How Dare Tsai Ing-wen Attend the National Day Ceremony?

How Dare Tsai Ing-wen Attend the National Day Ceremony?
United Daily News editorial (Taipei, Taiwan, ROC)
A Translation
October 13, 2010

Will Tsai Ing-wen attend the National Day ceremony or won't she? This is basically a non-issue. During Democratic Progressive Party protest marches, flags and banners are so numerous they block out the sun. But one will never see a single Republic of China flag. The party's fundamental nature has not changed. The five cities elections are looming. How dare Tsai Ing-wen attend the National Day ceremony?

This is one of the fundamental paradoxes on Taiwan. A "revolutionary political party" has an unspoken goal -- to overthrow the Republic of China. Yet it runs for Republic of China political offices in the guise of a "democratic political party." On the one hand, at election time, it assures moderate voters that it is a "democratic political party." On the other hand, it assures Taiwan independence supporters that it is a "revolutionary political party." On the one hand, upon taking office, it declares "five noes." On the other hand, it promotes the "rectification of names," the "authoring of a new constitution," a "referendum to enter the UN," and "one nation on each side.“ Over the past eight years, when President Chen Shui-bian presided over the New Year's Day flag-raising ceremony, the DPP parade formation would be filled with "Nation of Taiwan" flags and banners, fluttering in the breeze, blotting out the sun.

The DPP's two-faced nature has reached extremes. Its supporters apparently believe their two-faced nature is a "necessary evil," essential for the growth of Taiwan independence, which cannot survive without it. Perhaps in the beginning the DPP concluded that in order to ensure the survival of Taiwan independence, it had no choice but to adopt this two-faced behavior. But it now engages in this two-faced behavior to exploit Taiwan independence. In other words, it originally engaged in political manipulation to promote Taiwan independence. Now however, it engages in political manipulation to exploit Taiwan independence. This practice has transformed the DPP's two-faced behavior into "ersatz democracy/ersatz Taiwan independence." It can no longer extricate itself, and is dragging its supporters into this moral quagmire.

In order to advocate Taiwan independence, the DPP must express "total opposition." It must incite hatred. It must tear society apart. It must express opposition merely for the sake of expressing opposition. The DPP's unspoken goal is to overthrow the Republic of China. For this it has a tacit understanding with its supporters. How can it possibly accept any of the ROC government's key policies? ECFA is clear example. ECFA is part of the Republic of China path. It is fundamentally opposed to the "Nation of Taiwan" path. If the DPP sides with the Republic of China, how can it possibly oppose ECFA? Conversely, if it champions Taiwan independence, how can it not oppose ECFA?

In almost any political controversy, the DPP criticizes the "Republic of China" from a "Nation of Taiwan" perspective. For example, when typhoons caused flooding in Kaohsiung, DPP officials said the disaster was caused by "too many Mainlanders." For example, during the H1N1 influenza outbreak, DPP officials said "This was the Ma administration's first anniversary gift to Taiwan." The DPP has cultivated in the minds of its supporters the belief that "Taiwan independence is more exalted morally than the Republic of China." It has even cultivated in the minds of its supporters the belief that "Taiwan independence is more exalted morally than any value one can imagine." For Taiwan independence, "repudiating the Republic of China" and "hating the Republic of China" is the highest morality. Therefore for the sake of Taiwan independence, one is morally justified in opposing democracy, the rule of law, even morality itself.

Given this understanding, it is obvious why the DPP felt the courts had no right to judge Chen Shui-bian's corruption. After all, for the DPP, Taiwan independence trumps the rule of law. That is why Chen Shui-bian's 3/19 shooting hoax, Frank Hsieh's doctored audio tapes, and Chen Chu's "gotcha" press conference, were all considered morally justifiable. After all, for the DPP, Taiwan independence trumps democracy. Repeated distortions of the water spinach issue slandered the entire Flora Expo. This was another spectacular victory for the DPP. After all, for the DPP, Taiwan independence is the highest morality, and trumps even morality itself. For the sake of Taiwan independence, any immoral or unscrupulous conduct is considered acceptable.

This is the unspoken goal shared by the DPP and its supporters. On the one hand, the DPP uses this understanding to brazenly engage in all sorts of trickery. It incites hatred, destroys democracy, undermines the rule of law, and ignores moral standards. Nevertheless it still receives over 40% of the vote. On the other hand, it is also the reason the DPP can never transform itself from a "Taiwan Independence Party" into the "Republic of China's loyal opposition." In recent years, the world, the Taiwan Strait, and Taiwan have changed. The moral status of Taiwan independence, its legitimacy and its feasibility, have been increasingly eroded. The DPP and its supporters, with their two-faced advocacy of "ersatz democracy/ersatz Taiwan independence," have destroyed the Republic of China. But they have also hollowed out and falsified the "Nation of Taiwan."

