2019 - 4th Quarter

Taiwan Must Move on from the KMT Past

Sunday December 15

"That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet," so argues Juliet in Shakespeare's play. And by the same token, a de facto independent democratic nation like the so named Republic of China (ROC) by any other name would remain a de facto independent democratic nation. ...

Xi's China Vision, a Clear Threat to Taiwan

Monday December 9

The presidential and legislative elections are on January 11 and Taiwanese are evaluating who will lead their democracy for the next four years. At such times, the "imagined community" of Taiwan must be reviewed and contrasted with the one that exists across the Taiwan Strait. ...

Taiwan, China and the Human Race

Monday November 18

As Taiwanese prepare to select their president in the Jan. 11 presidential elections, the raison d'etre, scope and focus of their democratic nation's imagined community is again on the horizon. To gain a full perspective, they need to review this imagined community both from its macro and micro standpoints. ...

Deconstructing the Fake 1992 Consensus

Thursday October 17

In his retirement speech to the US Congress, US Army General Douglas MacArthur is remembered for quoting the well-known line from an old army ballad: "Old soldiers never die, they just fade away." ...

The Drama and Amnesia of Taiwan Politics

Sunday October 6

The September 17th deadline for independent candidates to register for next year's presidential elections has past, and Taiwan voters can now focus on the narrowed field of candidates and the issues. ...