Anti-corruption: The True Spirit of 228!

Anti-corruption: The True Spirit of 228!
United Daily News editorial (Taipei, Taiwan, ROC)
A Translation
February 27, 2008

February 28 is here again. The DPP's eight years in power have proven one thing: Taiwan's political problems cannot be resolved by mendaciously casting them as "ethnic struggles." Taiwan's political problems can only be resolved by addressing the relationship between "those who rule," and "those who are ruled."

The DPP has used the "228 Incident" to define and manipulate its alleged "ethnic struggle." When the incident occurred, provincial origin was one factor. But the underlying cause of the incident was the government corruption and misrule. Back then the government was in the hands of "mainlanders." Sixty years later the government is in the hands of the Democratic Progressive Party, a self-proclaimed "native Taiwanese" regime. This "native Taiwanese" regime is also riddled with corruption. This tells us that the 228 Incident was not about "ethnic struggle," therefore the solution to the problems of 228 is not "ethnic struggle." All citizens, regardless of "ethnicity" (or more precisely, "social groups") are among "those who are ruled." Together, they must remain eternally vigilant against "those who rule." This is the correct path for Taiwan's politics.

Sixty years ago, "those who ruled" corruptly and incompetently were "mainlanders" belonging to the KMT. Sixty years later, "those who rule" corruptly and incompetently are "native Taiwanese" officials of the DPP. The issue was never "mainlanders vs. Taiwanese." The issue, from beginning to end, was always about "those who rule" vs. "those who are ruled."

The true spirit of 228 is anti-corruption. At the time, a common expression was "fan yu zheng," literally "opposition to bad government." In other words, the essence of the incident was a tragic struggle by "those who were ruled" against the corruption and incompetence of "those who ruled." Alleged "ethnic antagonism" was antagonism between "those who ruled" and "those who were ruled." It was not any "Original Sin" or "predestindation" on the part of "mainlanders."

The DPP "commemorates" February 28 primarily through a selective reading of history, and by putting history on freeze. They have freeze-framed history on Chiang Kai-shek and the Kuomintang, casting them as the "chief culprits in the 228 Incident." They have totally discounted the KMT's achievements and reparations. They have repeatedly clicked "rewind," returning Taiwan's society to February 28, sixty years ago. They ignore the fact that "mainlanders" 60 years later are not the "mainlanders" of 60 years ago, and that "Taiwanese" 60 years later are not the "Taiwanese" of 60 years ago.

Over the past eight years, the corrupt and incompetent ruling Democratic Progressive Party knows only how to denounce its predecessor as an "alien regime." It does not know how to reflect upon its own corruption and incompetence, let alone engage in reform. It has reflexively manipulated "Taiwanese Pathos," playing upon a Taiwanese perception of chronic victimization. It uses this Taiwanese Pathos against an artifically concocted boogyman, an "alien regime." It uses it against those who were in power 60 years ago. It is as if the DPP hadn't been in power over the past eight years. It is as if the DPP is not the ruling party, and therefore responsible for what needs to be done.

This "228 Colored Vision of History" in which everything is about 228, and nothing is unrelated to 228, has turned the DPP into a party that dwells chronically upon the plight of "Taiwan's persecuted victims." It remains incapable of assuming a responsible role as "Rulers of Taiwan." Instead, the DPP has degenerated into a corrupt "exploiter of Taiwan," even as it dons the mantle of "champion of Taiwan's persecuted victims." When over one million ROC citizens protested the DPP's brazen corruption during the Red Shirt Army street demonstrations, the DPP had the temerity to denounce them as "Chi-Com Fellow Travelers."

If the 228 Incident is defined as "a tragic protest by those being ruled against those who rule," then it becomes an invaluable asset in the advancement of democracy and our understanding of history. During the 228 era, the people on Taiwan protested Kuomintang corruption and misrule. Sixty years later, the people of Taiwan have stood up to protest Democratic Progressive Party corruption and misrule. Those who learn the lessons of history will be spared the need to repeat them. If the 228 Incident is misleadingly defined as an "ethnic" struggle, then it will become a perpetual curse that will tear apart "those being ruled." Taiwan will spin its wheels endlessly, going nowhere.

The DPP's 228-oriented "ethnic struggles" over the past two years have torn apart "those who are being ruled" even more severely. The 228 Incident has shielded corrupt rulers from prosecution, by mischaracterizing an anti-corruption struggle as an "ethnic" struggle.

Take a look at the US presidential election. The history of black and white relations in the United States is written in blood. It was far more bitter than any alleged "ethnic" struggle on Taiwan. But out pops African American candidate Barak Obama, who has become America's collective savior. He is seen as the spokesman for a truly grass-roots, bottom up reestablishment of political justice, national spirit, and civilized values. If the United States can free itself from a century long struggle over "ethnicity," can the Republic of China do any less?

