How much of a nanny state is Taiwan?

Well perhaps this is why Taiwanese don’t swim. You really can’t swim around Taiwan unless you are very good and know your currents. So the government don’t generally encourage people to swim in the coast around here. So unless you are in the Navy or Marines, you won’t really need swimming lessons.

I still think being able to swim well comes in handy and can save yours or someone else’s life one day

Never a bad skill to have.

And can enrich your stays in many places around the world with pools or a safe beach

Just learn to respect the ocean and lakes and rivers

I’m a swimmer. The traditional swimming pool business model/experience is wretched though. I’m working on a complete revamping of both, the foundation of which would be the world’s first 3D-printed swimming pool.

What would make it better than a fiberglass pool?

The “Rule of thumb” here is to never swim in the mountain rivers after the rain. Wait for a few dry days before doing that. I would not advise swimming in the mountains full stop ; although I have done myself.

True- I absolutely agree with it, but it’s still an example of the nanny state (exception for children in car). Why not let people kill themselves by not wearing seatbelts or motorcycle helmets - it’s their choice.
(This is the argument the plague rats are making on Covid, except they’re wanting people to ignore that they’re deliberately spreading an infectious disease.)

I think if you’re walking around Taiwan and judging it by something John Stuart Mill said in the 1800s you’re bound to be unhappy. You could walk around the States and be similarly unhappy.

Is Taiwan’s government paternalistic at times? Oh yeah. Is it going to change anytime soon? Nope.

Not trying to dismiss what the OP is saying. It’s just that expecting it to miraculously change in the near future seems unrealistic. The government has definitely abused its power recently, but it’s probably more productive to focus on specific issues rather than on general discussions of liberty.

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Is Taiwan a nanny state??

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Yeah I don’t know about nanny state argument , this period of kind of extreme restrictions hasn’t been seen before.

I don’t think we can extrapolate from this a whole lot.
Maybe if somebody was new to Taiwan they might get a strange picture of how things usually operate here.

Funny that they use the fancy term pedestrian arcade for the sidewalk or road.

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Im not sure about that anymore . Many schools have pools, and those that don bus the kids to a local school that does for swimming class. down south i never met a kid that didnt have swimming class.

On the flip side, where i am from in canada no schools have pools or swimming classes. Unless you are in a very expensive private school.

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Specially when they force your kids to clean the school everyday.

I just stay away from 'em.

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Yeah, also, we can’t just have barbecues on the pavement in our countries. In the UK anyway.

I don’t really see why they are allowed to do it here. Quite clearly they don’t own the street outside their homes, even though they think they do

Until you get a fine.

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Good for 'em- teaches them somebody has to do it. Is it better to say “Cleaning is for menials”?

Eh, I like the streetside BBQs on Moon Festival- everybody outside, friends and neighbors dropping by.
OTOH, nothing like riding home on a dark street and suddenly finding yourself in the middle of a tent for Uncle Chou’s funeral.

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Yeah just seemed a bizarre example of a nanny state, when all of our own countries don’t let people do that.

I have never been to Texas, but I imagine you can’t just set up a barbecue and stools in a street in Houston and block people walking about

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That’s an interesting nanny state comparison — Texas let’s you do whatever you want 99% of the time, but I’ve never heard of someone “mah freedom”-ing BBQing and drinking beer on the sidewalks in Texas. Oh wait, they don’t have sidewalks…

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I think child labor is against the law. You can also force kids to repair cars, clean the streets, mine coal, massage the teachers, sure. They will learn that “someone has to do it”.

Does it make it legal? I don’t think so.
And how many times do you have to repeat to to learn that someone has to do it? If you teach kids 2*5=10; after how many days is nonsense that you keep teach them that, exact same information?

Kids in Taiwan are in charge and force to clean the school. Everyday, every year.
I can’t defend that. It’s just the government saving money, not paying an adult to do it.
It’s unacceptable. It sure will be banned in the future.

Chores are not child labour :rofl: Cleaning up after yourself is not a career, it’s responsibility.

We did this in Canada as well, to an extent. We learned to keep our school and area clean and protect the environment.

Those are actual professions.

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So is janitorial work.

My college is too cheap to hire anyone to do this. The only “cleaning” that happens is when students pick up a broom and push the dust around for a while. The preferred technique seems to be the one-handed push, with the other hand holding a phone to which the student’s attention is riveted.

I wish they would hire actual professionals and pay them properly.

Guy