Partisan Struggles are not Checks and Balances

Partisan Struggles are not Checks and Balances
United Daily News editorial (Taipei, Taiwan, ROC)
A Translation
July 2, 2012

Summary: The biggest obstacles to Taiwan's economic development have always been non-economic factors. This has been true for over 20 years. This is true today. Struggles over reunification vs. independence and cross-Strait confrontation were originally directed outward. But over time, they have unwittingly been redirected inward. They have been internalized as irrational Blue vs. Green struggles. This is the root cause of Taiwan's internal hemorrhaging.

Full Text below:

The biggest obstacles to Taiwan's economic development have always been non-economic factors. This has been true for over 20 years. This is true today. Struggles over reunification vs. independence and cross-Strait confrontation were originally directed outward. But over time, they have unwittingly been redirected inward. They have been internalized as irrational Blue vs. Green struggles. This is the root cause of Taiwan's internal hemorrhaging.

Since the January general election, society has endlessly revolved around three issues. One. U.S. beef imports. Two. The capital gains tax. Three. Gasoline and electricity rate hikes. Back and forth, on and on. Strictly speaking, these three issues are not that divisive. But the ruling and opposition parties and society as a whole have wasted at least six months arguing over them. They have sought neither consensus nor solutions. Under the circumstances, how can Taiwan progress?

Did Taiwan really have nothing more important to do during the past six months? Dealing with landslides and floods, upgrading industry, reviewing an obsolete legal system, have all been victims of long-term neglect. Every one of them is more important than these three. But the ruling and opposition parties would rather bicker over these. Consider the world as a whole. Other nations are preparing for the chain reaction triggered by the European debt crisis. But the ruling and opposition parties on Taiwan don't seem to care. They are not preparing for a rainy day. The water is already up to their knees. Yet no one cares.

During the presidential election Ma spoke of creating a "Golden Decade" on Taiwan. But three issues of only moderate importance have squandered six months of valuable time, with no end in sight. This snails pace is difficult to conceive. When can people witness the political and economic dawn promised by President Ma?

Internal bickering on Taiwan is something the public understands. The problem is different parties interpret the cause and background of the internal bickering in different ways. Personal grudges between ruling and opposition politicians make the differences even harder to resolve. Opposition began years ago, over reunification vs. independence. With democratization this opposition evolved into society-wide Blue vs. Green opposition. Society has both progressed and regressed. This progression and regression is the result of two forces: democracy and national identity. In the early years people placed a higher priority on promoting democracy than on promoting national identity. Therefore society progressed. In recent years, people have placed a higher priority on promoting national identity than on promoting democracy. As a result society has regressed.

The promotion of democracy and freedom has taken place alongside the promotion of "ethnic identity," concurrently or alternately. The dominant force was a desire to promoted progress and democracy. But this also promoted pluralism. It intensified a "Taiwanese consciousness" and a sense of "ethnic identity." The struggle between reunification and independence has hardened into Blue vs. Green social polarization. It has also deprived the public of its enthusiasm for democracy and its rationality. The passion for democratic reform has turned into an obssession with ethnic identity. This is the root of the internal bickering that has left Taiwan mired in conflict and unable to extricate himself.

Blue vs. Green confrontation has led to all sorts of distortions of democracy. For example, the opposition Pan Green parties have euphemistically characterized partisan obstructionism as "constitutional checks and balances." Green camp obstructionism has led to political and institutional paralysis. It has led to the subversion of their own ideas and proposals. Construction on the Number Four Nuclear Power Plant has been repeatedly started and halted. The Kuo Kuang Petrochemical Plant was stillborn. U.S. beef imports have been repeatedly approved and disapproved. Every one of them squandered national resources and tried the industry and public patience. Political parties sacrificed Taiwan's future for their own selfish interests.

