Long Yingtai on Taiwan Democracy
In a 1997 article, Taiwanese writer Long Yingtai (龙应台) vividly described Taiwan's democracy in the following way:
"比较起来, 80年代的 "奋斗" 虽然冒着坐牢的危险, 人们的心情是自信而轻松的. 极权体制是那么大一个目标, 打垮它只需要些英雄气概. 90年代看起来平庸而安静, 可人心惶惶不安, 首先就闹不清敌人是谁.
"在80年代, 贪污腐败, 火烧水灾死人, 都可以怪国民党; 在90年代, 官商勾结, 黑道横行, 火烧水灾照样死人, 却不知要怪谁?
政府有小市民自己投票组成; 如果还有什么要被打倒, 那最该被打倒的, 竟是小市民自己的种种弱点. 当政治责任由独裁政体转到个人肩上时, 个人顿时发现了自己体质的虚弱."
"In comparison, even though the "struggles" in the 80s were dangerous as there was the risk of being jailed, people felt confident and relaxed. The authoritarian system was such a big target, and toppling it only required some heroic courage. The 90s seemed ordinary and quiet, yet people felt anxious and uncertain. The first is that they do not know who their enemies are.
"In the 80s, corruption, fires, floods and death can all be blamed on the Kuomintang. In the 90s, there were cronyism between the government and business, the rampage of mafia and gangs, and fires and floods continued to kill people, but we are not sure who is to blame.
"The government is formed through the votes of the ordinary citizens. If there is anything left to topple, it turned out to be the toppling of oneself and the various weaknesses of the ordinary citizens. When political responsibility had passed on from an autocratic regime to the shoulders of the ordinary citizens, everyone suddenly discovered how frail their bodies actually are."
"比较起来, 80年代的 "奋斗" 虽然冒着坐牢的危险, 人们的心情是自信而轻松的. 极权体制是那么大一个目标, 打垮它只需要些英雄气概. 90年代看起来平庸而安静, 可人心惶惶不安, 首先就闹不清敌人是谁.
"在80年代, 贪污腐败, 火烧水灾死人, 都可以怪国民党; 在90年代, 官商勾结, 黑道横行, 火烧水灾照样死人, 却不知要怪谁?
政府有小市民自己投票组成; 如果还有什么要被打倒, 那最该被打倒的, 竟是小市民自己的种种弱点. 当政治责任由独裁政体转到个人肩上时, 个人顿时发现了自己体质的虚弱."
"In comparison, even though the "struggles" in the 80s were dangerous as there was the risk of being jailed, people felt confident and relaxed. The authoritarian system was such a big target, and toppling it only required some heroic courage. The 90s seemed ordinary and quiet, yet people felt anxious and uncertain. The first is that they do not know who their enemies are.
"In the 80s, corruption, fires, floods and death can all be blamed on the Kuomintang. In the 90s, there were cronyism between the government and business, the rampage of mafia and gangs, and fires and floods continued to kill people, but we are not sure who is to blame.
"The government is formed through the votes of the ordinary citizens. If there is anything left to topple, it turned out to be the toppling of oneself and the various weaknesses of the ordinary citizens. When political responsibility had passed on from an autocratic regime to the shoulders of the ordinary citizens, everyone suddenly discovered how frail their bodies actually are."
posted by Maria Siow @ 2:22 PM
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