World University Games, Dreamer, and Two Dollar Persimmons

World University Games, Dreamer, and Two Dollar Persimmons
United Daily News editorial (Taipei, Taiwan, ROC)
A Translation
December 2, 2011

Summary: Taipei City has defeated the the Brazilian capital of Brasilia, and won its bid to host the 2017 Summer World University Games. President Ma stayed up to 2:30 am hoping for good news from Brussels, Clearly our head of state was concerned about this victory, Winning the bid touched the hearts of the people. The 2017 World University Games is allowing us to affirm our achievements. It is enabling us to extricate ourselves from internecine conflict and futile wheel-spinning.

Full Text Below:

Taipei City has defeated the the Brazilian capital of Brasilia, and won its bid to host the 2017 Summer World University Games. By the time the ballots were counted, it was 2:30 am in Taipei. Sports Commission Chairman Dai Hsia-ling telephoned President Ma Ying-jeou from Brussels to tell him the good news. The next morning the public soon felt the significance of this achievement. Excitement quickly spread.

This was Taipei's fifth bid for the World University Games. Before the news broke, people did not hold out much hope. This was clear from news photos from Brussels posted by the Mainland's Xinhua News Agency. But the good news was infectious, It pushed the "two dollar persimmons" controversy to the back pages.

The World University Games is open to university students, college students, grad school students, and alumni who graduated less than two years ago, aged 17 to 28, from 163 countries. In 2017, over 12,000 of them will arrive on Taiwan to compete. Sports Commission Chairman Dai Hsia-ling said the World University Games is known as the "Little Olympics." It is the highest level, largest scale sporting event ever hosted by Taipei, and has far-reaching historical significance.

Dai Hsia-ling spoke of "far-reaching historical significance," What he meant was that One, the level of Taipei's participation in international events just moved up a level. Two, winning the bid just elevated Taipei City to new heights. Three, Taiwan's soft power has just been given a better international stage. Four, the international community will better understand Taiwan, It will better appreciate it and support it. Five, the victory is a win/win milestone that will benefit cross-Strait relations, Without three supporting votes from Beijing, Taipei could well have lost again. Six, winning the bid will enhance the public's sense of identity and pride. This synergy is something the public on Taiwan experienced during the World Games in Kaohsiung, the Deaflympics in Taipei, and the Taipei Flora Expo. Now the 2017 World University Games, to be held six years from now, may be of similar "far-reaching historical significance" to the public.

All in all, the aforemention "historical significance" can be summed up as "Taipei has shown its face, the public is unanimous in its approval." When major international sporting events are held in any country, the effect is the same. The 2008 Beijing Olympics was also a case of "Beijing has shown its face, the public is unanimous in its approval." The Republic of China has been alienated from international events for too long. It has been plagued by serious political divisions within, It is now able to host a major international event. This "showing one's face to the outside world," this "marketing of the nation," this "domestic sense of identity," and this "solidarity" feels even more worth fighting for.

The 2009 World Games in Kaohsiung, the Taipei Deaflympics, and the 2010 Taipei Flora Expo had a "Taipei shows its face, the public is unanimous in its approval" effect. The 2011 "Dreamer" centennial, celebrating the nation's founding, is also a major event. Yet is suffered a setback. The "Dreamer" celebration was an attempt to promote internal dialog over the founding of the nation. But political polarization deepened differences over artistic expression and resource allocation. Examined with a cool eye, the failure of the "Dreamer" celebration was not due to an out of control budget. It was not due to subjective differences over artistic expression. It may or may not have been the result of political ideology in artistic garments. It enabled hostile elements to exacerbate political divisions. Such is the political situation on Taiwan. Replacing Emile Sheng and Lai Sheng-chuan, the organizers of the "Dreamers" celebration, would not have made any difference.

Internal dialogue on Taiwan is difficult. The main reason is a lack of consensus over political identity. Paradoxically, the World Games in Kaohsiung, the Taipei Deaflympics, the Taipei Flora Expo, and the 2017 World University Games enable "showing one's face to the outside world." These non-political sports and arts activities may facilitate "unanimous approval." The 2008 Beijing Olympics healed festering wounds suffered beginning with the Opium War. The Kaohsiung World Games, the World University Games, and a whole slew of major international events are healing similar festering wounds, including the sense of being an international orphan, and internal divisions.

The general election is now in progress. Our ears are filled with claims and counterclaims. Is there a 1992 consensus? Are persimmon really two dollars per catty? Everyone turns a deaf ear to them. Everyone on Taiwan seems to be out for blood, out to destroy society. But this is not the nature of the most people on Taiwan, This is not what they want. The World Games, the Deaflympics, and the Taipei Flora Expo experience shows that the public on Taiwan remains hopeful and supportive about "showing one's face to the outside world" and "unanimous approval." Therefore, we too look forward to and wholeheartedly support the 2017 World University Games.

