Love for Taiwan should not be a Political Posture

Love for Taiwan should not be a Political Posture
China Times editorial (Taipei, Taiwan, ROC)
A Translation
November 27, 2007

Absent comparisons, it is easy to overlook the dramatic changes that can occur over time. Absent comparisons, it is easy to overlook one's own stagnation or even regression. Over the past three months, the China Times has mobilized substantial manpower and resources producing its "Taiwan's Hope 2008" retrospective, which examines Taiwan's progress over the past two decades. We interviewed people from every walk of life, reminiscing with them about the past, and sharing their concerns about the future.

During this process, we rediscovered Taiwan. Sadly, Taiwan has remained stagnant for the past decade, its vitality sapped by an endless political soap opera that repeats and repeats and never goes anywhere. Happily, Taiwan retains its resilience. As a result of their love for this land, more and more people are refusing to be politically manipulated. More and more people are speaking out, voicing their aspirations for the future. We must find our own way. The Chinese people on Taiwan deserve a better life. Those who live on this land, have no excuse to give up and no right to despair. Just as in the past, whenever Taiwan touched bottom, that is when things turned around. Taiwan underwent the White Terror, then the economy took off. Taiwan underwent chaos, then a Quiet Revolution. Taiwan underwent regime change, and the public welcomed the advent of a new era. Tragically, to everyone's surprise, the world continued on its way, while Taiwan stagnated.

During these years, a Taiwan which prided itself on its economic miracle, found itself eclipsed by South Korea in annual GDP. Taiwan's replacement by a rapidly rising mainland China became a global phenomenon that could no longer be ignored. Taiwan, it was once said, was "up to its knees in money." Now it is up to its neck in red ink. The next generation will be born owing money. A formerely egalitarian Taiwan is becoming an "M Shaped Society" in which the middle class has vanished. This M Shaped Society will be the next generation's unwelcome legacy. Children will be born into two different worlds. From the moment they are born, the will start out unequal. We are unlikely to witness another child from a "Category Three Impoverished Household" become ROC president.

When discussing Taiwan's past, many members of the public, including scholars and experts, find themselves imagining Taiwan's future, and feel a deep sense of unease. When asked what worries them most, they sigh and reply, "Everything. Everything worries me." When asked whether Taiwan will be better off in ten years, only 20% of the public says it will be. As many as 34% think otherwise. Such numbers were unimaginable ten or twenty years ago. Taiwan was once a society brimming with confidence. No matter what occupation, give a man a suitcase and he would conquer the world. So how did it all come to this?

To many anxious and angry members of the public, politics is a curse they can't seem to rid themselves of. Reunification vs. independence, Blue vs. Green, so-called "ethnicity," which is nothing more than communal groups, and cross-Straits issues, all involve politics. Put bluntly, ideology is leading everyone around by the nose. Being led around by the nose is bad enough. What's worse is that for the past several years Taiwan's society has been led around in circles, and gone nowhere. Political indoctrination and mobilization have deepened social divisions. Political rhetoric rides roughshod over the Rule of Law and fills people's hearts with hatred. Opposition between "us" and "them" helps justify cronyism and corruption. Professional expertise is treated with contempt. As a consequence public works and tax policy become means of buying votes and winning elections. Cross-Straits policies are impossible to implement. Direct Links have become a chimera. The 40% upper limit for investments on the mainland has remained in place. Taiwan's wealth is outsourcing itself at a rate and in a manner the government cannot fathom.

What can Taiwan do? If current trends cannot be reversed, what is Taiwan going to look like ten years from now? Will it look like Brazil or the Philippines? During our investigations, many people said that whether Taiwan can turn things around depends on what we do in the coming year or two. The hour is late. Action is overdue.

The media is a part of the larger environment. It cannot divorce itself from this environment. When politics possesses everyone like a demon, much of the media gets led around by the nose as well. They parrot the politicians, classifying individuals as enemy or friend. They willingly act as the government's mouthpieces and attack dogs. The result is the language of hate trips off the tongues of third rate demagogues and insinuates itself into every household. One turns on the television, and lo and behold, there is the enemy, there is the spectacle of civil war in the guise of democratic elections, a waking nightmare.

