Sunday, August 16, 2015

Urgent Need for Old and New Generation Cooperation on Reunification

Urgent Need for Old and New Generation Cooperation on Reunification
China Times Editorial (Taipei, Taiwan, ROC)
A Translation
August 17, 2015


Executive Summary: "Natural independence" is a new buzzword that emerged from the Sunflower Student Movement. It refers to a new phenomenon in Taiwan's political environment. Just what is "natural independence"? Taiwan independence theoretician Lin Cho-shui explains. "The older generation's education determined its sense of national identity. Reunification was then a mainstream value. Reunification for them became second nature. Considerable soul searching was necessary before they could become reoriented toward independence. But young people are growing up in an era when Taiwan independence is the mainstream value. Therefore they exemplify "natural independence".

Full Text Below:

"Natural independence" is a new buzzword that emerged from the Sunflower Student Movement. It refers to a new phenomenon in Taiwan's political environment. Just what is "natural independence"? Taiwan independence theoretician Lin Cho-shui explains. "The older generation's education determined its sense of national identity. Reunification was then a mainstream value. Reunification for them became second nature. Considerable soul searching was necessary before they could become reoriented toward independence. But young people are growing up in an era when Taiwan independence is the mainstream value. Therefore they exemplify "natural independence".

The claim that "Taiwan independence has become a mainstream value" is of course an exaggeration. It would be more accurate to say that a "Taiwanese consciousness" and "Taiwan consciousness" are mainstream values. Just before the Sunflower Student Movement erupted, a TVBS opinion poll showed that 78% of people consider themselves Taiwanese. Among these, 89% of 20 to 29 year olds consider themselves Taiwanese. This is higher even than the percentage for those over 60. Thinking of oneself as Taiwanese however, is hardly the same as advocating Taiwan independence. But intervention by political and social forces does indeed cultivate advocates for Taiwan independence.

This reveals the internal contradiction in "natural independence" rhetoric. Were it not for the intervention of political and social forces, Taiwanese consciousness would not naturally lead to calls for Taiwan independence. So-called "natural independence" ideology is anything but natural. It would be more accurate to call it "new independence" thought. In fact advocate of "natural independence" Lin Cho-shui made a Freudian slip when he said, "We should rejoice. For the past 20 years the DPP has bickered over the Taiwan independence party platform. Fortunately however, it never gave up. Otherwise, it is doubtful whether Taiwan society today would be one of "natural independence". This confirms that the DPP Taiwan independence party platform and other Taiwan independence movements created "new Taiwan independence" thinking.

Lin Cho-shui said something else interesting. He said "New Taiwan independence forces have given Chairman Tsai Ing-wen a huge boost". He said this was the reason Tsai Ing-wen said Taiwan independence consciousness has become a "natural ingredient" for the younger generation. Tsai Ing-wen's statement was made after the Sunflower Student Movement incident ended, and before last year's DPP National Party Congress convened. Her motive was to fend off public demands that the DPP to freeze its Taiwan independence party platform.

With the encouragement of new Taiwan independence forces, Tsai Ing-wen argued that the Taiwan independence party platform was the reason the Democratic Progressive party was founded. It was the ideal pursued by that generation of DPP leaders. It accompanied Taiwan's democratization. We created a deep seated "Taiwan consciousness", she said. This identification with Taiwan and this demand for independence, has become a "natural ingredient" for the younger generation. How can we "freeze' such a state? How can be "abolish" it? Tsai's statement was significant, Tsai Ing-wen is middle-aged. She is caught between old Taiwan independence and new Taiwan independence. In the past her Taiwan independence colors were hidden. Now however, she has openly declared that Taiwan independence was her generation's ideal. She admitted that Taiwan consciousness was something "We created". It was the result of DPP promotion. It was hardly a "natural ingredient".

