The DPP: Still Leading Taiwan with a Broken Compass

The DPP: Still Leading Taiwan with a Broken CompassUnited Daily News editorial (Taipei, Taiwan, ROC)
A Translation
August 23, 2010


The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) is about to announce its Platform for the Coming Decade, which will lay out its proposal for Taiwan's future during the next ten years. The platform contains an article on "ethnic diversity," (or more accurately, "community diversity"). But judging by its recently released draft version, the DPP remains deeply confused about its vision for Taiwan. If even the DPP itself does not know where it stands, how can it talk about where it intends to lead Taiwan?

In its article on "ethnic diversity," the DPP mentions "Hoklo Chauvinism." But it adopted a holier than thou attitude and "magnanimously forgave" Mainlanders for their "Original Sin." It concluded that "post-war immigrants from Mainland China should not be regarded as "foreigners" or "others." But what is this "I hereby pardon you" tone, other than the embodiment of Hoklo Chauvinism?

Cross-Strait exchanges have led to an influx of Mainland spouses, Mainland students, and Mainland tourists. Yet the DPP was deeply resistant to making this concession toward "post-war Mainland immigrants" who have been on Taiwan for over six decades. Clearly the DPP's problem is not the public's inability to show tolerance toward each other, but rather the DPP's own "Sinophobia."

This circumstance reveals how out of touch the DPP is with the public on Taiwan. The Democratic Progressive Party is presenting a Platform for the Coming Decade because it hopes to revive its shrinking public approval ratings by offering more "exalted" political appeals. But judging by its article on "ethnic diversity." the DPP thinks it can diagnose Taiwan's ills from on high. In fact the real problem is that the DPP is unable to make up its mind about what Taiwan's status ought to be. Its attempts to address the defects in its arguments merely show how many holes they contain.

The DPP has gradually lost touch with the public on Taiwan, for three reasons. One. It remains mired in nostalgia. It persists in polishing its halo as "democratic reformer." It is unwilling to earnestly address the failure of its administration and the defects in its political path. The fact is, eight years in power dramatically altered the public's perception of the DPP. It is digusted by Chen Shui-bian's corruption. It has also come to the conclusion that the Green Camp's political path will only make Taiwan wither on the vine. These are incontrovertible facts. But the DPP has remained silent. It has chosen to engage in self-deception. Meanwhile, the more successfully it appeases its Deep Green core supporters, the more it alienates the general public.

Two. The DPP is much too opportunistic. Its political calculations often ensure short term victory. But in the long term they merely expose the DPP's self-contradictory and disingenuous behavior. Frequent changes in political platform merely expose the DPP's "relativistic" tap-dancing, and the absence of any sustainable strategic framework. Eight years in power have revealed a gaping chasm between DPP rhetoric and DPP reality. The DPP is now rushing to weave a master narrative by which it can lead Taiwan. But lo and behold, it never bothered to ask the public what it really wants.

Three. The DPP has long "used the system to overthrow the system." It has long used the "recitification of names," public referenda, and the authoring of a new constitution to bolster itself. It has attempted to eat away the nation and society from within. It has induced the public to doubt its national identity and national loyalty. The DPP's loyalty is to a "future Nation of Taiwan." Its real purpose is to destroy the Republic of China. Why should voters allow imposters to rule the nation by using the Republic of China as a "backdoor listing?" When and where will their fictitious Nation of Taiwan come into existence? These are questions the DPP must answer in its Platform for the Coming Decade.

But judging by what it has done so far, the DPP's Platform for the Coming Decade has simply evaded the issue of national identity and constitutional structure. Instead, it begins by addressing "foreign relations," democracy, human rights, economics, and environmentalism. This is flagrant evasion. The DPP must first clarify its stand on national identity. Does it still advocate Taiwan independence and nation-building? Is it willing to reaffirm the Republic of China Constitution? Does it still advocate the rectification of names and the authoring of a new constitution? If so, then its platform will be nothing more than a UFO without navigation coordinates. If the DPP uses a broken compass to navigate, even it will have no idea where it is headed, How can it lead us in a new direction?