Tsai Ing-wen has already embarked on the same path as all other DPP leaders. She will share the same fate. On the one hand, the DPP wants to seize political power within the Republic of China under the guise of a "democratic political party." On the other hand, the DPP wants to deceive Taiwan independence supporters under the guise of a "revolutionary political party." Tsai Ing-wen cannot attend the ROC National Day ceremony. All she can do is hold high the "Nation of Taiwan" banner as she marches in lockstep formation. All she can do is perpetuate the DPP's two-faced game of self-deception.

蔡英文怎麼敢出席國慶典禮
【聯合報╱社論】
2010.10.13

蔡英文會不會出席國慶典禮，這根本是個假議題。民進黨迄今仍是在大遊行時旌旗蔽日、卻見不到一面國旗的政黨，如果該黨的「本性」不變，況且又五都選舉在即，蔡英文豈會又豈敢出席國慶典禮？

這是台灣政治的根本僵局。一個以顛覆中華民國為潛台詞的「革命政黨」，卻以「民主政黨」的形式進入政治運作。在選舉時，一方面要使中間選民認為，它是「民主政黨」；另一方面，又要台獨支持者相信它是「革命政黨」。在執政後，一方面要宣示「四不一沒有」；另一方面又要操弄「正名制憲」、「入聯公投」、「一邊一國」。過去八年，當陳水扁總統在元旦升旗典禮率官民向國旗行禮的年代裡，民進黨的遊行隊伍中一律插滿「台灣國」的旗幟，迎風獵獵，遮天蔽日。

民進黨已將這樣的「兩面性」操作得爐火純青，其支持者也似乎相信，這種「兩面性」是台獨生存發展的「必要之惡」，非此不能存活。開始時，或許覺得，為了台獨的存活，不能不操作這種兩面性；但是，到了如今，卻是為了操作這種兩面性，而玩弄台獨。也就是說：原來是為台獨而操弄權謀；如今卻是為了操弄權謀而玩弄台獨。這種操作手法，已使民進黨的「兩面性」成為「假民主／假台獨」，非但自己難以自拔，也使其支持者陷入道德困境。

因為主張台獨，所以要「完全反對」，要煽動仇恨，要撕裂社會；因此，民進黨就必須為反對而反對。以推翻中華民國為潛台詞（與其支持者之間的默契）的民進黨，豈能承認或接受中華民國政府的任何重大政策？ＥＣＦＡ即是顯例：因為，ＥＣＦＡ本是中華民國路線與台灣國路線的根本分歧；民進黨倘站在中華民國的立場上設身處地，豈會反對ＥＣＦＡ？反過來說，主張台獨者又豈能不反對ＥＣＦＡ？

民進黨幾乎在任何政治爭議上，皆是以「台灣國」的心態來批判「中華民國」。例如，高雄颱風淹大水，民進黨有人說，禍因是「外省人來得太多了」；再如Ｈ１Ｎ１流感爆發，民進黨有人說：「這是給馬政府就職周年的禮物。」民進黨用台獨在其支持者間非但製造了一種「台獨比中華民國具道德性」的幻覺，也使其支持者認為「台獨的道德階位高於其他任何的道德標準」，因為「否定中華民國及仇恨中華民國」就是台獨的最高道德。所以，為了台獨，甚至以反民主、反法治與反道德為道德。

有此理解，即知為何民進黨會認為：陳水扁的貪腐是法院所不能評價的（反法治）；且陳水扁藉三一九槍擊案、謝長廷因假錄音帶、陳菊以「抓到了」記者會操弄選舉，皆為理所當然（反民主）；而用幾株扭曲的空心菜汙名化整個花博，更是精彩絕倫的權謀勝利（反道德）。這一切，皆因以台獨為最高道德，為了台獨，一切不道德的不擇手段，皆是最高道德。

這正是民進黨與其支持者之間的潛台詞。一方面，民進黨利用此種默契，肆無忌憚地玩弄權謀，煽動仇恨，摧毀民主、法治與道德的標準，而仍能贏得至少超過四成的社會支持；但另一方面，民進黨也因而不可能由「台獨黨」轉型為「中華民國的忠誠反對黨」。於此同時，由於近年來全世界、兩岸及台灣內部情勢的巨變，台獨的道德性、正當性及可行性，皆已日趨淪喪流失；民進黨與其支持者遂相互在「假民主／假台獨」的兩面性中，毀了中華民國，但也空洞化、虛假化了台灣國。

蔡英文已走上此前所有民進黨領袖的同一宿命。一方面，想用「民主政黨」的面貌爭奪中華民國的政權；另一方面，又要用「革命政黨」的憧憬來哄騙台獨支持者。蔡英文當然不會出席中華民國國慶，她只能回到高擎台灣國旌旗的遊行隊伍中，繼續操作這自欺欺人的「兩面性」。