Tsai Ing-wen's refusal to freeze the Taiwan independence party platform shows what Tsai Ing-wen means by "maintaining the status quo". Meanwhile, Sunflower Student Movement leader Huang Kuo-chang formed a radical fringe outside the DPP. Recently it merged with old Taiwan independence elements, and plans to cooperate on matters of organization, resources, and elections. In fact, the announcement of this cooperation was premeditated. In early July, the "New Power Party" declared that many younger generation members already exemplify "natural independence". These younger generation members would "pursue the normalization of Taiwan statehood" as a party platform. They would become the founders of the New Power Party. The New Power Party would be more radical than the DPP. It would promote cross-Strait oversight regulations, constitutional reform. It would abolish the Act Governing Relations between Peoples on both Sides of the Strait. It would participate in international activities under the name "Taiwan". It would "establish normal diplomatic relations with [Mainland] China". These five projects would purportedly "complete the normalization of Taiwan statehood". The New Power Party's position is quite clear. Its pro-independence colors are unmistakable. It supports Tsai Ing-wen. It seeks to merge old and new Taiwan independence forces to acquire more power. The old politicians of the TSU operate outside the KMT and DPP. The New Power Party, by contrast, will have better mobilization skills, more persuasive rhetoric, and a better public image. Next year, when its candidates are elected to the legislature, it will force the DPP to push harder for Taiwan independence. Its radical ideas on cross-Strait relations will become a major factor.

New and old Taiwan independence forces are merging. They are gradually rallying middle-aged Taiwan independence advocates. This should send a message to pro-Chinese reunification and pro-Mainland forces. According to a 1111 Job Bank survey, 61% of the public wants to "Go West" and work on the Mainland. The youngest among these hope to go to the Mainland to work. Others hope to go to the Mainland to study. When this younger generation joins the workforce, it will face a harsh cross-Strait and international reality. It will face an underlying framework that is pro-[Mainland]China, and pro-Chinese reunification.

This underlying framework can aid Chinese reunification. It can play a significant role in Taiwan society. But first champions of reunification must play a more aggressive role. Older generation pro-reunification scholars, business leaders with social networks, and politicians who share these ideals and values must create a hotbed for the cultivation of of Chinese reunification ideology, rhetoric, and social relations. .

Even more importantly, this generation, which constitutes the backbone of society, must safeguard the ROC Constitution. It must defend the Constitution, and reaffirm the China Factor during ideological debates. The Taiwan independence party platform plays a key role in new Taiwan independence. The ROC Constitution must play a corresponding role in Chinese reunification. It must not be shaken, frozen, or weakened.

新舊「合中」世代結合有緊迫性
2015年08月17日 中國時報

「天然獨」,是太陽花運動之後浮現的新名詞,用來描述一個浮上台灣政治地表的新現象。什麼是「天然獨」,有台獨理論大師之稱的林濁水這樣說:「老一代的人,接受教育形成國家認同的人生階段,落在統一是社會主流價值的時代,耳濡目染之下他們成為『先天性』的統,要經過一番心靈的掙扎才變成『後天性』的獨。但是年輕人卻成長在台獨已成為社會主流價值的時代,因此就成了『自然獨』」。

說「台獨已成為社會主流價值」,當然是言過其實,但是如果說某種成分的「台灣人意識」、「台灣意識」是台灣社會的主流價值,應該是比較準確的。太陽花學運之前,TVBS一份民意調查顯示,78%民眾認為自己是台灣人,其中20到29歲的年輕人有89%認為自己是台灣人,甚至高於60歲以上的比例。但認為自己是台灣人絕對不等於認同台獨主張,但是經過政治力、社會力的介入與醞釀之後,確實容易發展成台獨主張的認同者。

