The photos will be used to promote a new Web site aimed at introducing young people to Lee’s philosophy and beliefs on Taiwan-centered national identification.[/quote]
Now some people think I’m jumping the gun or making things up. But what does a Japanese Samurai and Japanese high school punk dropout have to do with Taiwan identity.
[quote=“ac_dropout”]
Now some people think I’m jumping the gun or making things up.[/quote]
Did someone say that? boy that seems unfair.
[quote]
But what does a Japanese Samurai and Japanese high school punk dropout have to do with Taiwan identity.[/quote]
yah the millions reading japanese comic books might disagree with you ac i know you disdain such slaveboy trash wait, they are all japanese houseboys because they read those nasty japanese comic books, right?
Being a casual peruser of manga I would have to disagree. There are plenty Japanese manga stories that have almost no period references to them. GTO, Hana Yori Dango (Meteor Shower), etc.
There’s even a booming Taiwanese Manga community for budding artist in Taiwan. I don’t see LTH promoting them.
I mean there also plenty of Pixar, Dream Work Animation, and Disney stuff on Taiwan as well. I don’t see LTH dressing up as a talking donkey, shark, or lion. (I mean this in the best possible terms of course.)
Even Marvel or DC has a small following on Taiwan. LTH in spandex, fake bulging muscles, and a mask. (Also meant in the least offensive way possible.)
This really cements the fact LTH wants to return Taiwan to Japan.
Hrm, I wonder if it is not excessive to call this “brainwashing.” After all, we’ve all seen pictures of the Americans in Taiwanese bars, night markets, or at political rallies. These people may have a strong affinity for Taiwan and an interest in the place, and often may even have a profound respect for the country and its culture.
Or just replace all instances of “Taiwan” in the above paragraph with “China” or “Japan.”
Does it necessarily make them brainwashed to have such an interest? What about Americans who might enjoy or promote Japanese products while ignoring American counterparts-- is that really such a huge problem, or should it be viewed as “un-American?”
I think because of his education and background, as well as a healthy dose of romanticism, Lee Teng-hui respects and likes Japan and aspects of Japanese culture (especially Samurai stuff). I don’t think this makes him brainwashed.
And, listening ot Lee’s political rhetoric (and not whatever praise he might have for Japan), I don’t think its reasonable at all to assume he’d want to return Taiwan to Japan.
I am a n00b here though, and have probably missed important threads, so forgive any ignorance.
Just out of curiosity, what would it take to convince the skeptical westerners here that Lee Teng Hui is a collaborationist traitor and his pursuit of a independent Taiwan is merely a ploy in furthering Japanese interests, at the expense of China and Taiwan?
Just as an edit to Tai0nkok’s post, I would point out that those Americans who obsess over everything Japanese aren’t brainwashed, they are simply being stupid. Perhaps you think its all harmless infatuation and it likely is, but it doesn’t make it any less stupid and safe from the ridicule and scorn it so rightfully deserves. (If you know the type, you know what I’m talking about. The guys who will break out some mangled Japanese phrases at every opportunity and hang out in front of Suncoast with their Japanophile posse). Now this is understandable among pre-teens and adolescents, how something so childish would remain in an 80 year old man begs a few questions. Also I should point out that it isn’t the infatuation with Japanese culture persay that is the problem. If Lee Teng Hui wants to become Japanese, so be it, if he moves to Japan, better still. The problem is that Lee Teng Hui is a political supporter of the ultra-right in Japan which is simply the problem. That he remains a popular figure in Japan is because quite frankly he embodies the Japanese public’s failure(certainly not all Japanese, but as the conservative LDP government has set the path of development for nearly 5 decades, its safe to assume most) to come to learn the lessons after their defeat in world war 2. Simply enough, they wax romantic over the war years and still cherish their perceived notions of the greater-east Asian co-prosperity sphere. That Lee Teng Hui is popular is because he is a manifestation of their unfulfilled desires and a sign of what could have been. The Japanese don’t regret World War 2, they simply regret that they lost. Rest assured, the Chinese aren’t the only ones bitter about world war 2, the Japanese were quite aggreived in having to surrender Taiwan, Korea, and other occupied territories, which is precisely why they have systematically attempted to fight petty rear-guard actions. Essentially the Japanese rightist support for Taidu boils down to this schoolyard mentality, if we can’t have it, neither can you.
