I have noticed the same trend on my Blog (for the most part). Random people, mostly from Forumosa, ‘gang-banging’ and skimming a few of my prolific entries, then choosing to respond only to what they consider to be ‘negative attitude’ (which is actually often fact, with or without my opinion), and then usually boiling it down to some self-righteous ‘awareness’ speech, making it personal by assuming they know all about me (even going so far as to slander me personally with vile and childish language-even when my posts have nothing to do with me), then giving me ultimative advice I never asked for; which is often a give-up attitude of “leave”. NEVER have any of them Commented on the information I am sure they might view as more ‘positive’, nor apologized for misconstruing fact or even myself as a whole while they were so busy making my posts into something personal and unprogressive.
In some regards, I can parallel these very similiar instances happening to Uly in another thread, as had almost identically also happened to me on this forum some months back when my polemic Blog -and posts on Forumosa-became the current controversy. I think there is a bigger issue that Uly was trying to adress, that many have completely missed the point of.
What most fail to realize is that people who ‘bitch, moan and whine’ don’t even necessarily do it out of personal disgruntledness (though even if they do, that is also valid FACT adding to the statistics - doesn’t Taiwan have one of the, if not THE, highest suicide rates in the world?! That says something about life for the locals, doesn’t it??), but some of them are actually well travelled, incredibly aware, educated, experienced, NOT in Culture Shock, etc… individuals who are simply interested in their Taiwan surroundings enough to make honest observations and contributions. THAT’S POSITIVE because THEY CARE!! It doesn’t imply they are not capable of dealing with their surroundings, nor that they are filled with depression or rage. It could really be as simple as them being sincerely interested, while being able to add more to their plate by initiating a discussion, or at least disseminating the information.
Unlike the complacent masses, they choose to live here, choose to research it empirically and historically, and they choose to make the time in their busy lives to create a voice on behalf of/WITH the millions who DO have to live in this society without choice, but have been conditioned to “not think too much” and live in silent complacency. <---- That is (IN MY OPINION), one of many self destructive beliefs/values/attitudes that is eating away at this place (despite Taiwan’s infinite achievements in the recent past); as it is counter productively hindering the environment and process of further becoming who this island seems to make quite obvious it wants to become; 1st world. (And if you read the Lonely Planet Guidebook, and follow history; one would clearly realize that this is common knowledge; that thousands of years of social conditioning by ill-willed emperors and leaders had misconstrued initial Confuscian Philosophy to be interpreted in such a counter productive manner, through Taoist, etc… preachings and other societal values, so as to pacify the masses into accepting their politic and economy.)
Daring to speak on behalf of not only myself, but many others on this forum (and not), our “Rants and raves” are not necessarily about “generalizing” or being “ethno-centric”, “racist” or any other terminology favoured amoung the politically correct (and in some cases assumptive) individuals; it’s about culture and analyzing some of the fundamental principles and morale driving that culture (culture is general by definition anyways); not in order to rebel, but rather to aid in creating MORE of this ‘AWARENESS’ by using a public medium which doesn’t directly threaten anyone individually. People have the option to be interested or not. (Now THAT’S peaceful freedom, not hateful.)
YES, there are great things about Taiwan, as there are bad things (just as there are ANYWHERE in the world), but I think this ‘ranting and raving’ is not always just about that. Underlying the ‘bitching and moaning’ it is about what can WE ALL do to make it (Taiwan, or anywhere in the world) even better?! THAT’S why we speak up; whether we bitch, or merely observe facts; at least we are thinking because we care and are trying to progress.
Progressive thought is often what makes changes in our world, and is said to lead some of the more beneficial countries.
Those who assumptively devalidate and underestimate a person’s ability to recognize the positive from the negative (based on a few pieces of their writing, which is aimed to adress one particular issue anyways-not who THEY personally are as a whole over the course of their lifetime), or those who simply slander an individual for his/her observations, or assume, that just because they bitched or merely stated valid fact, that this person has an attitude problem (and then try to send them on a road trip to self help), are doing the very devaluative generelizations they claim the OP to be doing; and in turn, are also slowing the progressive process down.
We shouldn’t have to be convinced to have to ‘accept’ complacent, unprogressive injustice, nor any of the hundreds of signs and facts/observations around it, to prove that things aren’t right in a place, by making things personal and trying to convince someone of the pros to a place.
We can recognize the pros, but it isn’t the pros that are the issue…
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