How do you feel about usage of the term ‘Pan-’? Blue Green Purple Pink, and Mauve.
When did this media buzz word first get thrown about? And does it mean that no-one has come up with some better terms since then? Is Taiwan Politics such an intellectual sinkhole?
I’m sure the constant use of “pan” leads some to skip over any article or thread about Taiwan politics. I don’t blame them. To have ‘pan’ folowed by the color of a political flag is just downright dastardly. Almost like brownshirts and blackshirts. Kind of a scary historical echo, isn’t it?
well, maybe people use colours so that they are easier to remember and to associate. If KMT was green and DPP a lighter green, I guess this would create a lot of confusion. Anyway, besides the China-factor, can anyone point me any difference between the politics of the two main parties? I never found any…
What exactly is so “non-intellectual” about associating a colour to a political entity?
In Canada, the Liberals are associated with the colour “red” and the Conservatives are associated with the colour “blue”. In the U.S. it’s the reverse.
Well, maybe what he wants it is a more distinctive way of dividing the parties, although, as I say, they are only divided on how they feel about China. In the matters of social politics or economics, it is absolutelly blur…
What exactly is so “non-intellectual” about associating a colour to a political entity?
In Canada, the Liberals are associated with the colour “red” and the Conservatives are associated with the colour “blue”. In the U.S. it’s the reverse.
So what?[/quote]
I’m not talking about mere association of one party( with a concrete ideological basis and a sold history) and one particular color . I’m talking about the use of the Greek word ‘pan’ tied in with a color.
Past usage of this word, was according to the OED :1. all, ; the whole of. 2. relating to the whole or all the parts of a continent, racial group, religion, etc. (pan-American, pan-African, Pan Hellenic, etc,).
Pan (insert color here) seems to my mind an abuse of the term. It’s what Orwell was talking about the misappropriation of the language. Some Ivory Tower geek probably came up with the idea, and the media repeat it ad nauseum.
Is there a better term to translate the Chinese original title of the coaltions? Or is it just a media hacksaw job?
The DPP won office back in 2000 not on the back of its China policy. Back in the campaign of 2000, the DPP was also seen by many as a party of political reform + liberalization. The DPP was a party that was going to preserve democratic principles and clean up government, while the KMT was seen as a party that dragged its heels and protected its interests in government.
6 years later, that’s a distant memory for a couple of reasons. This is partly because the DPP has succeed in preserving democratic principles… I don’t think anyone doubts 2008 will include a true “democratic” election for the executive and legislative yuan. Blatant vote-buying is also largely eliminated.
But it’s also partly a distant memory because the DPP has shown little progress in actually building a professional, clean government. Just about every action undertaken by the executive yuan is highly partisan. It’s primary goal in government has been to keep itself in government, and to destroy the influence of the opposition.
What’s left today? Two bickering political parties, with almost identical platforms. The goal of one party is to win the election while distancing Taiwan from mainland China, nothing more; the goal of the other party is to win the election while drawing Taiwan closer to mainland China, nothing more.
[quote=“TheGingerMan”]
Is there a better term to translate the Chinese original title of the coaltions? Or is it just a media hacksaw job?[/quote]No. There’s no official “title” here for any of the the coalitions. It’s just a descriptive term: 泛滥， 泛绿. I think the translation of “pan” is pretty fair.