Wednesday 18 May 2011

Alex Raymond & Anti-KMT Protests

Alex Raymond as quoted by Turton:
"...there's going to be a rally tomorrow in Taipei involving more than 100 cars... At the rally they will call for the KMT to go back home to China and for Taiwan to become independent under the name Formosa."
Where do I start with this? First, telling the KMT to "go home" to China reflects a nationalist sentiment which is not only at odds with supposed democratic values, but is heavily ironic if these are the same people who, at other times, criticise the KMT for their nationalism. These people are, at best, hypocrites. Second, Alex Raymond is a foreigner*, and as such, he's living in a glass house here - and we all know what people who live in glass houses should not do... Third, the issue is not really independence, let alone the comparative triviality of altering the name of the island from "Taiwan" to "Formosa" (although I like both names, and use them interchangably). The real issue is the threat to the principles of a Liberal social order from the governments in both Beijing and Taipei (even if that latter government is run by a DPP administration). However, even this threat is a derivative: the psychology and culture which sanctions the use of coercion and aggression as principle constituents to a way of living is what must be challenged. Those people protesting against the KMT up in Taipei are idiots.

*A U.S. citizen I believe - I think he may even have once viewed my old apartment in Kaohsiung when I was looking for new tennants (this would be in the summer of 2008). I might be wrong however; both "Alex" and "Raymond" are fairly common names.

Update: interestingly, Turton appears to have pulled that first part of his post wherein he passes on the Taipei rally news and quotes Alex Raymond. However, some of the comments testify to the fact that it was there.
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4 comments:

  1. Judy Raymond28 July 2011 at 21:51

    Of course, asking any party to go back to where they come from is nationalism. I agree with that! But would you welcome a party that killed lots of people who lived in the same country where you have live all your life? Your own people? Would you feel so good about the party that stole the lands inherited by your families for long? Would you welcome a friend that you treat him so well in your household, and then he rapes your wife and occupies your house? Answer me these questions first before your "glass house" bullshit. If KMT treats us, the local Taiwanese who escaped from China 2-3 hundreds years ago for their corruption
    and authority, like treating their own lovingly children, would we ask them to go back to their own place? Go back to place that welcome a bunch of corruptive
    politicians who only take care of their own political and financial benefits!
    With regards

    ReplyDelete
  2. Mike Fagan29 July 2011 at 00:45

    Judy - read the subheading for my blog. Then go away and think about what it means.

    When you can tell me what it means in your own words, then I'll allow you to comment again.

    You may not question me in that manner on my blog.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Alex29 July 2011 at 11:58

    This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Judy Raymond29 July 2011 at 12:04

    This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

    ReplyDelete

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