Three Grasshoppers: Chen Shui-bian, the DPP and Taiwan

Three Grasshoppers: Chen Shui-bian, the DPP and Taiwan independence
Daily News editorial (Taipei, Taiwan, ROC)
A Translation
September 23, 2008

The Ma administration's approval numbers have declined precipitously. But interesingly enough, public support for the DPP has not increased. It has declined as well.

The public is disappointed with the KMT. That is the nation's plight. But it no longer trusts the DPP. That is the Democratic Progressive Party's plight. In short, the Kuomintang's performance leaves much to be desired, but the public has even less faith in the DPP.

The Democratic Progressive Party's eight year reign has disappointed too many people. The Ma administration's performance has been lamentable. But that doesn't mean the Democratic Progressive Party's direction over the past eight years was correct. That doesn't mean the nation should return to the way it was under the Democratic Progressive Party. If the Democratic Progressive Party wants to win back the public's confidence, it must begin anew. It must not assume that because the public is discouraged with the Kuomintang, it was satisfied with the DPP. The Democratic Progressive Party must undergo a total transformation. In other words, the Democratic Progressive Party has fundamental defects. If these defects are not remedied, the DPP will never make a comeback. Even assuming the DPP could return to power, Taiwan would have no way out.

Everyone knows what the problem is. The Democratic Progressive Party must disassociate itself from Chen Shui-bian. But disassociating itself from Chen Shui-bian is merely a matter of appearances. At a deeper, more fundamental level, the DPP's problem is Taiwan independence.

Chen Shui-bian's handling of Taiwan independence has made Taiwan independence advocates' lives harder. Chen Shui-bian and Taiwan independence advocates have created a peculiar situation. Support for Chen Shui-bian has become a test of support for Taiwan independence. Conversely, support for Taiwan independence has become a test of support for Chen Shui-bian.

Chen Shui-bian has been trumpeting Taiwan independence. He has exposed Lee Teng-hui's corruption. He has denounced Su Tseng-chang, Frank Hsieh, and Tsai Ing-wen as ingrates. He has been relentlessly promoting the notion that "So goes Chen Shui-bian, so goes Taiwan." He has been attempting to consolidate his own image as the last remaining standard bearer for Taiwan independence. Chen Shui-bian retains the allegiance of only a small percentage of Democratic Progressive Party members. If the Democratic Progressive Party cannot disassociate itself from him, Chen Shui-bian will hold the Democratic Progressive Party hostage.

Whether the DPP can disassociate itself from Chen Shui-bian is a matter of appearances. The more fundamental question is whether the DPP can disassociate itself from Taiwan independence and jettison its Taiwan independence platform. The question is not whether the Democratic Progressive Party can disassociate itself from an A Bian who is embezzles taxpayer money. The question is not whether the Democratic Progressive Party can disassociate itself from an A Bian who advocates Taiwan independence. The question is whether the Democratic Progressive Party can disassociate itself from advocates of Taiwan independence.

This is what we meant when we referred to the DPP's fundamental problem. The Democratic Progressive Party's problem is twofold. One. It clearly realizes that Taiwan independence is self-deception. But it has painted itself into a corner and can't get out. Two. Over the years the Democratic Progressive Party has indoctrinated the masses, transforming them into advocates of Taiwan independence. Today however, the masses can no longer change their way of thinking. Meanwhile the Democratic Progressive Party cannot afford to lose their support. Therefore the DPP and its supporters must engage in a destructive cycle of mutual deception. Now that support for A Bian has become a test of support for Taiwan independence, can the Democratic Progressive Party disassociate itself from Taiwan independence? If not, how can it disassociate itself from Chen Shui-bian?

Taiwan independence is more fundamental and critical to the Democratic Progressive Party than Chen Shui-bian. Chen Shui-bian affects only the party's image. Taiwan independence affects the nation's future. Chen Shui-bian has blackened the image of Taiwan independence. But even with Chen Shui-bian out of the way, does Taiwan independence really have a future?

Can the Democratic Progressive Party jettison its Taiwan independence platform? Can the public on Taiwan change its way of thinking? If they cannot, then the DPP cannot disassociate itself from Chen Shui-bian. If the DPP cannot disassociate itself from Chen Shui-bian, then it cannot jettison its Taiwan independence platform. Over the past eight years, the Democratic Progressive Party's nemesis has been threefold. One. Chen Shui-bian. Two. The "Nation of Taiwan." And Three. Chen Shui-bian plus the "Nation of Taiwan." The Democratic Progressive Party should already have changed. The DPP should already have remade itself. But the Democratic Progressive Party remains stuck in the quagmire of Chen Shui-bian plus the "Nation of Taiwan."

On August 30, during the Taiwan independence march, the Democratic Progressive Party rejoiced, saying "This political momentum can be harnessed." Tsai Ing-wen was in the United States at the time. Taiwan independence elders were sitting at the high-rollers' banquet table. Is the Democratic Progressive Party unaware that the "Post Chen Era" has yet to arrive? Is the Democratic Progressive Party unaware that the Chen Era has been given a reprieve? That the Chen Era is now "Chen Shui-bian plus the Nation of Taiwan?"

After eight years of turmoil, Chen Shui-bian and Taiwan independence are identical. Chen Shui-bian is a replica of Taiwan independence. Taiwan independence is a clone of Chen Shui-bian. Chen Shui-bian has shown the public how corrupt the ruling Democratic Progressive Party can be. Chen Shui-bian has shown the public how destructive and immoral the Taiwan independence movement can be. One might sum it up by saying, "Whither Chen Shui-bian, whither Taiwan independence."

