Lin Yang-kang's Restraint vs. Lee Teng-hui's Excess

Lin Yang-kang's Restraint vs. Lee Teng-hui's Excess
United Daily News editorial (Taipei, Taiwan, ROC)
A Translation
April 15, 2013
Summary: Lin Yang-kang's time has passed. Today, we lack models worthy of emulation. All we have is an obsession with power. Lin Yang-kang lost to Lee Teng-hui. He left behind the question, "If only Lin Yang-kang had been Chiang's successor, how would Taiwan have turned out?" But the path of democracy is a rocky one. We are haunted by these two mens' shadows. What's worse, we cannot neither go back nor forward.

Full text below:

Why did Chiang Ching-kuo choose Lee Teng-hui to be his vice president instead of Lin Yang-kang? This mystery remains unanswered. Lin Yang-kang and Lee Teng-hui had a major political impact. Twenty years later, the public has had time to reflect on the ups and downs of democracy, and the treacherous struggles over power. This is indeed a question worth asking.

Lin Yang-kang left politics many years before he died in Taichung. The public has to be reminded of his character and accomplishments. They include his amiability, his reforms, his ability to hold his liquor, even his heavily accented "Taiwanese Mandarin." These images all remain fresh. The most thrilling moment in Lin Yang-kang's political career, was his decade long power struggle with Lee Teng-hui. It touched off the "mainstream vs. non-mainstream" battle. It led to Lin Yang-kang's electoral defeat and retreat from the political stage. The victor, Lee Teng-hui, later engaged in unpredictable behavior. He planted the seeds of the KMT's loss of power. The irony of this page in history evokes mixed feelings.

Lin Yang-kang's charisma was the result of his amiable and natural manner. His political accomplishments at the local and central level, demonstrated empathy for the people. His pragmatic reforms were welcomed by the people. His manner was exuberant without becoming bombastic. When he drank with you, he matched your gusto. He held himself to high standards. He knew when to exercise restraint. He was easygoing yet resolute. He cracked wise, but remained dignified. He would go with the flow, but would not swim in the same waters. He was very different from Lee Teng-hui, who "only sat on one-third of the chair" when Vice President, then wreaked havoc upon seizing power.

The construction and planning of the Feitsui Reservoir, the Jianguo Highway Overpass, and the Xinyi District, all date back to Lin Yang-kang's time as Taipei Mayor. He drafted the blueprint for the capital city. During the construction of the Feitsui Reservoir, many party and government elders and "dang wai" figures expressed powerful objections. They said if the reservoir was bombed, the entire Taipei Basin would be inundated. Lin Yang-kang was branded a "Communist fellow traveler." But he stuck with his plan to provide millions of people in the greater Taipei area with water. He implemented conservation measures, and protected the watershed. Today many parts of Taiwan suffer from water shortages. The greater Taipei area is an exception. It can sit back and relax, thanks to his vision and persistence.

Consider their age. Lee Teng-hui was four years older. But in political experience, Lin Yang-kang, from Taipei City Mayor to Taiwan Provincial Governor, was a step ahead of Lee Teng-hui all the way. Lin Yang-kang was a witty and sophisticated conversationalist. He was undoubtedly stronger at this than Lee Teng-hui. But his strength may also have been his weakness. Lin Yang-kang's sophistication may have unintentionally planted seeds of doubt about his ambitions. Chiang Ching-kuo chose Lee Teng-hui to be his successor. Lin was involved in the Kuomintang's "February Uprising." This tarnished his image. In the end, all he could do was quietly retire. He no longer concerned himself with public affairs.

The currents of democracy are heartless. Lin Yang-kang apparently accepted his fate. At least he no longer commented on politics. He never said anything extraordinary. By contrast, for 12 years, Lee Teng-hui could do as he pleased. Yet over a decade after retiring, he persists in political finger-pointing. Lin Yang-kang made a clean break. Lee Teng-hui by contrast, dragged his feet. He went kicking and screaming. Clearly he has no confidence in his own legacy.

Some people think Lin Yang-kang lost his political struggle because he was not cunning or underhanded enough. Therefore he allowed Lee Teng-hui to bully him and smear him as a "traitor to Taiwan." This may be part of the reason. But it ignores public impatience for change and fear of unrest. In fact, given the atmosphere, Lee Teng-hui had a halo. He had been hand-picked by Chiang Ching-kuo. This was something no one could overcome. Who knew that this hand-picked "orthodox" choice would tear the nation apart, incite confusion over national identity, and inflict harm whose effects can be felt even today.

The main reason Chiang Ching-kuo chose Lee and rejected Lin, was that Lin was too charismatic. As a result, he chose Lee Teng-hui, who "sat on only one-third of the chair." Chiang Ching-kuo never imagined that because Lee Teng-hui lacked charisma, he would go overboard to compensate once he seized power.

Some say that had Lin Yang-kang been Chiang's successor, he would have been dominated by traditional KMT forces. He would have exercised restraint and not run amuck. He would not have been as ruthless as Lee Teng-hui. This is difficult to say. No one can truly know what would have happened. When Lin Yang-kang wielded little authority, he exercised restraint. But had he wielded far more authority, had he been the head of state, perhaps he might have exercised far less restraint.