Now what does this have to do with Lee Teng Hui? Well lets just say that our dearly departed president essentially shares the same mindset. Does this make him a racial turncoat? I suppose if one wishes to deem him as such. The problem is however, is that he held the office of the president of the Republic of China and swore an oath to defend the nation. His pandering to the Japanese political right is essentially treason and a betrayal of his oaths of office.
I don’t know, but I think it would take more than this picture or a book about how Japan should readopt the samurai spirit. Please point me to any relevant material.
I agree, and would emphasis that stupidity is not traitorous.
I can understand, and will make no defense for the Japanese ultra-tright, but I would make the argument that Lee wants Japan to be ultra-nationalistic in Taiwan’s interests. A nationalist Japan probably wouldn’t be interested in “reunifying” with Taiwan, but would be very interested in containing China.
I would think it would be more along simple strategic interests-- a China that controls Taiwan has more room to manuever navally, and Taiwan is another piece in the China containment puzzle (from Japan’s view). And for Taiwan, a Japan nervous about China is a friend indeed.
I think if Lee’s viewpoint is examined in light of simple Taiwanese non-aggressive self-interest, one would arrive at a different conclusion.
This reminds me of Bush wearing the aviator suit! Was he brainwashed by “Top Gun,” do you suppose?
I don’t see what makes leaning toward Japan (or the right wing thereof) more awful than leaning towards China (and the right wing thereof). In fact it would make a lot of sense to try to play one against the other. Like the Dalai Lamas used to do, when they played India (or Britain) against China. Didn’t work out to well in the end, unfortunately.
If no one who swore to uphold the ROC ever broke his promise, then there would be no way to end to ROC by peaceful means. And that would hardly be fair, wouldn’t it?
You make some good points, however, I will have to disagree with you on two factors.
Taken in the present context, this is probably true. However the involvement of Japan’s rightist in preventing reunification for the sake of it has a documented history on Taiwan. Immediately following the end of the Pacific War, when Japan was still mired in the ashes of defeat and the Nationalists in their civil war, certain Japanese rightist had already plotted and failed, with a collaborator from the Koo family, to orchestrate a coup on Taiwan and created an independant nation simply out of spite. Now granted that this historical incident isn’t neccessarily a window to present Japanese intentions, but one cannot help be skeptical of the Japanese right who have essentially remained unchanged for 60 years.
This is where I will have to emphatically disagree. It is patently obvious even to the blind and deaf that Lee Teng Hui’s ideology is not one of Taiwanese non-aggressive self-interest but rather crudely inflammatory rhetoric and deliberately designed to antagonize Beijing at that. To put it in laymen’s terms, Lee Teng Hui is simply not interested in Taiwan’s “non-aggressive self-interest” but rather he is interested in pissing off Beijing and creating a new Republic of Taiwan, one expunged of any perceived Chinese influences.
If Bush wore a British Red Coat Uniform from the American Revolution period and then claim he wanted to introducing young people to his new philosophy and beliefs of the New England patroit-centered national identification, I sure some American would be questioning where the President was coming from.
And yes I think Bush has watched too many 80’s Rambo, Top Gun, Navy Seal type movies.
Still doesn’t take away from the fact Japanese culture is foriegn to Taiwan.
TaiOanKok,
I recommend starting with any of LTH autobiography he always has more than a few pages devoted to the Golden Age of Japanese rule on Taiwan.
This is not some innocent anime cosplay going on here. If he dressed up as Sailor Moon, Doremon or One Piece, people would think its a harmless publicity stunt.
However, he decided to dress up like a Samurai. LTH believes that Taiwan identity is a Japanese warrior.
I won’t say anything more about the Japanese rightists here, as I know too little about them.
Well, I see what you mean by inflammatory, and I agree that Lee makes no effort to spare Beijing’s feelings, and making statements that Taiwan is independent or that Beijing cannot be trusted will not help cross-strait dialogue (for better or worse).
But that hardly makes it aggressive (by aggresive, I refer specifically to inciting violence). Those seeking a Republic of Taiwan (on the whole) do not want a war and do not want any enemies and have no tendencies toward expansionism. Furthermore, their goals in no way advocate military action or any other violence (unless an attack by China was imminent, and probably even the most pro-blue administration would consider military action then). From their perspective, they seek only to defend their own freedoms from a fascist dictatorship. Those goals are certainly not aggressive, in sharp contrast to China’s goal of one country, two system unification, which would be violently imposed if the Taiwanese refuse.
