅燈，對有多達兩萬多名學童獨立居住，有十六萬多名學童每天自理三餐的現象渾然無所覺。只能說：台灣不僅遺忘了世界，台灣其實還輕忽了自己！