I am happy my area local choice, she younger (30) , active and hopes brings new energy to what is now older party (DPP).
TL often posts like this… just ignore his absurd comments like Taiwan can just be part of the USA or Japan… Include China as well lol
2 Likes
Ever heard of cancel culture?
No, nothing to do with Taiwan credit cards. More to do with how nations can face sanctions if they do business with some countries. No nation is free or independent to do as they please except for those wielding the biggest of sticks, something for countries to seemingly aspire to.
Huang Jie!
She is one of the only young and progressive candidates that made it this election (a bunch of other ones did not). She was also famous in city council for grilling the then-Kaohsiung mayor Han about his work (or more precisely lack of work . . . what a disaster that guy was). It looks like this part of Huang’s skillset may be helpful as Han is almost certain to be the next Speaker of the Legislature.
Huang Jie is also getting attention as the first member of the legislature to be openly LGBTQ+. I hope Miao Poya in Taipei can join her some day soon.
Guy
4 Likes
I heard it under the term “accountability”: Living in a democracy isn’t a free-pass to do as you please and then blaming others when they don’t want to associate with you anymore…
Of course, there is always the danger of false accusations and incorrect prejudices. But I don’t really get how this relates to living in a democracy vs. living in a dictatorship. In fact, there are laws in many democratic countries agains defamation, slander and whatever the correct legal term would be.
But I am not from the US - I heard that they seem to take these things to an extreme. But again - do you really believe that a dictatorship would “end cancel culture”…?
Ok, so more like: “These stupid democracies prevent me from selling rockets to North Korea”…?
Or (if you’re talking about the US sanctioning countries if they don’t follow US-interests): Well, I wouldn’t call US foreign diplomacy “democratic” (at least not considering the interests of non-US people). But that’s to be expected that a country primarily cares about their own citizens - democracy or not.
1 Like
I’m simply arguing that cancel culture is not different than dictatorships. The US is a dictatorship, just that it isn’t any one individual, but rather a group or possibly a cabal (possibly Ingsoc). It makes no difference, people are suffering and if you say anything that goes against the popular narrative, you get cancelled.
1 Like
This exactly. US foreign policy aimed at punishing countries that trade with its enemies, is not democratic at all. Also the US tried to kick the can down the road for as long as possible until international sentiment was overwhelming and the US finally caved in on sanctions against South Africa, only because South Africa were fighting communist spread in Africa with US aid. The US has sadly set the bar for any superpower to arm up if they want to carve an independent route, and free of intervention aimed at benefitting a select few.
Better makes leave before China cancels the tbz. We can help u with a ticket
1 Like
The inheritance is here, though.
Compared to litigating one’s way through that thicket of legal questions, I think it’d be a lot easier for Luthiers just to get a one-way ticket to the mainland, where it indeed does not matter who you vote for, as he has claimed in this thread.
Guy
2 Likes
Exactly. Tsai’s brilliant words of not needing to declare it because we already are. Your move China.
The only issues Taiwan has is the Chinese dictator-like bullying and oppression. No one actually wants to support that or live in that. Some ignorant or greedy people just want money and will tolerate that until it’s their family under the hammer.
We are already an independent country, by any metric. We just can’t say it or we get murdered by tyrants. Or at least tehy promise us that. Interestingly, the world has signed off on that being ok and calling us troublemakers for pointing out a matter of fact.
It is truly a strange thing…
6 Likes
I think the discourse has shifted lately.
We’re not out of the woods but the ways people talk about Taiwan have definitely changed.
Guy
2 Likes
Somewhat. I agree they are changing. But officially, not much has actually changed on that front. Status quo is still the go to. Which leans heavily in china’s favor.
1 Like
Due to Taiwan’s first-past-the-post elections, the only time minor parties will get more seats is when one of the major party is leading through out the campaign and wins with a landslide victory. That’s when pro-China or pro-Taiwan voters could feel safe about not wasting their vote.
Ko’s TMD actually have done incredibly well having gained 8 seats in the legislature, however, part of his campaign simply can’t be duplicated in the next mid-term election. Plenty of pro-China voters are seriously angry at Ko after letting the DPP win, if they weren’t already angry at him for taking back on his promise before. Where the loyalties of his party list legislators lie would also be critical to whether Ko’s party would expand on their gains. At least one of them is already clearly siding with the KMT after wining her seat. I doubt the other formerly blue candidates would remain loyal either. You can also bet on Huang Gouchang doing his own thing as well. The optics of the chaos probably would also impact the willingness of the voters to vote outside of the party line again.
1 Like
If the basis of your argument is that a democracy is not perfect I doubt many would argue with you. It is a fragile thing most of us take for granted. Taiwan for example built a democracy from martial law which is an extraordinary example in history.
It is fragile as those in power will lust for more. It is fragile because there is a balance of freedom vs security. It is fragile because people of a democratic country are unpredictable. It is fragile because dictators can be born out of a democratic process.
But it’s the best system we have. And a robust democracy will have safe guards against the things mentioned above.
9 Likes
While I think most people who always vote on party lines are stupid, party-centered systems give you better results than candidate-centered systems. Because they keep people focused on the national interest instead of local/particularistic interests
2 Likes
Politics really needs to be about serving the people and not about the politicians serving themselves, corporate interests and other rich gits. I agree that what we currently have is not much of a choice. I don’t think Taiwan is going to be the place to turn it around though. Becoming a self serving rich git is like a birth right here.
1 Like
Some younger blood is good as the leaders here are all old but I sometimes struggle to take candidates seriously with all the silly comments about Zhen mei Wu guan etc in the media.
1 Like