taiwan tiger 台灣的老虎

Spin, Spin, Spin

A while back I happened upon a TV program that followed a group of Chinese tourists on a boat somewhere near the Taiwanese island of Kinmen.  The Chinese, when asked about Taiwan, explained something to the fact that they know that the people of Taiwan are just dying to re-unify with the P.R.C., but were being kept from it by the Taiwan president Chen Shui-bien, who is trying to drag all Taiwanese kicking and screaming away from China and into independence.  Now, we know that this is complete B.S.--the spin spoon-fed to these tourists day after day from the P.R.C.'s government news agency Xinhua.  It is quite disturbing to see the effects of such long term brainwashing, though I don't know the level to which this pervades.  Some more worldly Chinese must know that that's complete hogwash, but I suspect that out in the country, it is hard to get that alternative view.

Reflecting on my recent trip to the U.S., I felt a little of that same disturbing feeling.  Someone close to me would occasionally pop out with some little tidbit of information about politics and media in the U.S. that was so shockingly dead wrong (things like events they think happened, but didn't), or an opinion that was so unnervingly ill-formed, when placed on a world stage of ideas. 

It was in my doctor's waiting office, too, that I noticed with appall that we were watching the Fox News Channel.  And in the airport, too.  Fox "News"?  I talked with a Canadian friend of mine here, who remarked:

"I couldn't believe it the first time I watched Fox News in the Phillippines.   I was like, whoa, can you even SAY that on a NEWS network?"

His point was that it was so clearly a heavily biased report masquerading as an unbiased "news" source.  And what chance do I have suggesting watching an alternative news source--hey, BBC is a pretty well-regarded news source, you know--when people already believe that what they are seeing is the unspun truth.  Despite how many right wing media sources tell you about the "liberal media" in order to make themselves sound centrist, Fox News is still way conservative on the world stage.  It is, in this guise, truly dangerous.  A form of message control.   While I was in the U.S., I got the impression that that was where the country is heading.  It is, after all, the most efficient form of government.

To my Republican friends, if I had any.

Kenneth Neil's list of questions to consider about Bush. Of course, I don't really have any Republican friends, so this is for you others out there.

Politics 12 hours Away

Thanks to Brian for the link to Bush in 30 Seconds, a project designed to counteract the limited or nonexistent content of presidential political advertising. I was so fascinated by these ads that I watched all in one sitting and couldn't decide which was most worthy of the prize seat. "Imagine" was fairly accurate at describing the Foucauldian structure of the Current State of Affairs. The only thing the ad failed to mention was that attempts to point out the dynamics of the C.S. of A. by those of us who see it clearly are easy dismissed by ad hominen attacks (i.e. "you're a paranoid freak") by the media itself, who drop such bombshells as "conservative conspiracy" in an attempt to discredit the speakers.

So I am curious as to the thoughts of other American expats here in Taiwan who see things as drastically and dangerously awry in the good ol' US. What is to be done from here? Can we organize some response? Is it even your ball game anymore if you've been here for as long as you have? I am aware of an Expats Against Bush site (in Japan, I believe) but other than just say we despise the man and the horse he rode in on, what is there to be done?

Certainly, also, some criticism of Bush's recent stance against Taiwan is warranted. Granted it is complicated here in Taiwan, but simultaneously using democracy as a pretense for war in Iraq while discouraging Taiwan from any pro-democracy moves like...amending their own consititution...is the very definition of hypocrisy. Especially when you consider the odd state of affairs that means neoconservative "Mr. Christian" G.W. Bush's words throw support to China--whose "democracy" extends to routinely suppressing religious groups. And by "suppressing" I mean "murdering" somewhere around 1400 Falungong members. That sound you just heard? American cash registers ringing up cheap Chinese labor at the expense of principle--but we should be used to that by now, right?