Every political party must find an appropriate niche within a society. It cannot arrogate to itself the leadership of "us," while stigmatizing others as "them." But that is precisely what the DPP did with its article on "ethnic diversity." It zeroed in on "ethnicity," while making no mention of the poor and underprivileged. It lacked even the literary eloquence it had a few years ago. Its resolution on "ethnic diversity and social unity" showed signs of inexorable generational decline. The DPP had better pay attention to these warning signs. If the DPP has the courage to look ten years into the future, it ought to have the wisdom to update its navigation devices. It should not attempt to take to the road with a broken compass.

民進黨還要用失效的羅盤指引台灣？
【聯合報╱社論】
2010.08.23 12:06 pm

民進黨即將發表十年政綱，就台灣未來十年發展提出綱領性主張。但從其近日發表的「多元族群」綱領初稿看，它對自己要站在什麼位置看台灣，其實仍有很深的迷惘。民進黨如果連自己的定位都無法掌握，如何奢談指引台灣的未來？

在族群綱領中，民進黨雖對其「福佬沙文主義」提出反省，但檢討的最後竟是以高高在上的「寬恕」姿態來承認外省族群作為總結，說「戰後中國大陸移民不應再被視為『外來他者』」。這種「我現在宣布赦免你」的口吻，豈不正是福佬沙文心態？

兩岸交流發展至今，陸配、陸生、陸客已絡繹於途，而民進黨對於要割捨一席之地予已來台一甲子以上的「戰後大陸移民」，竟還顯得如此艱澀。看來，嚴重的是民進黨的「反中恐懼症」，而不是島內族群無法相互融合尊重吧？

這個景象，反映出民進黨與台灣社會的時空錯位。民進黨之所以要提十年政綱，是希望藉由較具高度的治國論述重新吸引民眾認同；但端看這篇族群綱領，它自以為能凌空審視台灣社會的病徵，真正的問題卻是它自己找不到嵌入台灣的位置，乃至連修補論述漏洞都顯得左支右絀。

民進黨之所以漸與台灣社會脫節，主要原因有三：第一，仍耽溺在早年「民主改革者」的光暈中，不願真誠反省執政的失敗及路線的錯誤。事實上，經過執政八年，台灣人民對民進黨的印象和評價已經大大改觀；除了陳水扁的貪腐令人厭憎，綠營的務虛路線只會讓台灣走向萎弱，也是不爭的事實。但民進黨迄今對黨的錯誤路線仍避而不談，這是自欺欺人。然而，它越以「深綠基本盤」為滿足，也越使自己侷限一隅。

第二，民進黨投機性格濃厚，工於算計的本事雖往往使其在短期交鋒中取勝，但長期卻反暴露它的自相矛盾和言不由衷。頻繁地修改政綱，更看出民進黨只有「相對」的戰術調整，而缺乏「可長可久」的戰略架構。八年執政，人民已看出民進黨在雄辯與實踐之間的偌大差距；如今民進黨還在忙著編織大論述來指導台灣，卻忘了問一問人民真正想要的是什麼？

第三，民進黨一直以來「打著體制反體制」，利用正名、公投、制憲等手段來壯大自己，卻從內部耗蝕國家和社會，也讓民眾對其國家認同及國家忠誠深感懷疑。如果民進黨效忠的是一個「未來台灣國」，而其目的只是要消滅中華民國，那麼台灣人民為何要支持一個「借殼上市」的假冒者來主持國家大政？那個未知的國度又存在於什麼時空中？這是民進黨提出十年政綱時，自己必須先誠實回答的問題。

但是，以目前的進度看，民進黨草擬中的十年政綱，卻根本迴避了國家認同與憲法架構的問題，一開始就談「對外關係」，然後是民主、人權、經濟、環境等，這完全是避重就輕的作法。如若不能先確認該黨的國家定位（還要不要台獨建國？），不能確定憲法的架構（還要不要正名制憲？），這部政綱恐怕只是一個沒有座標的不明飛行物罷了。要用一個失效的羅盤來導航，恐怕連民進黨也不知道自己要飛到哪裡，那又如何指引大家走出新方向？

作為一個政黨，必須找到自己切入社會的適當位置，不能為了霸佔「我群」的名號，而任意將別人汙名化為「他者」；即以已公布的「族群多元」政綱言，且不說論述貧弱，甚至連文采都不如幾年前的「族群多元／社會一體」決議文，這種一代不如一代的徵象，恐怕是民進黨必須面對的警訊。民進黨若有勇氣前瞻未來十年，就請好好把自家的導航儀器調整更新一番，別帶著失靈的羅盤上路。