11/11

Being literally half Taiwanese and the eventual half American legally grants me the priviledge and the responsibility that can't be considered rare, yet not obtained too commonly at the same time.  Every four years, my heart hangs on two elections.  And everyday, after I read the WSJ, CNN, BBC, NYT, I turn around and start going through other news sources in an entirely different language speaking about completely different political issues.  The Dow might sink another 500 points today along with my heart and my 401K account, but when I see the 4th typhoon in September barely missing Kaohsiung city, sometimes tears well up.  Having been a child growing up in a weather that can almos rival Kansas, knowing the typhoon changed its mind is like finding out Katrina decided not to be a home-wrecker and decided to stay in the Bahamas (no offense to the people of the Bahamas).

I often hear issues such as health insurance, immigration, and who we're going to butt our noses in when I learn about the American politics.  Health insurance being one of the issues that we get criticized heavily since countries such as Canada have such a great system going on and how America is behind on the growth of our policy, even though we're the strongest nation on earth.  It's easy to explain to my dear friends what Taiwanese politics is about.  It saddens me to say that even though Taiwan's also got an amazing health insurance going on, and have little to none immigration problems until now, we only have the issue of independence in our daily political agenda for the last 98 years since Taiwan became politically indepent in 1911.  I remember trying so hard to blend in with the crowd upon arriving the states and re-discovering my roots as I mature and got to see the my world from both sides, finding my pride in claiming myself as a Taiwanese.  If there should be a character like Martin Luther King Jr. in Taiwan, he will also say "I have a dream".  Well, MLK's dream here in America actually came true, and with respect to the democratic system, I felt a sense of pride witnessing it even though I might not have voted for President Obama.  No matter how deep of trouble we're in financially, no matter how bad President Bush might've screwed up with his war plans, and even, no matter how bad the traffic is on the 10 FWY every single day of the week of the month of the damn year, I feel hopeful about progress of this great nation.  I feel that even things or elections might not go my way, I have something to expect in the future because yes, I will admit that our newly elected president did inject a new sense of hope in a very obvious way to all minorities including yours trully.  That is part of how I view the beauty of democracy.

I do not feel that sense of hope with Taiwan.  Not a bit, not at all.  In fact, it frightens me to think that I might have not much to say come Taiwan's Centennial celebrations.

The link below looks no more like the case in which Mr. Ted Stevens is involved with.  But having been in a family who are heavily involved and connected with the Taiwanese politics, I've witnessed the dirty ways of this game on this other side of the world.  You think referencing everything Senator Mccain says to "being like Bush"?  How about mentioning William Ayers and calling President Obama a terrorist?  Or maybe imply that a pig is still a pig even with lipsticks?  Continue with joy, Americans, for that is something your forefathers fought with all their might, to have all of you blessed with this opportunity to have white supremesists and a Black president to co-exist, for me to sit here and say "go F* yourself, Mr. Hu Jintao, and to point and laugh and pick on every word either campaign has said before the election.  Everyday I sit here with a rather positive feeling of envy, hoping that some day I may join in on voicing my opinions with a vote.  You may not like that I probably would've voted Republican, or that I might vote yes on Prop. 8, but hey, you also get to vote and be glad I'm one of those who will accept the outcome without gloating if I get my way, and without bickering if I don't.  And that's good.  Everything gets laid out on the table before a fight, and if I lose a fight, I go through workouts playing "Gonna Fly Now" and come back and keep fighting.

All that being said, that's not how it works in Taiwan.  What you read on CNN (such as the link below) might very well be a peice of information with many crucial details withheld by the government before it gets to CNN or any other major global news networks.  This is not a simple Ted Stevens case.  I will not say Former President Chen didn't do anything wrong but I will definitely say a big reason of him being indicted is political prosecution from one party who relentlessly kisses the many asses of the communist party.  And I hope to live long enough to see the outcome of another historic political moment (for me anyway) when Former President Chen walks out of that jail cell for the second time of his life to tell the tale.  Maybe by then, the Taiwanese people will realize to live comfortably by compromising your identity and the system of democracy to a bully is no better than to die fighting for the rights to discuss all the dirty issues up front without throwing elbows.  Maybe by then, we'll finally earn our own spot in the UN and stop being the laughing stock of the rest of the world.  11/11/2008 is a grim day.  And my sense of pride for my native country bleeds uncertainty and disgust.

Former President Chen Arrested:

http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/asiapcf/11/11/taiwan.former.president.handcuffs

Wall Street Journal Asia in his defense:

http://www.aei.org/publications/filter.all,pubID.25113/pub_detail.asp