American support for Taiwan has traditionally been a bipartisan effort, so until now I didn't necessarily think that a change in the U.S. presidency would have substantial impact on US/Tawian relations. But now? I am inclined to think getting that miserable excuse out of the Oval Office is better for Taiwan as well as the U.S.

politics--us and taiwan

So today comes some really entertaining news from G duh-byuh. Our esteemed and idiotic president tried to justify the war in Iraq. He said "Iraq is dangerous, and it's dangerous because terrorists want us to leave, and we're not leaving." Hmm, considering there is on an average day, 30 attacks a day on US soldiers, that’s stretching the idea of terrorist. Let’s try it again—the people of Iraq don’t want us there. Simple, clear, and not relying on the rhetoric of fear that Bush has been using for most of his term.

And this was hilarious! According to Reuters, “Bush said it was not White House staff who put up a ‘Mission Accomplished’ banner on the Abraham Lincoln during his May 1 appearance, adding it was the aircraft carrier's staff who hung the sign because the ship itself was concluding a long overseas mission.” Again, hmmm. Gee, the extremely anal and well-prepared presidential staff somehow overlooked this accessory to the photo op? Yeah, I doubt it. If Rush Limbaugh weren’t in drug rehab now, I would hope that he would have the fortitude to compare Bush’s backtracking with what he always noted as Clinton’s. Of course, we all now that piece of crap would never have done so. Again, I highly doubt it.

It is strange right now to feel so adamantly opposed to the joke that is our current administration, and the fractured US system that claims to be the best democracy on earth. I have always know deeply that the US system, while having its benefits, distributes those benefits on an unequal basis. I feel just as passionate about the state of the nation as I always have, but now I am both burdened by the weight of explanation and freed by the lifting of that ugly albatross from around my neck. But I feel that it is something you can never escape. Some idiots, after I expressed dissatisfaction with my country’s response to the events of September 2001 told me “if you don't love it, leave it!” Of course, this is the fool’s response—how can you leave the influence of a country that pursues its imperialism as the US does? If only we could all “leave it”!

In Taiwan news, here is the new political stuff. On Saturday, Kaohsiung hosted a big political rally. I, unfortunately, didn’t know about it until I was in Tainan. So in Taiwan, the liberal (that is, desiring independence) factions are mostly in the South, in Kaohsiung. Which is, of course, one of the reasons I wanted to come here. :) The response from Beijing is that this is a “separatist action” and deserves shaking of fingers and nasty nodding of heads. What is important to understand in the Taiwan/China issue is that words are thrown around a lot. Threats are made, and sometimes they are backed up with missile tests or now, space shots—watch this, really! When does is happen, in relation to the Taiwan elections? It is not a coincidence…. Here is the link to the story on Yahoo, including a photo of an impressive march!: http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=1529&e=3&u=/afp/20031027/wl_asia_afp/taiwan_politics_china_031027063835

hypocritical US policy on Taiwan

I'm angry! In the light of the forthcoming elections in Taiwan, the US has issued this statement: "Taiwan and its leaders can count on the United States to pursue a steady and constructive policy toward East Asia and the Taiwan Strait area." This is absolute bull puckey. The US stance on Taiwan is infuriating, as it speaks out of both sides of its mouth. While it is willing to pursue a democracy in Iraq at great cost of lives and money, they will not warn China against threatening Taiwan. Taiwan is a model democracy in Asia--just the kind the US should be supporting--and instead the US has been slowly turning its back on Taiwan, insisting that the One-China policy is appropriate and that Taiwan should not pursue its own constitutional reform. The day will come, I am afraid, when China decides to take Taiwan by force. Where will the US be then? My guess is that it will slink away, abandoning Taiwan to the hands of the Chinese, claiming it doesn't want to "interfere in internal politics." At least this is the posturing that the US is presenting at this time. There was a time when the US seemed ready to defend Taiwan, but I think this time is fading. If China takes Taiwan by force, you can pretty much kiss us all goodbye. Blood is cheap here.