In terms of dumbness, I think having a referendum act where no referendums can ever get passed is in a league of its own.
This new amendment expects a lot of voters. The voters has to do their homework before getting to the booth. At least this time if you don’t want something passed, instead of snickering on your ass, you have go to the voting stations and do something about it.
Well, the referendum is on something a bit bigger than if the individual athlete wasted his time or not and as such I hope most take in to account a bigger picture than his mate who is a coach
Besides, any time the athleates spent training is a sunk cost already
It’s what I wrote in my first reply: I can see the importance of the bigger picture and I approve the idea, but most of the athletes I know and who are in the national team aren’t too thrilled about it.
The East Asian Youth Games were supposed to be held in Taichung and the city had already gone through heavy preparations, and Taichung was stripped of the right to host them on the basis that the referendum was even taken under consideration (pressure from china, of course). Needless to say the athletes weren’t particularly happy about it, regardless of the bigger picture.
I don’t think the push to change the ridiculous and offensive “Chinese Taipei” moniker is a waste of time. Why? It’s not because I have any faith in the corrupt and venal Olympic committees—not at all. It’s because there’s an information war being waged about how to understand our nation, our home. Remember the recent petty attempts to get Taiwan listed as “Taiwan - China” on the airline websites? Call Taiwan “Taiwan”! Doing so will not necessarily lead us to the promised land—but the alternatives are leading us to something far far worse.
Guy
Taichung is also currently administered by the DPP. This cancellation is part of a pattern of maneuvers that show exactly why our large neighbour with its unapologetically anti-democratic and imperialist aspirations cannot be counted on—period. Learn this lesson, folks!
PS Yes I am pretty pissed about this.
You only need to take a look at Brexit.
Referenda in young democracies are retarded. Sorry but they just are. The fact that there’s a popular vote on whether a segment of the population would be able to get married is just brilliant. Do you know that in Switzerland a referendum on Constitutional SSM ban was almost passed in 2016? It was a 1% difference. That’s what referenda do. Switzerland keeps using them only because they’ve got the luxury of screwing things up. The referendum in Ireland made more sense as it’s mandatory to have a popular vote when they want to amend their incredibly archaic Constitution. The referendum in Australia wasn’t disastrous as it was a plebiscite, aka the result could be ignored. The referenda in Taiwan are neither of those things. And these are all highly mature democracies (though the UK seems to have regressed to Taiwan-level of circus politics lately).
They should never have changed the Referendum Act. It’s suicide when the population are collectively low on information.
I get how athletes worry about their chances of participating in the Olympics. It is directly related to their livelihood.
However, sports is supposed to mean more than just winning/losing/award money/career track. I know to some athletes, they have more practical issues to think about, but if we are talking being practical, if there’s nothing more to sports than that, why even bother investing in sports as a country? Heck, just keep the sports that makes some money, and scrap the ones no one attends.
No, sports is about having that indomitable spirit, training and giving your all not because you know yo will win, but because you don’t want to lose. Sports inspires and unites people. It also teaches younger generations the value of teamwork and overcome challenges.
Now what kind of example are we setting for future generations if we bend over backwards when a bully comes knocking, to the point when the bully calls you a derogatory nickname, say Reek for example, you immediately answer loudly? Even when others tell you you should stand up for yourself and ask him to call you by your real name, you say “I’m ok being Reek, otherwise he might beat me”?
I mean is that the message of “courage” we want out of sports? Really?
See? There’s misinformation already. Fake news after fake news. It’s repulsive. The Olympic Committee WILL NOT remove Taiwan from the Tokyo Olympics. The most they would do is to not approve of the name change application (which is 100% what they would do if the referendum comes through, so this whole referendum is a waste of time and resources in the first place).
And even if Taiwan gets removed from the Tokyo Olympics (which is not going to happen), the athletes would still be able to participate individually, circa. Russia this year in Korea.
That’s why I said this version expects a lot out of the voters… I don’t see it as a lost cause, as fundamental rights and human rights issues will eventually be determined by the supreme court. At least if something is bad, there is hope for eventually fixing it with another referendum.
Campaigning activity steadily escalating as election day draws near. I came across a noisy little rally the other night and tried to get a photo of a very depressed-looking dog in attendance whose ears undoubtedly were suffering from the volume, but sadly it was too dark. Poor pup.
It’ll be nice when people stop slapping me upside the head with pamphlets near crosswalks. Not to mention being rid of some of the flyers that keep clogging up my mailbox. I’d vote if I could, but I can’t! Leave me be…
The latest poll shows that the marriage equality camp is doing pretty poorly…
Support for marriage equality actually declined as election draws near. Siwei strategy’s conclusion is that the marriage equality camp was too active early in the election cycle.
All in all, unless there’s a high turn out rate for young people, Taiwan won’t be the first in Asian for at least another 2 years.
Seems like people get cold feet once the election is around the corner. Better not rock the boat too much…
What did I say?
It is highly possible that none of the referenda would get enough votes to pass (which is what people should be hoping now), but those trying to organise these referenda and to uncap the threshold are truly retarded. What a bunch of fucking morons. Especially when we all know that there’s a deadline just 6 months from now.
All the other proposals are eqally retarded. Just all around poor decision-making from the braindead “progressive” camp or standard BS from KMT supporters, aka idiots who are even dumber than Trump supporters.
First of all, it’s not the Supreme Court. It’s the Judicial Review.
And secondly, the notion that we should let idiots fuck everything over then try and fix things is absolutely ridiculous. As if Brexit wasn’t a bad enough precedent.
“All the other proposals are eqally retarded. Just all around poor decision-making from the braindead “progressive” camp or standard BS from KMT supporters, aka idiots who are even dumber than Trump supporters.”
What some people don’t get about politics in general hahaha. Nicely put.
The fact Taiwan has the option I will always support. But the strong push for a sheep based population will come back to bite us in the ass. We could make jokes about Americans or make Idiocracy movie quotes, but when its real it isn’t all that funny.
The argument way up there about athletes missing their shot being more important than a push for national identity and respect seems pretty selfish to me. I’m curious to hear the logic behind a handful of individuals making money and stroking their egos being more important than being called.by your enemy’s name at said ego stroking event. This is strange to me. Not just selfish, but slightly mind numbing.
As said, Japan won’t boot Taiwan from the Olympics. Taiwan needs to grow some.balls and at least start making.statements in safe houses like Japan before we are muted.completely. the whole statute quo is a slow suicide. Lack of action is basically giving up.
Good thread. I’m happy for the referendum availability here. The questions are worded interestingly. There is a lot of political and religious extremism coming.out. but what is the bigger problem: questions worded so as to require some education; or, a population that is so uneducated they can’t figure out questions that aren’t multiple choice?
I’m worried both ways, butt far more so about the latter
I dunno. I have co-workers, in their late 20s to early 30s, from the most esteemed universities here on this island who still believe that when given choices, heterosexuals can still be turned gay by proximity and influence. That’s even after me making a joke about people with that belief are likely closeted gays themselves.
on the notes of “Take my breath away”.
CANNOT UNHEAR IT
By educated I mean intelligent, not graduated.
The fact is there are very intelligent people who chose to remain ignorant about certain issues.
If they believe that, they are not very inteilligent people, they are very retarded people.
Well you shouldn’t be.