Lin Yang-kang's time has passed. Today, we lack models worthy of emulation. All we have is an obsession with power. Lin Yang-kang lost to Lee Teng-hui. He left behind the question, "If only Lin Yang-kang had been Chiang's successor, how would Taiwan have turned out?" But the path of democracy is a rocky one. We are haunted by these two mens' shadows. What's worse, we cannot neither go back nor forward.

林洋港的表面張力與李登輝的氾濫成災
【聯合報╱社論】
2013.04.15 03:00 am

蔣經國當年為何挑選了李登輝擔任副總統，而不是林洋港？這個謎，如今恐怕已難全盤解開。無論如何，林洋港與李登輝留下的政治身影，經過廿多年時光的積澱與映照，對台灣民眾反思民主起伏與權力嬗遞的詭譎，倒提供了一個殊堪咀嚼的題材。

遠離政治多年的林洋港病逝台中，讓他當年的許多事蹟從歷史塵埃中被重新喚醒，包括他的親和力、他的興革、他的豪飲海量、乃至他的一口台灣國語，彷彿依然形象鮮活。林洋港從政生涯中最驚險的時刻，是他與李登輝之間長達十多年的權力競逐，不僅引爆了主流、非主流之爭，也導致林洋港的不敵敗退；而贏家李登輝後來的變幻莫測，則埋下國民黨失去政權的種子。這頁歷史的嘲諷，至今五味雜陳。

林洋港的魅力，在於他的親和自然。他的從政施為，不論在地方或在中央，頗能體察民意，務實興革，而受到民眾的歡迎；他為人處世「滿而不溢」的風格，和他飲酒時的「表面張力」相互輝映；居高而知行止，隨和不忘堅持，詼諧不失端莊，同流而不合汙。這和當副總統時椅子「只坐三分之一」，掌權後卻興風作浪的李登輝，是截然不同的典型。

翡翠水庫、建國高架橋和信義計畫區的興建和規劃，皆始自林洋港擔任台北市長任內，為首都發展繪出了新藍圖。其中，尤以翡翠水庫的興建，當時不少黨政大老及「黨外人士」咸表反對，認為萬一共軍轟炸水庫，整個台北盆地將被淹沒。當時林洋港背著「共匪同路人」的罵名，堅持為大台北地區數百萬人的用水預為籌謀，並著手維護上游水源區之環境保育。今天，台灣許多地區乾旱缺水時，唯獨大台北能高枕無憂，不能不歸功於他的遠見和堅持。

論年紀，李登輝長四歲；但論政治資歷，林洋港從台北市長到省主席，均早李登輝一步。論本土氣味的魅力，林洋港的詼諧談吐和練達人情，當年無疑也在李登輝之上。但成也魅力、敗也魅力，林洋港的高人氣或許不知不覺埋下「功高震主」的疑忌，使蔣經國選擇了李登輝；至李登輝接任總統，林又捲入國民黨「二月政爭」，其形象大受損傷，最後只能悄然引退，從此不再過問政事。

如果說這是民主洪流的無情沖刷，林洋港似乎也安然接受了退隱的命運。至少，人們不曾再看到他過問政治，或發表什麼分外的發言。相形之下，李登輝經過十二年權力高峰的呼風喚雨，至卸任十多年後，還不時對政治指指點點。兩相對照，林洋港是裸退，李登輝則退得拖泥帶水，顯示其沒有安全感。

有些人認為，林洋港在當年的政爭中敗下陣來，是輸在不夠狡詐、不夠陰狠，才會被「台奸」的攻訐及李登輝所欺。這種說法，或許道出了局部因素，卻忽略了當時台灣社會急於求變又恐懼動亂的大勢。事實上，在當時氣氛下，李登輝身披蔣經國欽點的光環，恐怕已不是任何人所能動搖；而誰又能料到，這位欽點的「正統」卻最後弄到國家撕裂、認同錯亂，以致貽禍至今。

蔣經國當年擇李捨林，主要或許是覺得，林洋港的「表面張力」顯得有些張揚，於是挑了「椅子只坐三分之一」的李登輝；但蔣經國絕對不會想到，後來的李登輝卻因沒有「表面張力」的智慧，竟然鬧到「氾濫成災」。

或許有人說，當年如果換成林洋港接班，他可能受到國民黨傳統勢力的包圍，自限於「滿而不溢」的「表面張力」，也許就不會像李登輝那樣大刀闊斧。這是個假問題，無人知道真答案。但是，仍可想像，當林洋港用小杯斟酒時，有小杯的「表面張力」；若讓他換成大杯斟酒，主政治國，他應當也會將大杯的「表面張力」發揮得淋漓盡致吧。

林洋港的時代已經遠去。在缺乏典範、只剩權力崇拜的今天，林洋港因當年輸給李登輝，反而留下了「如果是阿港伯，台灣會怎樣」的想像。畢竟，這條崎嶇民主路留下的，不僅是他們兩人交錯的身影，還有台灣無法回頭又無力推進的政治困境。