v,
If those are your true sentiments towards the reunification/sovereign, then I just salute you for being consistent and say. I understand your point of view. There are some Chinese who argue the same way.
I’d just add a minor modification to this. You mention a long-winded hypothetical (in the case of the governor of Hawaii) where the government of the United States is also “authoritarian like that of the PRC”, as well as a number of other conditions. Your opinion on the conditions under which independence should be permitted doesn’t matter. It should only be thos who reside in Hawaii today, correct? There are, of course, a number of movements that are moving towards Hawaii independence today. Maybe one day you’ll get your wish. hawaii-nation.
I don’t think Chinese nationalism is hard to explain at all. You speak of the spirit of '76; even in '76 there were many “Americans” loyal to the British crown who fought against the impending war. I in turn refer to the spirit of 1860, when Abraham Lincoln initiated a war that ended up being the most costly in American history… for what? He fought the war for one purpose, and one purpose alone: to maintain a unified United States of America.
Quite frankly, I think that example is also moderately illustrative of why Chinese nationalism remains relevant and important today. What would the United States be today, if the Confederacy had been allowed to stand? I’m not talking about issues like slavery; I personally think it would’ve been outlawed, even in the Confederacy. But I do believe the 50 states that make up the US would be balkanized into feuding states. I do not believe that the United States would have been able to assert and protect her interests world-wide with the same effectiveness thta it does today.
Perhaps part of the current US would’ve joined the Axis during WW2; perhaps part of the US would’ve declared for the Communist bloc during the Cold War; perhaps part of the US would be aligned with Islamic interests in the 21st century. Perhaps Boeing and Microsoft would not be “American” companies, deprived of a single unified market. Perhaps part of the United States, the part with a more modern economy, would’ve embraced more trade with China… leaving the poorer manufacturing/agricultural states to toil along in relative poverty. Perhaps you don’t care. Perhaps you see yourself as a citizen of the world, and the US stamp on your passport is as meaningful as the brand on your athletic shoe. But again, hopefully you understand that you’re in the minority.
Enough about the U.S.; more about China. Take a second and see things from the “Chinese view” (or at least my version of it). I happen to believe the Chinese are no less intelligent, no more “barbaric”, and no less ready for prosperity than any other society/peoples on this planet. In fact, if the performance of ethnic Chinese in western nations are any indication, we are well prepared for prosperity and success. So, why have more than a billion Chinese been born into poverty for over 150 years?
You keep talking about the wonders of democracy, as if that’s sufficient. I see the democratic world filled with the same poverty and stagnation that the Chinese are trying to put behind us. I’m not talking about the United States; I happen to think the US is an amazing nation that has successfully brought unprecedented wealth and prosperity to her people. I’m talking about Haiti; I’m talking about Iraq; I’m talking about India; I’m talking about Brazil; I’m talking about Mexico. None of us want to build China in the image of Mexico or India: democratic nations that have managed little for her citizenry. (No offense to any Mexicans or Indians in the audience.)
I’m even talking about Taiwan: I don’t begrudge at all the wonders of her achievements… but how much of it, from the point of view of every day Taiwanese, was due to democracy? Are the Taiwanese not most proud of the economic miracles of the '70s and '80s?
I for one believe China to be a relatively unique civilization. For more than 2000 years, rather than being torn apart by the same forces that have destroyed every other empire/nation over time… China has maintained largely the same primary axis. Even the foreign “powers” that conquered (Mongols and Manchus) China were absorbed into the fabric that makes up the modern Chinese nation. This has never been easy; this has only been made possible by a philosophy that believed only in unity can we achieve strength and harmony.
You ask me about inspirational heroes. Again, I could give you a long, long catalogue of the great Chinese men that have sacrificed much in the 20th century for the benefit of “China”. But I won’t bother; you can find their profiles on Wikipedia. I’ll just tell you instead, of the experiences of my own family. I look at the generation of my grandparents and beyond, and I see a handful of brilliant individuals that could’ve thrived overseas. Many had US or UK PhDs (from the 1930s); the vast majority returned to China out of a sense of patriotism. They believed they could do a small part in the reconstruction of China. The concept seems a little quaint in this day and age, with so many mercenary folks driven primarily by their own self-profit… only time will show whether China is worth saving.
I believe forging ties with Taiwan is not about what strategic or economic value Taiwan serves; it’s only a matter of time before Taiwan’s becomes an economic footnote to the Chinese mainland. It’s about remaining loyal to our heritage and philosophical traditions, and re-forging some of the same historical patterns that served China so well. I find it a worthy cause to (do my very small part) in preserving the unity and strength of the Chinese nation as a whole on the merits of our shared background, rather than allowing us to be divided into petty, bickering, and distant neighbors.
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