Returning to the UN vs. Joining the UN: The Fire Burns, The Heat Remains

Returning to the UN vs. Joining the UN: The Fire Burns, The Heat Remains
United Daily New editorial (Taipei, Taiwan, ROC)
A Translation
October 31, 2007

The Democratic Progressive Party's "Join the UN" Torch Relay and the Kuomintang's "Rejoin the UN" Bicycle Tour are each making their way around the island of Taiwan.

As everyone knows this is not really a disagreement over whether to "Rejoin the UN" or to "Join the UN." One: Most people approve of attempts to obtain representation in the UN. Two: Both the "Rejoin the UN" campaign and the "Join the UN" campaign are futile. Three: The result of any "Plebiscite to Join the UN" will be "Nothing will happen." In terms of results, there is no difference between the two campaigns. Therefore the "Join the UN" campaign and the "Rejoin the UN" campaign should not be a matter of controversy.

The "Join the UN" campaign and the "Rejoin the UN" campaign differ over four points. One: Whether to eventually eliminate the Republic of China and establish a Nation of Taiwan. Two: Whether to maintain the status quo, the international modus vivendi, and Taipei/Washington trust. Three: Whether the government may resort to unconstitutional and illegal means to hold a plebiscite/referendum. Four: Whether package-dealing the "Plebiscite to the Join the UN" with the Presidential Election will distort the election results.

Eventually a choice must be made between the Republic of China and a Nation of Taiwan. Chen Shui-bian says the Republic of China is neither here nor there. The Republic of China is already dead. The Republic of China altar will soon be torn down.

The Democratic Progressive Party's Taiwan independence strategy could be described as a "smoke and fire" strategy. Its "Taiwan independence consciousness" is the fire. Its "Taiwanese consciousness" is the smoke. The "Plebiscite to Join the UN" campaign is classic smoke and fire strategy. The DPP uses its "Nation of Taiwan" rhetoric to demand the "rectification of names, the authoring of a new constitution, and the founding of an independent Nation of Taiwan." It asserts that the "Republic of China is already dead." It demands that the "altar of the Republic of China" be demolished. This rhetoric helps ignite the fires of Deep Green "Taiwan independence consciousness." Once these fires are burning, they will turn up the heat on issues such as "Taiwan is our Mother," "native political authority," "Taiwanese consciousness," "Taiwanese pathos," and "Taiwanese dignity." When the fires of "Taiwan independence consciousness" have reached the right temperature, people will no longer be able to see past the smoke of "Taiwanese consciousness." The frog in the pot will already be cooked. The fires of "Taiwan independence consciousness" will burn brighter and brighter. The smoke of "Taiwanese consciousness" will spread farther and farther, penetrating every nook and cranny.

It was necessary for the Kuomintang to counter the "Join the UN" campaign with its own "Rejoin the UN" campaign. Otherwise voters would have a choice of only one "Join the UN" initiative during the presidential election. The potential repercussions of that are unthinkable. But the Kuomintang is engaging the DPP in battle only at the level of "Taiwanese consciousness." It lacks the ability and courage to deal with the "Republic of China/Nation of Taiwan" issue at the level of "Taiwan independence consciousness." This is the principle reason it finds itself in its current dilemma. The Kuomintang has endorsed the "Taiwanese consciousness" embedded within the UN issue. It lacks the ability to warn people that the "Plebiscite to Join the UN" is merely a "Taiwan independence Plebiscite" veneer, applied to a "Taiwan independence consciousness" core. The Kuomintang wants to take refuge within the smoke generated by the Democratic Progressive Party's flames of "Taiwanese consciousness." It is even helping the Democratic Progressive Party fan the flames, accelerating their spread. The Kuomintang wants to jump on the Democratic Progressive Party's bandwagon, in order to avoid criticism. It lacks the ability and courage to extinguish the flames that are generating the smoke.

If one fails to extinguish the flames, how can one disperse the smoke? Conversely, if the flames cannot burn, how can there be smoke?

The "Plebiscite to Join/Rejoin the UN" campaign has four major problems. The "Nation of Taiwan/Republic of China" option lies at the heart of the dispute between the Blue and Green camps. The Democratic Progressive Party must prove that a Nation of Taiwan is preferable to the Republic of China. The Kuomintang must prove that the Republic of China is preferable to a Nation of Taiwan. The Democratic Progressive Party must prove that a "Nation of Taiwan" is beneficial to its "Taiwanese consciousness." The Kuomintang must prove that the "Republic of China" is beneficial to "Taiwanese consciousness." As matters stand, the Democratic Progressive Party's "Nation of Taiwan" fire is burning brightly and generating a great deal of heat. The Kuomintang meanwhile, seems incapable of generating the same heat for the Republic of China. It seems to think that as long as it fans the Democratic Progressive Party's flames of "Taiwanese consciousness," then any heat generated somehow becomes the Kuomintang's heat. It doesn't realize that since these were flames started by the Democratic Progressive Party, it is merely helping the Democratic Progressive Party's flame burn brighter. The Democratic Progressive Party need only declare that "There is a Blue/Green consensus on the issue of Joining the UN" to coopt the the Kuomintang and make it look as if it has endorsed the Democratic Progressive Party's initiative. If the Kuomintang cannot light its own fire, how can it generate its own heat?