但是,這就顯示「天然獨」論述的自我矛盾,如果沒有政治力、社會力的介入與醞釀,天然的台灣意識,並不會直接「自然而然」成為台獨認同者。天然獨並不天然,稱之為新台獨比較接近事實。這點其實在天然獨鼓吹者林濁水的論述中已不經意點出了,他說:「我們應該慶幸,20年來民進黨雖然一直為台獨黨綱吵吵鬧鬧,幸虧從未放棄,否則,今天的台灣社會會不會有讓年輕人『自然獨』的環境,值得懷疑」。這裡就顯示了民進黨台獨黨綱以及其他台獨運動在催化新台獨上的作用。

林濁水的另一段話也很意味深長,他表示「新台獨給蔡英文主席很大的振奮」,所以蔡英文才說台獨意識已經變成年輕世代的「天然成分」。蔡英文的話正是在太陽花學運之後、去年民進黨全代會前說的,目的是要反擊社會要求民進黨凍結台獨黨綱的聲浪。

蔡英文在新台獨的鼓勵下表示,台獨黨綱是民進黨創黨時期所揭示的目標,也是這一代民進黨人的追求與理想,隨著台灣的民主化,我們建構了深厚的「台灣意識」,這個認同台灣、堅持獨立自主的價值,已經變成年輕世代的「天然成」,這樣的事實、這樣的狀態,如何去「凍結」?如何去「廢除」?這段話相當重要,蔡英文是老台獨和新台獨之間的中生代,過去的台獨色彩比較隱晦,但她現在表明台獨是她「這一代」的理想,此外,她也承認台灣意識是「我們建構」的,是民進黨推動的結果,不完全是「天然成分」。

從蔡英文的言論與堅拒凍結台獨黨綱的行動,我們可以看到蔡英文所謂維持現狀論的實質,另一方面,以太陽花學運領導者黃國昌為首的時代力量,不但積極形成民進黨外的激進側翼,近日更和「老台獨」合流,將在組織上、資源上和選舉上進行合作。其實,這樣合作的宣布是有鋪陳的。時代力量在7月初就宣稱,正如許多年輕的新世代早已成為「天然獨」,「時代力量」也將「追求台灣國家地位正常化」列為黨綱,成為時代力量的創黨DNA,時代力量擺出比民進黨更激進的台獨姿態,表明未來將依序推動兩岸監督條例、憲改、廢除兩岸人民關係條例、以台灣名義參與國際活動、「與中國建立正常的外交關係」五大工作,來「完成台灣國家地位的正常化」。非常明顯,獨派色彩清晰、支持蔡英文的時代力量,在實現新老台獨結合之後,獲得更大的動力,比起以國民兩黨以外舊政客集結的台聯,新的台灣時代力量將擁有更強的動員力、論述力和更佳的社會形象,明年一旦進入國會,將成為逼迫、支持民進黨在台獨議題上更為前進的關鍵力量,他們的激進主張也將成為明年兩岸關係上的重大變數。

從新老台獨結合、催化中生代台獨潛在因子復甦強化的整個漫長過程,倒是可以給台灣「合中」與「親中」力量許多啟示。根據1111人力銀行調查,61%民眾希望西進大陸工作,其中越年輕的世代越希望前往大陸工作,加上前往大陸求學的趨勢,年輕世代在接近、進入社會之後,面對兩岸與國際的現實,有著「不反中」、「合中」、「親中」的潛在基礎與趨勢。

這一股潛在基礎與趨勢,要真正形成現實的合中與親中力量,進而發揮更重大的影響力,首先需要台灣社會存在的「老合中」世代─他們可能是資深的專家學者、是擁有廣泛社會網絡的企業領導菁英、是有著類似理想與價值的政治人物─來發揮更重大的作用,在思想上、論述上,以及社會關係上滋養「新合中」力量生長茁壯的土壤。

更重要的是,社會的中堅世代要更堅定的維護中華民國憲法、捍衛憲法、豐富憲法中「中華」元素的相關論述,就像台獨黨綱之於新台獨的作用,這是合中與親中力量存在發展的重要政治憑藉,不能動搖,更不能凍結、弱化。

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