An end to such internal bickering, requires a return to rational democratic politics. This requires the ruling and opposition parties to act together. During the Two Critical Years Summit, Hong Chi-chang, former SEF Chairman for the Chen Shui-bian administration, elicited universal applause. He said: "Our political parties must not persist in opposition and confrontation. They must dialogue. They must compete and cooperate." He said, "Taiwan needs a rational, responsible and loyal opposition party. Even more, it needs a ruling party with vision, capacity to govern, and the ability to improve the people's welfare. Only this will allow Taiwan to move forward."

This is precisely right. In a healthy democracy, the relationship between the ruling and opposition parties must not be a zero-sum game. They must engage in coopetition. Only that accords with rational democracy and the national interest. Parties should rely on rationality, wisdom, and benevolence to win public support. They should not resort to whatever means possible to acquire political power. They should not disregard the nation, society, and the public interest. On Taiwan, changes in ruling parties have become the norm. An opposition party that exploits the public cannot win the public trust. A ruling party that is indolent and incompetent cannot remain in office. The public sees this clearly.

The facts cannot be denied. Internal bickering has many layers. They have political, economic, social and psychological impacts. As a result, only great patience and courage can halt this downward spiral. Over the past four years, President Ma has adopted a flexible strategy. He has adopted an inclusive attitude. He has made an heroic effort to defuse the hostility of the Democratic Progressive Party. The response has been disappointing. President Ma failed to win Pan Green camp cooperation. Instead, they have bound him hand and foot. He has even left the public with the impression that he is too weak. As a result the administration's reforms have stalled. It cannot reverse the economic decline. People feel anxious and disappointed. They have lost confidence in their own nation. President Ma must change his way of doing things. He must govern more effectively. He must ensure good governance, in order to turn the tide.

As a national leader and chairman of the ruling party, Ma Ying-jeou must overcome internal bickering. He needs courage. He must act quickly. He must not cling to his strong, silent style. If he cannot pass three bills in six months. he will become a lame duck. Then it will be too late. Then there will be no going back. The ruling party will disintegrate. The executive branch will have nothing to show for its effort. The legacy Ma aspires to will vanish into thin air.

Taiwan is in a race against time. It is in a race against itself. The ruling party must charge ahead. The opposition parties must rid themselves of their delusions about internal bickering. Only then can Taiwan emerge from its quagmire. Only then can Taiwan open itself up economically.

惡鬥不是制衡．內耗拖垮民主．振興需要領導
【聯合報╱社論】
2012.07.02

台灣經濟發展的最大阻力，向來以「非經濟因素」干擾為首；廿多年來一貫如此，於今尤烈。原因是，從統獨之爭到兩岸對峙原本皆是對外的問題，而如今，卻不知不覺被「內部化」成藍綠的非理性鬥爭。這是導致台灣內傷及欲進不前的致命根源。

最明顯的例子是，元月大選後至今，台灣社會完全只圍繞著三個議題打轉：一是美牛案，二是證所稅，三是油電雙漲，你來我往，無止無休。嚴格而論，這三個議題都稱不上是可以造成決裂的政策，但朝野政黨乃至整個社會卻為此耗掉半年，且不以尋求共識或尋求解決為目的。在這種情況下，台灣還有什麼力氣往前推進？

這半年，台灣沒有更重要的事要做嗎？整山治水、調整產業體質、檢討落後的法制，都是台灣長期疏於經營的工作，無一不比這三者重要；然而，朝野卻寧可在這三件事上歪纏惡鬥。何況，放眼世界，各國都在為歐債危機引發的連鎖效應預作準備，台灣朝野卻似絲毫不以為意；莫說未雨綢繆，實則勢已燃眉，誰來關心？

馬總統大選時標榜要創造台灣的「黃金十年」，如今僅為了三個不大不小的案子，就耗掉全民半年的寶貴光陰，且三案均仍在原地踏步。以這樣的牛步，我們很難想像，民眾要何時才能看到那道馬總統所許諾的政經曙光？

