Government in Taiwan Overthrowing the Kmt Essay Example

Government in Taiwan: Overthrowing the Kmt Paper Allen Chang Mrs. Gomer Ap Lang Comp 4 November 2009 Government in Taiwan: Overthrowing the KMT In America, the Democrats fight the Republicans for control of the American government. They fight to lead the country the way they want it to be led. In Taiwan, MingJingTang(MJT) fights KuoMingTang(KMT) for control of the Taiwanese government. They fight to make Taiwan either a more independent and democratic nation or a more China-following nation. In recent times, KMT has been in control of the Taiwanese government with President Ma Ying-Jiu. President Ma has recently become politically vulnerable due to a flooding that was supposedly preventable. In his current condition, MJT could easily come forth and overthrow his position of power and reinstate the Democratic, pro-Taiwan party. Taiwan has been seeking an identity as a country independent of China and the reinstatement of MJT as the ruling party would help achieve this goal. Some may say that usurping KMT is not a plausible idea because the public is not only tolerant, but also accepting of the pro-China ruling party. The people of Taiwan have been dreaming of becoming an independent country, free from China’s oppression. We will write a custom essay sample on Government in Taiwan: Overthrowing the Kmt specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Government in Taiwan: Overthrowing the Kmt specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Government in Taiwan: Overthrowing the Kmt specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Having the pro-China party in power will not only hinder the Taiwanese dream of independence, but it will also aid the unification of China and Taiwan. Now, while President Ma is politically vulnerable, it is clearly the time for MJT to strike the pro-China KMT and win the power to rule the growing nation. Background of the Politics To understand the significance of political battles in Taiwan, it is necessary to understand some basic facts and history about the KMT, the MJT, and both of their party leaders. The government of Taiwan is led by either of the two parties, the MJT (MingJingTang) or the KMT (KuoMingTang)(TaiwanDC. rg). They are essentially the Taiwanese equivalents of our Democratic and Republican parties except the KMT is the Pro-China party and the MJT is the Pro-Taiwan party. The KMT is currently the party in power in Taiwan with President Ma Ying-Jeou at its head (ROC). The KMT was founded in China shortly after to Xinhai revolution and later moved to Taiwan in a retr eat from a battle with the Communist party in Mainland China (Knowledge Rush). The KMT established sovereignty as the single governing party in Taiwan and later renamed the island, the People’s Republic of China (Knowledge Rush). The KMT is known to favor Chinese reunification and Chinese nationalism even though they did make a point of ridding themselves of Chinese communists (Knowledge Rush). The KMT is the pro-China party in Taiwan and often times, their decisions and actions reflect their desire to appease China and gain Chinese favor. The KMT’s chairman, President Ma, currently leads Taiwan with a â€Å"no unification, no independence, and no use of force† stance, although some say he does not fully abide by his said stance (ROC). The KMT’s most powerful opponent is the MJT, formerly led by former President Chen Shui-Bian. President Chen and the MJT have worked for the last 3 decades to lead the nation of Taiwan to its goal of becoming independent of China. Officially established in 1986, the MJT, also known as the Democratic Progressive Party, has been working tirelessly to rid Taiwan of China’s oppressive grasp (DPP). In 2000, the MJT made history by instituting President Chen into office and overthrowing the KMT for the first time in the history of Taiwan (Democratic Progressive Part). This success led bolstered the ranks of independence fighters and the MJT gained support from the Taiwanese rapidly. President Chen was later taken out of office for acts of corruption, but the work he did with the help of the MJT had a lasting effect on Taiwan. For the first time since KMT claimed Taiwan, someone had taken the lead and led the people of Taiwan in the direction of independence as a nation. Taiwanese want for independence The people of Taiwan want their independence as a nation just as the Americans wanted their independence as a nation in colonial times. Right now, the KMT is hindering Taiwan’s journey toward independence. By favoring reunification with China, the KMT is taking Taiwan backwards, away from its dream of independence. The MJT has been fighting for Taiwan’s independence for a good 30 years now and if overthrowing the KMT while they are politically weak will help the MJT help Taiwan achieve its goal of independence, then the MJT should go full force in trying to take the KMT out of power. The KMT favors reunification with China (Knowledge Rush). That in itself is counterproductive toward the goal of Taiwan’s independence. Reunification would mean that China would have control of Taiwan once again. Reunification is the equivalent of America falling back under British control. Reunification is no what Taiwan wants. Back in 2005, the KMT sent a representative to China to discuss a 1992 consensus that, in essence, stated that both sides, China and Taiwan, were part of one China (Coates). The chairman of the KMT, Lien Chan, was greeted like a world leader upon his arrival in China (Coates). Chan and President Hu of the China Communist Party spoke of and brought a new plan into light. They called it, the â€Å"common vision to promote bilateral exchanges† (Coates). In dealing with China, the KMT gave proof to the public that reunification was