The China Times champions freedom, democracy, and openess. It never cozies up to authority. It refuses to divide people into "us" and "them." The "Taiwan's Hopes 2008" retrospective focused on the people of this land. We wanted to hear the people's voices and understand their aspirations. In the process, even though we were subjected to political persecution and smears, we never flinched. Members of the media are society's guardians. We uncover problems and seek solutions alongside the Chinese people on Taiwan.

Our investigation revealed deep skepticism about the government's competence, shared by experts and laymen alike. As many as 75% of the people do not believe the government has the ability to solve society's problems. Such numbers would be enough to leave us deeply pessimistic about Taiwan's future. After all, the government is incapable of even maintaining the status quo, let alone reversing a downward trend. But we feel just the opposite. During our investigation, experts and laymen alike still harbored hope for the future of Taiwan. Most importantly, 80 to 90% of the leaders polled were willing to take action on behalf of Taiwan's future. Even among those ambivalent about Taiwan's future, some 46% are committed to take action.

"Don't always rely on the government!" Taiwan's vitality and competitiveness derives from the people. Taiwan's resilience will be our greatest asset in our reversal of fortune. The people mistrust the government. Yet the government refuses to open its eyes and see the problems. It refuses to open its ears and listen to the people's wishes. It remains drunk with power. It continues to believe that winning elections is everything. The Chinese people on Taiwan need wait for them no longer.

Look to the land. Identify with the people. Every individual can do more. The China Times' "Taiwan's Hope 2008" retrospective is a beginning, not an end. Our efforts show that love for Taiwan is not a short term political ploy. Only selfless love will enable Taiwan to thrive.

中時電子報
中國時報 　2007.11.27
愛台灣，不該是短視的政治操作
中時社論

　不經過比較，不曉得時間的力量；不經過比較，不會驚覺人可能在時間之流中完全停滯，甚至後退。《中國時報》用了超過三個月的時間，動員龐大的人力與資源，製作《台灣希望二○○八》系列專題，重新回望這十年、廿年來的台灣。我們採訪各行各業的人們，回味他們的記憶與愛，分享他們的焦慮和迷惘。

　這是一個重新認識台灣、重新尋找台灣的過程。讓我們嘆息的是，台灣的生命力在這十年竟彷彿被困在週而復始、永不下檔的政治連續劇裡；讓我們高興的是，台灣的韌性依舊在，因為對這塊土地的愛，愈來愈多人再不願意被政治綁架；愈來愈多人願意大聲說出自己的盼望：我們要走自己的路，台灣人值得擁有更高品質的生活。因為生活在這塊土地上的人們，沒有放棄的道理，沒有絕望的權力，就像是台灣過去曾經走過的路，當沈悶到極致，跌盪到谷底，就該是會翻轉而起的時刻。

　回顧過去的歲月，台灣走過白色恐怖，就走出了經濟起飛；走過街頭狂飆，就走出了寧靜革命；走過了政黨輪替，在眾人欣喜迎接新時代到來的同時，的確，沒有太多人料到世界運轉未嘗停止，但台灣卻停滯了。

　就在這幾年，以創造經濟奇蹟為傲的台灣，國民平均所得被南韓超越；取代台灣成為全球化趨勢下不可忽略的現象是「中國崛起」；曾經號稱「台灣錢淹腳目」的國家財政連年赤字，我們的下一代尚未出生就開始負債；相對均富的台灣，開始討論著中產消失的「Ｍ型社會」；Ｍ型社會反映到下一代，就造成兩個世界的孩子，從他們來到這個世界的第一刻起，他們就站在一個不公平的起跑點上。台灣還創造得出「三級貧戶當總統」的神話嗎？