President Ma stayed up to 2:30 am hoping for good news from Brussels, Clearly our head of state was concerned about this victory, Winning the bid touched the hearts of the people. The 2017 World University Games is allowing us to affirm our achievements. It is enabling us to extricate ourselves from internecine conflict and futile wheel-spinning.

世大運‧夢想家‧兩元柿
【聯合報╱社論】
2011.12.02 01:37 am

台北市擊敗巴西首都巴西利亞，贏得二○一七年夏季世界大學運動會主辦權；開票揭曉，台北半夜兩點半，體委會主委戴遐齡自布魯塞爾打電話向馬英九總統報告佳音，天亮後國人也立刻感受到這項成就的重大意義，興奮之情迅速在社會中感染瀰漫開來。

這是台灣第五次申辦世大運，事前新聞界對此次能達陣也未抱太大期望，這從布魯塞爾傳出的主要新聞照片皆大陸「新華社」所攝即可看出；但這個喜訊的爆發力與感染力卻相當強大，硬是將陷於「兩元柿」風波的大選新聞擠到了報紙後頁的版面。

展望二○一七世大運，至少將有一百六十國的一萬兩千名大專院校在校或畢業不超過兩年的學生選手（年齡在十七歲至二十八歲）來台出賽；體委會主委戴遐齡說，世大運有「小奧運」之稱，這是台灣有史以來所獲最高層級、最大規模綜合性賽事的主辦權，具有深遠歷史意義。

戴遐齡所說的「深遠歷史意義」，或許可引申為：一、將使台灣的國際參與更上台階；二、將使台北市的都會品級更上層樓；三、將使台灣的綜合社會力有了更佳的提升機會與展示舞台；四、將給國際社會對台灣的瞭解、欣賞與支持添加元素；五、將為兩岸關係的互惠雙贏建立里程碑，蓋若無北京支持三票，台北這次可能還會摃龜；六、將給台灣社會的自我認同感與共同的榮譽感有了更佳的觸媒。這類綜效（synergy），台灣人民在高雄世運、台北聽奧及台北花博舉辦期間，皆曾深刻感受到；現在，六年後的二○一七世大運，應可為台灣的社會生命史再度留下一頁「深遠的歷史意義」。

總括而言，以上所言的「歷史意義」，可以歸納為「台灣露臉／全民認同」八個字。重大國際體育賽事，在任何國家舉辦，其綜效可謂皆不出這八個字；即使二○○八的京奧，也是「中國露臉／全民認同」。然而，對於中華民國這個與國際核心事件疏離已久，且內部又處於嚴重政治分裂的國家而言，能夠主辦國際巨型活動，那種「對外露臉」的「國家行銷」，與「對內認同」的「我們（一體）感」，當然就更加值得爭取與珍惜了。

二○○九年的高雄世運、台北聽奧，及二○一○年的台北花博，皆有「台灣露臉／全民認同」的綜效；但是，二○一一年的建國百年「夢想家」，同樣是巨型活動，卻儼然受到挫折。主因在「夢想家」是試圖進行「建國百年」的「內部對話」，由於政治意識的對立，所以加深了對藝文表現與資源配置的歧見；若冷靜下來看，「夢想家」的失敗未必在預算失控，也未必在藝文表現的見仁見智（確實是「穿著創意外衣的政治八股」？），卻在反而授人政治撕裂的把柄，而助長了台灣的政治分裂。然而，台灣的政治情勢既是如此，則如果「夢想家」的主持人以盛治仁及賴聲川換作別人，恐怕同樣亦難逃此一宿命。

台灣的「內部對話」如此困難，主因在於沒有全民一致的「政治認同」。如今，透過高雄世運、台北聽奧、台北花博，及二○一七年世大運，反而可以透過「對外露臉」，及非政治性的體育賽事及藝文活動，逐漸補償與修復「全民認同」。正如二○○八京奧，是中國自鴉片戰爭起長期挫辱以來的創傷自療儀式，而台灣也能從主辦高雄世運至台北世大運的一連串巨型國際活動中，對國際孤兒、內部分裂的宿疾進行自我療癒。

大選正在進行，「有沒有九二共識？」「甜柿一斤兩元？」充耳皆是這類相互詛咒的語言；令人彷彿覺得，台灣是一個自相殘殺、相互毀滅的社會。但是，這絕非多數台灣人的本質與期望，從世運、聽奧、花博的經驗可知，全民對「台灣露臉」及「全民認同」仍是充滿期待與衷心支持。因此，我們對二○一七世大運也充滿期待並衷心支持！

馬總統在半夜兩點半接聽來自布魯塞爾的喜訊，可見贏得此事是元首心繫，也牽動了全民的情感。讓我們一同迎向二○一七世大運，讓大家一起成全、成就台灣，勿再使我們陷溺於相互詛咒、自相殘殺的空轉內耗之中而不能自拔！