not only present in their plans, but also a priority in their agenda. Unification with China was and still is quite unpopular with the Taiwanese, a nation that seeks a national identity. National identity became the heart of the MJT’s fight for independence. Since 1986, the MJT has been working as the opposition party to the KMT, hoping to gain control of the government and lead Taiwan out of China’s grasp. While the KMT was in China, trying to negotiate about a â€Å"common view†, the MJT was recognized as a formally pro-Independence party that spurned reunification (Coates). Also in 2005, pressures from the U. S imperialism and the pro-China agenda of the capitalist class led to statements from the MJT that hinted at reunification. The public’s outrage at such abhorrent thoughts was evident in the resignation of 4 of President Chen’s advisors (Coates). The public knows what they want. When President Chen started to succumb to possibilities of reunification, the public stepped up and reminded him what his job was. Independence is sought after by the people, even when their government starts to lose heart. As a nation growing in the shadow of Chinese oppression, Taiwan wants its independence. The MJT is the vessel which will allow the public to obtain their wish for freedom, even if there are times when the MJT falters. The KMT has proved its support of reunification through its dealings with China, but the MJT, while not perfect, has been, in general, against the reunification in Taiwan. Just as in all parties, there is dissension, but the MJT works to gain freedom from China. President Ma Not Fit To Lead President Ma currently reigns as the president of Taiwan. His stance is that there should be â€Å"no unification, no independence, and no use of force† (ROC). He has led Taiwan for almost a year and a half now. So far during his reign, he has encountered some political hindrances like Typhoon Morakot and low popularity ratings. Typhoon Morakot struck Taiwan quite recently, burying a village and killing about 500 people. President Ma’s popularity is dropping as he continually blunders through quagmires. His ability is a leader is currently on the table for questioning. Typhoon Morakot rolled over Taiwan and the rest of Southeast Asia early in August of 2009 (Monash). The damage done by the typhoon was nowhere near insignificant. Villages were buried under mudslides and hundreds were killed (Monash). An estimated three meters of rain fell in Taiwan causing floods along with the fatal mudslides (Monash). President Ma was criticized for taking too long to respond to this natural disaster. In an article pertaining to the disaster by Jacob Monash, the author said stated that President Ma initially refused foreign aid to recover from the disaster. Also, when the MJT invited the Dalai Lama to Taiwan to console the victims of the disaster, President Ma and the KMT declined to meet with the honored guest. In his choices pertaining to the typhoon and the Dalai Lama, President Ma was questioned. The first of the questions was why would a â€Å"diplomatically isolated country like Taiwan initially rejected foreign aid? † (Monash). Taiwan is located a whole ocean away from the U. S and a full continent away from the United Kingdom. In rejecting foreign aid, President Ma placed Taiwan in a quandary and possibly, as a result of his inaction, a whole village of Taiwanese aborigines was buried under a mudslide. The second question was why did President Ma meet with the Dalai Lama? Recently, Tibet was annexed by China (Office of Tibet). The Dalai Lama is the leader of Tibet and visitation with him would have angered the Chinese (Office of Tibet). Had President Ma not been in close contact with the Chinese, he may have taken the time to meet his country’s honored guest. His refusal to meet with the Tibetan leader begs the question of whether or not his refusal was made to prevent Chinese disapproval. President Ma’s actions and inactions have generated a cloud of doubt early in his presidency. Not half of an American president’s term has gone by and already, President Ma has endangered his country through inaction. Aside from putting Taiwan in quite a troubled situation, President Ma is also quite ambiguous with his words. He stands by his â€Å"no unification, no independence, no use of force† with a steadfast attitude. The flaw in his stance is in the words. President Ma states that he does not support unification, yet the actually problem that Taiwan faces is reunification or annexation. Unification is the act of bringing together as stated by the Webster’s II New Riverside dictionary. Reunification would, using the definition of unification, be the act of bringing together once again. According to the Webster’s II New Riverside dictionary, annexation is the incorporation of a smaller country or state into a larger country or state. Knowing the definitions of these three words is vital to understanding President Ma’s actual stance. In standing for no unification, President Ma is literally saying that China and Taiwan will not willingly come together as unification entails. Obviously, Taiwan is against unifying with China as much as it is against reunifying with China. Annexation seems to be the proper term to use in this case. President Ma should have said that he will not stand for annexation as annexation is, in essence, what China is aiming to do with Taiwan if a peaceful agreement of reunification cannot be met. Ma slyly states the obvious that there will be no unification as the Taiwanese would never agree to become part of China. Alongside his sly assertion, he tells all that he stands against independence. Once again, his words betray him; this time it is his logic and not the actual definition that undermines his argument. Ma is essentially holding a