[quote]According to Apple Daily and Ming Pao, a junior high school in Taipei city administered a commercially published history examination that contained some controversial items. This has caused some parents to complain to the media.
…
But the most controversial question is this contemporary one:
“During the difficult process of democratization in Taiwan, which president made no contribution whatsoever (誰對台灣民主化毫無貢獻?)?”
A. Chiang Kai-shek
B. Chiang Ching-kuo
C. Lee Teng-hui
D. Chen Shui-bian.
Out of 36 students in class, 30 (=83%) picked Chen Shui-bian as the answer. According to one student, “Apart from being elected as president, I cannot think of any other contribution of his.” Another student picked Lee Teng-hui because in his impression, Lee Teng-hui is just an old guy who often spoke in Minnan dialect and drew a high salary.
According to the scoring instructions, the correct answer is “Chiang Kai-shek” and all those students who picked Chen Shui-bian got zero on this item. Teachers and educators are complaining that such questions are controversial (that is, one and only one answer is right and the others are wrong for scoring purposes). While this teacher was merely using a commercially available examination, he/she should have exercised professional judgment to avoid using such questions.
What about the adults? According to the Apple Daily automated telephone poll of 208 respondents (note: small sample and unreliable methodology), the question “During the democratization of Taiwan, which president can be said to have made no contribution?”
Blame the teachers. They buy the test, but they don’t teach the content. Kids today have no context at all with regards to Taiwanese/modern Chinese history…
Indeed, I think this makes the history teacher(s) at that school look like fools. Another question that I would have would be whether the parents of this school complained about the content in the history classes before the exams? It would be far more helpful to look through their child’s history notebook than to ridiculously assert that this question is, in any way, controversial.
Correction its One Junior Highschool in a traditionally Pan Blue city. This is ludicrious. Why didn’t they also do another survey in traditionally Pan Green cities?
Ask a similar question in midtown New York City and 85% will say that President Bush is the worst president in American History. You’ll find the opposite answer down in Texas.
So what I see here is idiocy and sensationalism on new levels. How many of you guys love your manager or boss? In a private poll, I’m sure s/he’d get similar reviews.
[quote=“ShrimpCrackers”]
So what I see here is idiocy and sensationalism on new levels. How many of you guys love your manager or boss? In a private poll, I’m sure s/he’d get similar reviews.[/quote]
Michael Turton sees this as perhaps being another fabricated story for political gain. The source of this story is KMT legislator, Diane Lee.
[quote=“STOP_Ma”][quote=“ShrimpCrackers”]
So what I see here is idiocy and sensationalism on new levels. How many of you guys love your manager or boss? In a private poll, I’m sure s/he’d get similar reviews.[/quote]
Michael Turton sees this as perhaps being another fabricated story for political gain. The source of this story is KMT legislator, Diane Lee.
Woah! so you mean that the KMT and the PFP writing all these articles is accepted?
In America the equivalent would probably be having Ann Coulter write for NewsMax and John Kerry writing for the New York Times! INSANITY TO NEW DEGREES!!
When will the horror stop?
But there is a point, its about democratization. If Mayor Ma is so great for education as he purports to be, then maybe he should do something about the obvious lack of education that his students in Taipei are getting. Keep in mind, he himself says that:
[quote]“It is unfair to say that President Chen has made no contribution towards democracy, because the policies that he proposes when he first assumed office was popular with the people … I would have picked 0, or none of the above. All four presidents made contributions!”. ~ Mayor Ma tinyurl.com/ejyr5[/quote]
Anyway, the other hidden joke is that there were those who think that Chiang Ching-kuo’s death (and the subsequent lifting of Martial Law) was a contribution to the difficult process of democratization in Taiwan. Just like Mayor Ma’s dad kept the promise to die if Ma made chairman of the KMT. I never knew anyone so dedicated to ultimatums which are unfortunately too-often unfulfilled.
