A foreigner's view on Taiwanese democracy, and what it's, extremely, important, that we all, vote, not just to get the people's voices, heard, but also, to OVERTHROW the dictatorship of Tsai and the corrupt, DDP too! Translated…
As my foreign friends came to Taiwan, I'd always had to, wreck my brains, to come up with places to take them to visit, what to treat them out to, what sights to, see, so they get a totally, different, experience than the, ordinary, tourists who'd, come to Taiwan to visit.
In not knowing enough about the visitors, the safe place was the Dadaocheng and the C.K.S. Memorial Hall, there's the ancient architecture that were left over from the start of the country's history at Dadaocheng, and what my friends who'd visited take away were the history, the foods, the souvenirs, and, usually, this place gives my foreign friends a taste of, Taiwan. The C.K.S. Memorial Hall had the rare guards changing their shifts, the flag ceremonies, and they get to look at the architecture of the national concert hall, to get into the festivities that came on the weekends in the square. These two sights, mostly, it'd, satisfied the touring needs of the people from the various countries, and the different, age groups.
Once, I'd taken in a big boy in his twenties, at the time, the first floor of the C.K.S. Memorial Hall was exhibiting the life and times of the president, Chiang Kai-Shek, with the car he rode in, his clothes, the documents he'd signed. I'd originally thought, that this was, going to be, a very, serious exhibition, that the younger generations wouldn't be, at all, interested, but, he'd looked at the items on display very thoroughly on both sides, and as he'd come back out, he'd said, thoughtfully, "it's interesting how these two exhibitions are, on display, together.", this was not what I'd, expected, he'd told me, "I'd never known, that Taiwan had gone through a time like this."
On another sunny afternoon, I took a friend from Japan to Dadaocheng. He is an entrepreneur, at a very young age, he'd, lectured in the famed universities of the U.S. as a touring professor. As we were drinking tea in that ancient feeling restaurant, he'd told me that he was a poly-sci major in his university years. "What, what made you majored in poli-sci?", I'd asked him, who would want to, understand, what politics, is. "I want to end the wars. You, why did you major in sociology?", he'd countered me with this inquiry. I'd hesitated for about a second, then, responded, "to stop the, wars."
Before this, we'd only met up once, due to work; but at that very, moment in time, it seemed, that there's, that invisible, partnership formed between us, that's, so clear like my, left, foot and right foot, but it is there, without, much, awareness.
We started discussing the war in the Gaza Strips, and I'd complained to him, that no matter how we do it, is wrong, I am employed in a not-for-profit organization, and yet, I can't even, chip in on the, humanitarian rescue, efforts, that I'd hated how it's the politics that, dictated how this world will, turn.
A couple of days later, he'd sent me a link to a video, there were the interviews of the former Palestinian head of the Justice Department, the key negotiator of the peace pact from thirty years ago, they'd discussed in depth, what's happening, thirty years since, in the current, how they were to, resolve the matters of war right now. The interviewer got into the details of how the humanitarian rescue efforts worked, and how other countries can, help.
As I thought, that these question are, precise to the point, that they were, what I would've, asked, I'd, focused my eyes, and, realized, that the interviewer was, this friend of mine! Don't know how much he took, to find the former head of justice of Palestine, to get an interview with him, between the bombings. The video caught the world's attention, and it'd, started causing a rippling effect in the younger generations in Japan, who aren't, that interested in politics. "You not liking politics, and you don't touch it, that's, right of you". He'd told me, "there are things, that you can, do".
To tell the truth, I have, NO idea what I, can do. "Speak for yourself, go vote, to make other countries hear Taiwan's, voice." He'd smiled and told me. That's what Taylor Swift said too, go vote! "They won't change, that's why we have to, do it, ourselves,", in her, "Only the Young", she'd encouraged the millennials who feel, helpless over the, politics.
let's take this "country" (are we still one???) of ours toward, a brand new, direction! Photo from online
The airfares of coming home, fighting for the tickets, the long trip home, it all takes a ton of energy, and thought, and, everything that's calculated down to the miniscule, is, really, thrilling. But if we don't do it now, then, we can't even shout, "it's not like I'd, voted for the person, I'd, voted for the other, candidate.", because we never, participated. I loved how that smile came over my foreign friend's face as he'd talked about, Taiwan, I hope, that the foreign visitors to this land, can see, how much the people in this country, are putting in, their shares to make this, country better. Next time they come here, I want to be proud, and declare, "When you weren't here, we'd done what we're, all, supposed to." I want to use what I got, to make my own, decisions, to paint out my own, expectations for the, future. I will, vote, won't you, come with, me to vote, too?
Yeah, uh, this, is trying to, get the younger generations (like me too!), who totally HATED politics, and feel helpless toward where this "country" (are we still that???) is headed. Because every time we vote, whether it is on the issues, of for the legislative candidates (even the president), it all feels, like the purpose of voting, is our way, of silently, objecting to the DICTATORSHIP of the DDP that's controlled, ALL the branches of, government, and, so, what difference would that, make? I mean, it's not like they can't, falsely report the number of votes that they'd earned, to keep themselves, in office, I mean, this is a party, that will do whatever it can, to keep itself, in that, position of, power, at ALL, costs!
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