stance on the fence. He neither supports unification nor does he support independence. By not supporting either one, he supports an island of imagination. There is no middle ground between independence and unification, it is either the former or the latter. If Taiwan is not officially part of China, then it must either be part of some other country or a country in itself. If Taiwan is on a path toward unification, it is still independent but gradually losing its autonomy to a bigger government. Ma creates a contradicting stance when he provides that he is both against unification and against independence. One must live in the absence of the other. His stance is flawed, thereby weakening the assertion built into his â€Å"no unification, no independence, no use of force† stance. With his vague stance, President Ma surreptitiously strikes down possibilities of Taiwanese independence and leaves possibilities of annexation and reunification with China open. As an added note, President Ma was not actually born in Taiwan. According to the Office of the President of the Republic of China, Ma Ying-Jeou was born in Hong Kong and moved to Taiwan a year later (ROC). Although the standards for presidency are different in Taiwan and America, from an American stand point, President Ma should not even be allowed to lead. Arnold Schwarzenegger was not allowed to run for presidency because he was born in Austria. The same rules do not apply in Taiwan, but nationalism and patriotism do stir the hearts of the Taiwanese and having a Chinese born president leading Taiwan is like having a British born president leading America. National pride and the Taiwanese identity slightly undermine President Ma’s presidency. Refuting the Other Side Arguing for the â€Å"better† party is difficult in any situation. While Taiwan’s government is not as fluctuating as the American government is, change is still necessary. In America, the Democrats and Republicans shift positions in the power struggle almost every time a vote occurs. The people vote for the other side when the current power holders dissatisfy the public. In Taiwan, the KMT held power for 40 years before the MJT came along and usurped them. The MJT reigned for 8 years before the public became dissatisfied with them. Just a few years ago, President Chen was, for want of a better term, impeached. Opponents who support the KMT would use this point as a reason why the MJT should not gain power again, but their reasoning can be countered. President Chen’s presidency was marked by great success followed by a remarkably shaming fall from grace. President Chen Shui-Bian was impeached and resigned from office in August of 2008 on accounts of embezzlement (Wines). His wife had apparently wired 21 million dollars of campaign funds to accounts in Singapore (Wines). President Chen made some brainless choices, but his success before his fall portrays the otential a MJT president has. President Chen was the first non-KMT president to rule Taiwan and in his 8 year presidency, he led the MJT in the fight for independence (Wines). Condemning the MJT off former President Chen’s corruption is illogical. In making that argument, one could say the whole human race is evil by the actions of one person. The MJT is currently the opposition party, and as the President Ma stumbles throu gh his presidency, a need for change arises. Having the MJT rise to power once again would bring about the necessary changes needed in Taiwan. Even though some people would see the counterargument for Chen’s corruption, others would go further and say that the KMT is the more experienced party and is better fit to lead. The KMT has ruled Taiwan for over 40 years, starting from their retreat to Taiwan after losing the Chinese civil war, to the present day (Knowledge Rush). Having led for such an extensive period, one could say that their experience makes them the better leaders for Taiwan. While the KMT may be more experienced, it has also been shown many times through history that change and variation can be beneficial to a country. An example of â€Å"out with the old, in with the new† is the American government. The Revolutionary war was the turning point at which a new country came into existence. Since then, America has thrived and become a world power. As geneticists have noted, it is variation and change that allow humans to be so successful evolutionarily speaking; the same applies to governments, variation is the key to success. Experience is excellent, but so is change. Experience cannot be a sufficient basis to support the KMT’s continued ruling. Summation The KMT has been in control of Taiwan for over 40 years, broken only by the MJT for an 8 year period. Even though the MJT lost power in disgrace, their contribution to the overall dream of Taiwanese independence cannot be overlooked. Now, while President Ma leads Taiwan, the KMT is acting under the pressure of Chinese approval. Most, if not all, of what the KMT does is aimed to appease China. The Taiwanese people want independence, not unification, not reunification, not annexation. President Ma is currently going through politically vulnerability. His inaction and action has endangered his country and his political stance is in itself a fallacy. Now is the time for the MJT to usurp the KMT and President Ma. Change is needed. Just as America underwent a massive change with Barack Obama as the first African American President, Taiwan needs to undergo some massive change and reinstitute the MJT, the Independence Fighters. Leaning toward China will not get Taiwan the independence it craves. A new party and a new power are what the Taiwanese need to attain their dream of independence. Now is the time to strike. Now is the time to grasp the office, the power, the right to lead Taiwan to a better future.