Since the 228 Incident, Taiwan has undergone 61 years of storm and strife. Citizens of the Republic of China on Taiwan should must reclaim the right to define the 228 Incident from the Democratic Progressive Party. They must not permit the DPP to further demagogue the 228 Incident by casting it as an "ethnic" struggle.

The true spirit of the 228 Incident is opposition to the corruption and incompetence of an unjust ruler. That is the true meaning of 228.

反貪腐：二二八的真精神！
【聯合報╱社論】
2008.02.27

又到二二八。民進黨主政八年，證實了一件事：台灣政治應從責成「統治者對被治者」的執政責任找出路，而無法在「族群鬥爭」找到出路。

「二二八」一直被民進黨定位及操作為「族群鬥爭」。在事件發生當年，雖確有「省籍因素」，但此一事件的本質卻在統治者的敗德失政，而當時失政敗德的統治者正是「外省人」；然而，在六十年後的今天，以「台灣人」自命的民進黨，成為統治者，亦面臨失政敗德的強烈指責，正可印證：「族群鬥爭」絕非台灣政治的出路，全體國民應當不分族群，共同站在「被治者」的立場，一起節制監督「統治者」，這才是台灣政治的大道正途。

六十餘年前，「外省人」的國民黨「統治者」失政敗德；六十年後，「台灣人」的民進黨「統治者」亦失政敗德。這不是「外省人vs.台灣人」的問題，而是「統治者vs.被治者」的問題。

二二八的真精神是反貪腐，當年常見的時事評論語彙是「反窳政」。換句話說，二二八事件的本質，是「被治者」對「統治者」失政敗德的慘烈抗爭事件；至於此一事件發生當年的族群對立，主要亦是出自「統治者對被治者」的失政敗德所致，而非緣於族群的原罪或宿命。

民進黨「紀念」二二八，主要的手法就是「剪裁歷史」，且強制「歷史停格」。將蔣介石及國民黨「停格」在「二二八元凶」上，又完全抹殺了後來的一切建樹與彌償；亦將台灣的族群關係「倒帶」至六十年前的二二八時代，完全無視於六十年後的「外省人」已非當年的「外省人」，六十年後的「台灣人」亦已非當年的「台灣人」。

尤其，這八年來，民進黨當家執政，失政敗德，卻仍然只知攻擊「外來政權」，而不知對自己的失政敗德反省改過。近幾年來，民進黨簡直是始終操弄「台灣人」的悲情意識，去對抗其實根本只是憑空捏造的「外來政權」，或攻擊已經相距六十年的「二二八統治者」；卻彷彿渾然不知民進黨已經當家主政了八年之久，既已身為「統治者」，就必須對「被治者」負起重責大任。

這種「泛二二八史觀」、「唯二二八史觀」，使得民進黨始終以「被迫害的台灣人」自居，而未能正常地承擔起「台灣人的統治者」的角色。因而，民進黨今已沉淪為一個「貪腐的統治者」，竟然仍然擺出一副「被迫害的台灣人」的面孔；面對百萬紅衫軍反貪腐的民主抗議，更竟然斥之為「中共同路人」。

若將二二八定位為「被治者對統治者的慘烈抗爭」，這將是一個彌足珍貴的民主營養與歷史資產。二二八的年代，台灣人民抗議國民黨政權的失政敗德；六十年後，台灣人民又站出來抗議民進黨政權的失政敗德。昭訓萬世，來者足戒。反之，倘若將二二八定位為「族群鬥爭」，二二八就成了「撕裂被治者」的永世詛咒，台灣的政治亦將陷於無盡無止的內耗空轉之中。

在民進黨操作下，二二八訴諸族群鬥爭，其唯一的政治效應就是「撕裂被治者」；最近兩年更是變本加厲，二二八的另一政治效應，竟然是包庇「貪腐的統治者」，這當然也是訴諸族群鬥爭。

且看美國大選。美國黑白鬥爭是一篇血淚史，其慘痛遠逾於台灣的族群問題；但是黑人後裔歐巴馬的異軍突起，不但已成美國人的「共業救贖」，而且也象徵了美國民間真正從草根底層重建了政治正義、國家精神與文明價值的詮釋權。美國能夠跳脫族群鬥爭的百年煉獄，台灣難道不能？

如今，二二八畢竟業已經歷六十一年的激盪沉澱，台灣人民理當從民進黨手中，收回二二八的詮釋權，不容民進黨再以族群鬥爭的訴求來操弄二二八。

二二八的真精神是反貪腐，亦即反抗不義的統治者，這才是二二八的真詮釋。