The entire scenario is being stage-managed by the Democratic Progressive Party, using its "smoke and fire strategy." Look at the way government-owned and privately-owned banks and credit unions lined up to contribute to the "Plebiscite to Join the UN." That's how far the Democratic Progressive Party's artificially concocted "Taiwanese consciousness" has infiltrated society. That's how it has hijacked voters and promoted its "Taiwan independence Effect." The Kuomintang has fanned the smoke, but it has refused to put out the fire. This has led to a situation in which the fire burns, and the heat remains.

If the Kuomintang can't tell us why the Republic of China is preferable to a Nation of Taiwan, then what platform is it running on? Why should we vote for it on election day? If you can't light your own fire, how can you generate your own heat?

返聯vs.入聯：火不滅，煙不會散！
【聯合報╱社論】
2007.10.31 03:24 am

民進黨的「入聯」聖火接力，與國民黨的「返聯」青春鐵馬，正在分頭繞行台灣。

眾所周知，這其實不是「返聯」與「入聯」的爭議。一、因為，若將「入聯」或「返聯」視為政治意念，國人皆贊同，沒有異議；二、「返聯」不會實現，「入聯」最後也「什麼事都不會發生」，若論效果，二者亦無不同。所以，「入聯」與「返聯」不應當成為爭議。

「入聯」與「返聯」的爭議是在：一、這是終究要不要消滅中華民國的問題，也就是另建台灣國能否救台灣的問題；二、這也是應否衝撞「維持現狀」的國際均衡架構的問題，包括應否維持台美戰略信任的問題；三、這也是政府可否以違憲違法的種種手段來推動公投的問題；四、這又是可否「公投綁大選」而導致扭曲大選結果的問題。

以上四大問題的核心皆在：這是終究須在中華民國與台灣國之間作一選擇的問題。陳水扁說：中華民國是什麼碗糕，中華民國已經亡了，中華民國的供桌很快就將拆掉。

民進黨的台獨戰略，可以稱作「煙與火」戰略。「台獨意識」是火，「台灣意識」是煙。此次「入聯公投」的操作即屬「煙火戰略」的典型架構。以不斷加重口味的「台灣國」論述燒起「火」來，諸如「要正名、要制憲、要台獨」、「中華民國已亡」，「拆掉中華民國供桌」等，這是點燃深綠「台獨意識」薪炭的「火」；「火」燒起來後，就開始搧「台灣是我們的母親」、「本土政權」、「台灣意識」、「台灣悲情」或「台灣尊嚴」的「煙」。等到「台灣意識」的「煙」愈來愈大，人們已看不到「台獨意識」的「火」。「台灣意識」的「煙」將選民薰醉，冷水煮青蛙，「台獨意識」的「火」也就愈燒愈旺；相對地，「台灣意識」的「煙」也漸漫漸遠，無孔不入。

國民黨以「返聯」制衡「入聯」是必要手段，否則到大選時若只領「入聯」一張公投票，情勢殊難想像。但是，國民黨只在「台灣意識」層次作戰，卻無能又無膽處理「中華民國／台灣國」的「台獨意識」層次，則是如今陷入困境的主因。國民黨贊同「聯合國議題」的「台灣意識」；卻無能耐以其論述讓國人警覺「入聯公投」其實是「台獨公投」的「台獨意識」。如此一來，國民黨形同躲入民進黨「台灣意識」的「煙」裡，甚至還幫著民進黨去搧「煙」，加速加大其擴散。國民黨似乎只想躲在「煙」裡，拿香跟拜，只求民進黨打不到他；卻無能亦無膽設法用水潑熄藏在煙裡的那一盆「台獨之火」。

火不滅，煙怎會散？反過來說，火燒不起來，怎會有煙？

前述「入（返）聯公投」的「四大問題」中，「台灣國／中華民國」是藍綠兩邊的核心火種。民進黨須證明台灣國有勝過中華民國的優越性，國民黨則須證明中華民國有勝過台灣國的優越性；民進黨須證明「台灣國」有益於「台灣意識」，國民黨則須證明「中華民國」始對「台灣意識」有利。然而，現在的情勢是：民進黨把「台灣國」的「火」燒得很旺，煙也很大；國民黨卻似無能把中華民國的火種燒出應有的熱度，以為只要跟著民進黨搧「台灣意識」的煙即可。其實，國民黨搧的煙，原是民進黨燒起來的煙，甚至是幫著民進黨在搧煙。民進黨只憑一句「入聯是藍綠共識」，就可將國民黨吞沒在民進黨的「煙霧」中。國民黨自己的火燒不起來，怎會有自己的煙？

整個情勢已被民進黨的「煙火戰略」主導。只要看公民營行庫一列排開捐助「入聯公投」，即可知「台灣意識」在民進黨操作下已經無孔不入地偽裝了、夾帶了並傳導了「台獨效應」。國民黨這種「搧煙不滅火」的手法，已經導致「火不滅，煙不散」的後果，不可收拾。

如果國民黨說不出「中華民國優於台灣國」的道理，憑什麼選，更憑何勝選？沒有自己的火，怎會有自己的煙？