I think Lee’s rhetoric is largely aimed at creating a Taiwanese natoinal conscious. I think he has been extremely consistant on this point for a number of years now, and I think it goes to show he is not interested in having Taiwan co-opted by Japan.
Allright, and I wouldn’t suggest the Japanese occupation period was a golden age, but I don’t think that suggesting Japan’s rule was good (or better than the KMT’s) means he is “a collaborationist traitor and his pursuit of a independent Taiwan is merely a ploy in furthering Japanese interests, at the expense of China and Taiwan[.]”
This seems like a bit of a jump to me. I think that more likely, the ad is aimed at attracting the interest of young people (who can or soon will be able to vote). Sailor Moon isn’t their bag. I will agree that Lee wouldn’t mind seeing more of a “warrior” mentality in the youth though, and this is probably again for Taiwanese nationalist purposes.
More importantly, if the (text) content of the website is staunchly Taiwanese nationalistic and in no way promotes the idea of Taiwan as a Japanese warrior, than can we really conclude the purpose of the website and photoshoot is to promote that idea?
And remember what the creator of the ad said in that article:
“Lin said Lee very closely resembles the comic book’s hero, a 80-year-old kendo grand master, in both appearance and mettle.”
What you have to realize is that AC_dropout & cmdjing are suffering from KMT & PRC brainwashing. It’s China’s version of the Co-Asian Prosperity Sphere called Greater China
I find it high irony that the KMT & PRC are now allied on many issues
What you have to realize is that AC_dropout & cmdjing are suffering from KMT & PRC brainwashing. It’s China’s version of the Co-Asian Prosperity Sphere called Greater China[/quote]
Well, you may be a veteran around here and know more than me, but I try to avoid overly broad labels and accusations of brainwashing
I find it high irony that the KMT & PRC are now allied on many issues[/quote]
Well… That only show that KMT and its supporters have been brainwashed by the CCP…
Also, AC_Dropout has been brainwashed by the KMT, which in turn has been brainwashed by CCP, which originally was brainwashed by stalin, which then again was brainwashed by Karl Marx. All that shows that AC_Dropout has been brainwashed into becoming a communist.
Rubbish, you may say. But no, just compare it to one of his posts and it will make sense. or, at least more sense than most of his, which may not be saying much.
Also, CMDjing… He has obviously not been brainwashed by the KMT, but by the CCP. So the chain is one link shorter there.
[quote=“ac_dropout”]I think what you people don’t understand is that some Taiwanese, like my family, experience rape and humiliation under the Japanese colonial system.
Unlike LTH, who’s father was a Japanese collaborator, got to live to good life in comparison under the Japanese.
Sorry if I sound bitter when I see Taiwanese people who got their head so far up their arse that they think it okay to pull stunts like this.[/quote]
Oh, that’s the KMT brainwashing coming out…
Easy now… stare into the wall and say… “I am no KMT house slave, I am no KMT house slave”.
and so did a fair bit of Taiwanese under the KMT misrule.
Please, did your family sail through during the white terror? Noone hauling them out of bed at 3AM checking for “communist” literature, and apanese language magazines on agriculture?
Lucky indeed, if you have no ancestors being pulled out into the street by a bunch of soldiers and shot in front of their family under the 228 massacre.
It isn’t ironic that the Nationalists and the Communists share many of the same interests. They always have, they just had different ideas on the methodology of carrying them out. A strong united China has always been the goal of both Communists and Nationalists, there was no compromise here.
Besides, if one were looking for actual Japanese traitors, then one only needs to look at the Koo family. One of the wealthiest families in Taiwan came to their position by exploiting the Japanese colonial situation and selling out their fellow people. It’s a ignominious line of traitors certainly, from the man who betrayed Taipei’s gates Koo Hsien Jung and who famously stated that he would rather be a wealthy dog than a free man, to his son Koo Chen Fu who actively plotted with Japanese authorities to undermine the post-war RoC administration, to Koo Kuan Ming who shares the same such quisling mentality and promotes Taidu along Lee Teng Hui’s “Taiwanese” (meaning anything other than Chinese) lines. You may think it is CCP propaganda to label the Taidu elite as traitors, but their past actions speak for themselves.
i know you disdain such slaveboy trash