台灣的內耗現象，其實人們早已看得十分清楚；問題在，各方對內耗的成因和背景的解讀差異極大，再加上夾纏朝野或政治人物的個人恩怨，因此難以化解。然而，從早年「統獨」的意識型態對立，到民主改革後演成整個社會的「藍綠」對峙，我們看到的是一條下墜的社會力曲線。這條曲線，是由「民主」和「認同」兩股力量交織而成，早年社會追求民主的力量遠大過認同，因此曲線是往上升的；而近幾年人們在認同上的撕扯大過對民主的追求，整個社會力的曲線於是頹然而下。

亦即，在民主自由與族群認同或平行或交錯的發展過程中，民主進步的渴求曾扮演主導力量，也激發了多元社會力的勃興。但隨著台灣主體意識的強化，族群認同的力量變成主軸，統獨的意識形態角力硬化成社會的藍綠對峙，也奪走了大家民主的熱情和理性。這種從民主改革向族群認同傾斜的發展，正是台灣陷於內耗而難以自拔的根源所在。

在這樣的藍綠對峙下，我們看到了各種扭曲和偽裝的民主。諸如，在野黨將政黨政治的「制衡」上綱為無限杯葛及無謂抗爭，造成政治的空轉和體制的癱瘓，甚至不惜顛覆自己的主張。從核四廠的建建停停、國光石化的胎死腹中、美牛案的反反覆覆，無一不是在虛擲國家資源、虛耗企業和人民的耐性，也是用台灣前途來獻祭政黨的私心。

要打破這樣的內耗危機，就必須回到民主政治的理性軌道，這需要執政黨與在野黨的共同行動。在《關鍵兩年》高峰會上，曾任扁政府海基會董事長的洪奇昌有一段令人擊掌的談話，直指問題核心。他說：「我們的政黨不能再繼續對立和對抗，我們必須對話，必須要競爭和合作。」他還說：「台灣需要一個理性負責的忠誠反對黨，更需要有規劃、有治理能力、為人民創造福祉的執政黨，這樣才能帶領台灣往前走。」

確乎如此！一個健康的民主政治，朝野的關係不應該是零和競爭，而是要有競有合，那才合乎民主理性及國家利益。而雙方的競爭關係，應該表現在以理性、智慧和善意爭取選民的認同，而不是只為了爭奪政權而不擇手段，棄國家、社會、人民的利益於不顧。在台灣，政黨輪替已成為常態，一個以社會為壑的在野黨不可能獲得人民信賴，一個怠惰無能的執政黨也難以持久，人民的眼睛是雪亮的。

不可諱言，台灣內耗的因素層層疊疊，對政治、經濟、社會、心理的影響交互糾葛；也因此，非有極大的耐心和魄力不足以阻止這個下沈螺旋。過去四年，馬總統採取的是柔性策略，希望用包容、自持來化解民進黨的敵意，但效果顯然不佳。馬總統非但未能成功爭取到綠營的合作，反而處處受到掣肘，甚至讓人民覺得他太過軟弱。因而，政府各種改革的欲進不前、經濟頹勢的欲振乏力，都使民眾感到焦慮與失望，甚至對國家喪失信心。這點，意味馬總統必須改變作風，拿出更有效的治理才能，勵精圖治、力挽狂瀾。

身為國家領導人兼執政黨主席，馬英九有絕對的責任要解決台灣的內耗問題，不僅魄力要大，而且行動要快。否則，若繼續其「沉默的魄力」的作風，以半年解決不了三個案子的表現，跛鴨效應恐將一發不可收拾。屆時，執政黨愈發散漫分崩，行政部門無所憑藉，他想望的歷史定位也將成為泡影。

台灣正在和時間賽跑，也在和自己賽跑。執政黨要拿出衝刺的決心，在野黨要擺脫出惡鬥的迷思，台灣才有機會跳出內耗空轉的泥沼，這也是為台灣經濟開路之鑰。