　許許多多民眾和學者專家，與我們談起台灣的過去，想像台灣的未來，憂心不已，他們一路勾選著他們最擔憂的問題，一路嘆氣，「唉，都是問題，都是問題。」問起未來十年台灣會不會更好？只有百分之廿的民眾給予肯定答案，認為台灣未來十年會變得更不好的竟高達百分之卅四以上。這個數據在過去十年、甚至廿年，都是難以想像的，台灣曾經是這麼一個有信心的社會，不論各行各業，一卡皮箱就能走遍全世界，為什麼迷惘了呢？

　在林林總總民眾擔憂、甚至憤怒的問題中，「政治」就像個擺脫不了的詛咒。從統獨、藍綠、族群到兩岸關係，無一不緊扣著政治，直接的說，就是被政治識意型態牽著跑；牽著能跑也罷了，這幾年的景況是台灣社會各面向被政治牽著團團轉─原地打轉。政治操作與動員，擴大了社會對立；政治語言既無法治觀念，還充滿仇恨；因為敵我壁壘分明，表現在政商關係上就更容易造成掛勾和貪腐的小圈圈；專業決策空間不受尊重，結果公共建設與租稅政策，成為討好選民的選舉利多；兩岸關係因此無法有效開展，不但三通直航迄今猶如鏡花水月，開放赴大陸投資百分之四十上限亦始終未能調整，台灣財富以一種政府看不見的速度和方向：加速外移。

　台灣還能怎麼辦呢？如果這一切不能翻轉，台灣未來十年將會是什麼局面？是曾經紛亂的巴西還是菲律賓？在我們調查過程中，許多人都說，台灣能不能從這幾年的呆滯中逐漸灰暗，翻轉到光明躍動的另一面，「關鍵就在這一、二年。」事實上，時間也容不得台灣再拖延，我們一定得採取行動。

　媒體做為大環境的一環，不可能自外於這個行動。當政治如同詛咒般充斥各面向的同時，很大部份的媒體同樣被政治牽著鼻子跑，用類如政客的語言分敵分友，自甘為政客的傳聲筒和打擊政敵的工具，結果仇恨的語言，就這麼從不入流的政客口中，鑽進了每一個市井小民的家中，打開電視機就看得到敵人，就看得到選舉的戰爭，成為日常生活甩不開的噩夢。

　《中國時報》秉持自由、民主、開放的精神，從來不向權力者靠攏，更不屑屈從於劃分敵我的政治動員。因此，《台灣希望二○○八》系列專題，從一開始就鎖定這塊土地的人民，我們要聽到人民的呼吸、人民的心聲。在過程中，即使遭到莫明的政治打壓和抹黑，我們從未退縮，因為我們堅信：既身為媒體，就要扮演好守望者、警示者的角色，我們毫不鬆懈地挖掘問題，找出問題，同時，與台灣人民一同追尋答案。

　在我們的調查過程中，對政府能力的不信任，是民眾和學者專家的高度共識。高達百分之七十五的人，根本不相信政府有解決問題的能力。這麼高的比例，足以讓我們對台灣未來完全悲觀，因為沒能力的政府改變不了現狀，改善不了愈趨惡化的各種情況。但是，結果剛好相反，在我們的調查中，不論是民眾或學者專家絕大多數還是對台灣懷抱希望；最重要的，高達八、九成受訪的意見領袖毫不猶疑地表達，願意為台灣的未來採取行動。即使對台灣未來彷徨無力的一般民眾，仍有四成六的受訪者，不吝於採取行動。

　「不要只想著靠政府！」是的，台灣的生命力和競爭力，向來都是從民間勃發，台灣人的韌性是我們扭轉未來的最大資產。這麼不被人民信賴的政府，如果還是不肯張開眼睛，看清楚問題何在？不肯打開耳朵，聆聽人民的心聲，依舊自以為是地陷入政治動員的狂喜之中而不可自拔，以為選舉就是一切，勝選就是唯一，台灣人民不必等他。

　面向土地、心向人民的時候，每一個人都可以做更多事。《中國時報》製作《台灣希望二○○八》系列專題，只是一個開端，不是結束。我們的努力可以証明：愛台灣，不該是短視的政治操作；唯有深沉無私的愛，得以讓台灣生命力，生生不息。