The public has borne witness to eight years of Democratic Progressive Party malfeasance and degeneracy. The DPP is incapable of dealing with either Chen Shui-bian or the Nation of Taiwan. No wonder the public no longer believes in the DPP. No wonder the DPP is unlikely to ever make a comeback.

Three grasshoppers cling to the same piece of rope. The Democratic Progressive Party cannot liberate itself from the Taiwan independence movement, therefore it cannot liberate itself from Chen Shui-bian. Chen Shui-bian has blackened the Democratic Progressive Party's image. The Taiwan independence movement has ensured that the Democratic Progressive Party will never extricate ifself from its political dead end.

草繩拴螞蚱：陳水扁、台獨與民進黨
【聯合報╱社論】
2008.09.23 02:29 am

國民黨馬政府的民調滿意度以令人驚駭的走勢不斷下降，但民進黨的社會支持度卻也不升反降。

這是國家的政治僵局，國人對國民黨失望，但對民進黨亦不再信任。這更是民進黨的僵局，因為，這樣的情勢顯示：即使國民黨表現不佳，但國人對民進黨更不信任。

民 進黨八年執政太令多數國人失望，即使馬政府如今表現不佳，卻不能反證民進黨過去八年的所作所為是正確的，亦不能反證國家今後應回到如民進黨過去主政八年的 情況。所以，民進黨若欲重建國人對它的信任，重新出發，不能只因民眾認為國民黨表現不佳，而是民進黨須有脫胎換骨的表現；換句話說，民進黨有其「根本」問 題，根本問題不解決，民進黨不易翻身，即使重新執政，台灣亦無活路。

大家都看得到的問題是：民進黨必須與陳水扁「切割」。但是，是否與扁切割，只是表相問題；深一層的「根本」問題，仍在台獨。

對於民進黨而言，由於陳水扁的操作，使得台獨問題更加惡化。陳水扁及獨派如今造成的情勢是：是否支持陳水扁，成了是否支持台獨的檢驗標準；反過來說，是否支持台獨，也成了是否支持陳水扁的檢驗標準。

陳水扁不斷強調他的台獨立場，揭發李登輝涉嫌貪汙，又將蘇、謝及蔡英文等形容成忘恩負義之輩，更不斷深化「阿扁倒、台灣倒」的論述，就是要將他自己塑造成台獨的最後及唯一旗手；陳水扁只消在民進黨內掌握部分支持者，而民進黨若不能與之切割，陳水扁也就挾持了民進黨。

所以，民進黨是否與扁切割，只是表相；根本的問題在於民進黨能否與台獨切割，或大幅修正台獨路線。因為，民進黨不是不能與「貪腐的阿扁」切割，而是不能與「台獨的阿扁」切割，或不能與「支持阿扁的台獨勢力」切割。

這 就是前文所說的「根本」問題。民進黨的難題是：一、明知台獨是「自欺欺人」，但已成「作繭自縛」之局，無法跳脫；二、多年來民進黨已將群眾教育成台獨的支 持者，如今已無法改變他們的人格思維，且民進黨又禁受不起失去這些群眾的損傷，於是相互繼續維持「自欺欺人」的局面。現在，既然「是否挺扁」成了「是否挺 獨」的檢驗標準，民進黨能與獨派切割嗎？若不能，又豈能與陳水扁切割？

因此可知，對民進黨而言，台獨的問題比陳水扁的問題，更根本，也更關鍵。因為，陳水扁所牽涉，尚只是黨的形象問題；台獨所牽涉，則是國家路線問題。台獨的形象，固然因陳水扁而惡化；但即使甩開陳水扁，難道台獨就有活路？

民 進黨若不能否棄或修正其「台灣國」的路線，或若不能改變其群眾的台獨思維，就不可能與陳水扁切割；同理，若不能與陳水扁切割，也就不能改變黨內的台獨因 素。過去八年，民進黨的致命因素有三：一、陳水扁；二、台灣國；三、陳水扁加台灣國。事到如今，民進黨原本應當改弦易轍，脫胎換骨；但事實卻是，民進黨迄 今仍深陷「陳水扁加台灣國」的泥淖之中。

八三○台獨大遊行，當民進黨當局深慶「民氣可用」時；蔡英文訪美，當台獨大老坐在捐款最多者的主桌上；民進黨難道不知：「沒有陳水扁的時代」並未到臨，如今其實仍在延續「陳水扁加台灣國」的時代！

經過八年的激盪，陳水扁的形象已與台獨的形象完全重疊；陳水扁是台獨的拷貝，台獨是陳水扁的克隆。國人從陳水扁身上，已看到民進黨主政能貪腐到什麼程度；也從陳水扁身上，已看到台獨能撕裂國家及混淆是非到什麼程度。可以這麼說：從陳水扁的結局，已可斷言台獨的結局。

國人皆已看到，民進黨在失政敗德八年後，竟仍無能及無法處理陳水扁與台灣國的問題；這正是國人不能再信任民進黨的原因，也正是民進黨難以東山再起的原因。

一條草繩拴三隻螞蚱，民進黨由於不能跳脫台獨的挾持，所以不能甩掉陳水扁的挾持；陳水扁令民進黨形象掃地，台獨則使民進黨永遠不可能走出政治死巷！