Back from the ashes

It's been more than two years...

...YMC is back!

He vows that despite Facebook, blogging will continue...

He has since the last writing:
-Failed to enter pilot training at CAL
-Worked for a year at Academia Sinica's Inst. of Mathematics
-Moved to Germany to pursue a PhD
-Contemplated life's purpose with increasing agitation and desperation

and has contemplated breaking with academics, and instead opt for the "Whitman in China Program"

More soon. The drought has ended; hope you're on board with me!

The party's over...

I'm writing this entry using the backdrop of sweeping changes in both the American House and Senate. In the U.S., it would seem that President Bush's hobbled policies in Iraq has given American voters a referendum on those said policies: Change is a Must. Whether those changes can be put into solid, working plans by Democrats (and Republicans) still remains to be seen. In my country, the bipartisan spirit has never seemed to really exist. Our sitting president is muddled with deep corruption scandals, and is intent on holding power. When will Taiwanese citizens be given a chance to sound out their opinions on the direction of our country? Will there be bipartisanship if one of the partners in this cherished democracy of ours slowly becomes an anachronism.

With President Chen refusing to resign for his wife and aides' involvment in several corruption scandals [Chen himself has been implicated but is protected by the constitution as a sitting president], the ruling DPP has basically decided to go down with the sinking ship. Whether you see this as brave, uncompromising resolve or plain stupidity, the DPP's decision has potentially long ranging implications.

1 The DPP may lose upcoming elections in 2006, 2007 and perhaps even the 2008 Presidential elections.

2 The DPP may cease to become an effective political party as it cannot sever its ties to corruption [sound familiar?].

3 The loss of a pan-green centrist force will create domestic chaos and an increasingly radical pan-green camp if DPP loses translate into TSU gains [Frm. President Lee is up to something with a "Third Way"].

The rivals of the pan-Green might be content to see Chen drag the DPP into the dust bin of history, but the implications of a resurgent pan-Blue without a viable pan-Green opposition OR prolonged pan-Green mis-leadership will certainly be felt as society becomes ever more polarized.

Let's hope the party isn't over and that the forces that fostered, nurtured and inculcated good retrospective change in Taiwan can save itself from Chen's goons and return to its rightful place in the minds of the people of this island.

The Judicial Cavalry?

An uneventful day at the office ended with news from Taipei: the first lady, and several presidential aides were indicted with corruption charges involving a funds to be used for secret diplomatic purposes. The president himself could not be charged while he still holds office, but pressure has increased for his resignation. Opposition lawmakers have called for a third Recall Motion, and TSU has issued statements confirming their support for the motion in the Legislative Yuan. After months of doubt, I feel a deep sigh of relief that the judiciary of the Republic of China is still an independent body capable of creating at least the veneer of hope that all are equal under the Law. We now await the next move of the ruling DPP.

A political bombshell with great social implications for Taiwanese society---Reactions from observations coming soon.

On days like these, I wish I was closer to home. Luckily, the internet and satillite technology means even the most rural corners of the island can be kept up to date with the latest.

Cheers!

Background literature:
http://www.iht.com/articles/2006/11/03/news/taiwan.php
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/6112668.stm

"Mature" democracies

What makes certain democracies mature and other infantile?

Recent events in Taiwan, centered around the Anti-Chen demonstrations and the resulting violence caused between clashes between the "Red" and "pro-Chen" camp have led me to keep asking myself this.

The survival of the Chen government seems to have been hedged on the maturity of Taiwan's democratic institutions---at least, that's what Chen and the DPP want people to believe. That is, if the system holds Chen in place, and withstands public pressure from below, Taiwan can breath a sigh of relief: it has matured because, the unreasonable demands of a vocal group that seeks to undermine stablity has been weathered down, channeled into institutional "problem-solving" methods and a "power-grabbing" crisis averted. Ultimately, Taiwan cannot allow raw emotion to govern society. Taiwan would descend into certain chaos.

We all saw what happened during the 9-15 protest.
Hundreds of thousands of people, not divided by gender, class, occupation, age and political leanings marched for the purpose of demanding Chen's immediate resignation as president. There was no storming of the barricades or mob violence as intially feared. The demonstrations demonstrated the maturity of Taiwan's democracy. Impassioned, but rational---the demands of the people were channeled into one simple and spirited message: the hope that corruption would not rule the country indefinitely. Even the staunchest critics and enemies of Shih Ming-Te could not assert that this gathering was mobilized from above by political parties. People jammed the streets on their own initiative and though their actions didn not bring Chen down from office, they still sent meaningful shockwaves through out Taiwanese society. This was democracy at its finest moment.

It is not the people clad in crimson who threaten the longevity, stabilty and ultimate maturity of Taiwan's democracy. Rather, the perpetuation of a system that bends the rule of law, is what threatens the fabric of national harmony and democratic values. Far from representing the will of the majority, the ruling regime is now bent on creating new dichotimies in society: Reds versus Taiwanese, chaos versus order and anarchy versus democracy. Ultimately, the government continues to bury its head into the sand, even as the need for honest introspection is long overdue. It is the government's willingness to shift blame to the pan-blues, the Reds, the Communists, the police, Mayor Ma's puppy, impassioned grade school students, moms, green turncoats, Chinese pigs, the weather and those who don't like the President is what makes Taiwan's democracy infantile.

幼稚執政者下台! 臺灣民主萬歲