This is actually a hard question. But if the kiddies should be able to answer it, I learned adult that I am will give it a shot. My mini-essay answer would be:
Generalissmo Peanut
Pluses: By kissing up to USA and imposing martial law kept the godless commies at bay and kept Taiwan out of the various disasters (Great Leap Forward, Cultural Revolution et. al.) that befell mainland China
Minuses: Utter despot responsible for murder of thousands of Taiwanese, turned the island into a combined garbage heap and sheep farm.
Chiang Ching-kuo (aka The Doughboy)
Pluses: Finally realized the military dictatorship gag was over, lifts martial law; oversees (so called) Bloodless Revolution.
Minuses: Carries on fathers tradition of murdering Taiwanese, keeps the White Terror going strong, frightens my ex-wife
Who do believe HAS contributed to Taiwan democracy? Or are you one who believes that – to quote a KMT slogan a couple of years back – “democracy is dead”?
Of course never being enrolled in the ROC junior high school system we are all perfect candidates to critise the system.
I would have to agree with the poll, CSB made little or no contribution to ROC democratic process. He inherited the political system that was already democratized by the leadership before him. Future historians may view his presidency as a regression of the democratic achievement on Taiwan.
[quote=“ac_dropout”]Of course never being enrolled in the ROC junior high school system we are all perfect candidates to critise the system.
I would have to agree with the poll, CSB made little or no contribution to ROC democratic process. He inherited the political system that was already democratized by the leadership before him. Future historians may view his presidency as a regression of the democratic achievement on Taiwan.[/quote]
Its not a poll. go back and read it over again.
And besides, wouldn’t your statement contradict statements made by your dear and highly respected leader? Mayor Ma? Again, go back and read the article again.
Future historians? Current people are already saying that the Pan Blues have boycotted government and have stalled Taiwans democracy.
pan-Blue boycott the government? Can you please explain how the largest political party on Taiwan can boycott the government.
Anyways the key part of the question is the period on Taiwan knowns as “democracy-ism” shortly after the lifting of Martial Law. So the simple answer is that since CKS is dead at this point, he could not contribute. Now, you know 1 answer to guarantee you spot in morning classes of any of Taiwan’s #1 highschools, or at least as long as pan-Green are appointed to the MOE on Taiwan.
However, if this was a college essay exam in Taiwan and given CSB current low popularity, you’re probably better off making a case based on Dr. Sun 3 steps to democracy. CKS, CJG, and LTH all played pivoted roles in each of the 3 steps outlined by Dr. Sun (revolution, education, and liberalisation). CSB on the other is just a benefactor of the hard work of the 3 previous presidents.
Well, according to the stupid system that is over here, government and legislature are different things. DPP has the government, but KMT has the legislature, which makes rulling impossible - of course, in any civilized coutry people would have understood this and the government had long falled - but in TW, this doesn’t seem to be the deal - everyone tries to hold their seat as much as they can so they can put money on the pocket - you see, for some reason, all the biggest banks in the world that are in TW are for private banking only.
So as far as I know, CSB is only at fault for holding is seat for so long, while he knows he has his hands tied. All the rest is propaganda.
As for the democratization process - CKS did no revolution - he escaped and held himself to the power for as much as he could. His son ended up martial law almost before dying so we can argue he had a moment of sanity in his life (or maybe the pressure to maintain a martial law for so long really eroded KMT’s bases). Lien was the first to come after the “Monarchy”, so he in was the first non Chiang rulling the R.O.C. after SYS. Applause to him for such a great accomplishment.
It can be argued the overthrowing and changing the Japanese system on Taiwan was CKS revolutionary period on Taiwan. 228 can be interpreted as the masses discontent with CKS “revolution” on Taiwan.
CJG on the other hand, succumbed to too much pressure from the Reagan Administration. Some would argue the
[quote=“ac_dropout”]Of course never being enrolled in the ROC junior high school system we are all perfect candidates to critise the system.
I would have to agree with the poll, CSB made little or no contribution to ROC democratic process. He inherited the political system that was already democratized by the leadership before him. Future historians may view his presidency as a regression of the democratic achievement on Taiwan.[/quote]
Why the smiley face? It’s a perfectly good point that this is something only the Taiwanese can understand.
Btw, Xinhua and People’s daily was never like this. 
