‘Look at Hong Kong and think of Taiwan,’ Tsai Ing-wen said. ‘We don’t want Hong Kong-style peace. We want dignified peace.’
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The fundamental problem in Taiwanese democracy is if the opposition wins one election, they merge with the mainland - it means the ruling party can do whatever they want and still get votes.
Obviously the main issue in Taiwan is China relations.
Usually minor issues can find representation via multiple parties in Europe. Two parties in the same “Chinese independence” coalition could differ from each other on more minor issues.
From what I can understand from skimming Wikipedia, I guess NPP fulfills this role a bit, but it’s tough when a majority of the seats in the legislature are decided by FPTP.
Taiwan probably needs an electoral reform towards a more PR-based system like those found in Sweden and Germany.
Or maybe Taiwan needs a better opposition.
Better opposition would split the vote and give the pro-mainland party a win
If a major part of an electorate want something in a democracy, they can vote for what they want. If you don’t let it happen, it isn’t a democracy.
I doubt the US would allow a merger. TSMC is too important to fall into CCP’s hands. Not to mention the amount of US ordnances that stored in Taiwan.
Shockingly, the US would not be given a say and would be left to react. Which means the entire thing becomes a blood bath if the US doesn’t prevent it prior.
Are we going to sit here pretending that the US doesn’t interfere in their elections orrrrr?
And yet another unsubstantiated claim, hmmmm.
It’s absolutely unsubstantiated. I’m just aware that the US does that quite a lot, especially to proxies such as Taiwan. They’re a strategic trading partner. So I’d be surprised if the US wasn’t involved in getting that party elected somehow.
Doubles down upon unsubstantiated claim when called out.
Such an easy script to follow.Zero reason to be toxic about the comment I made.
Edit: Your post history is the toxic waste suspected, it’s clear a bunch of people think you’re unreasonable.
The US wields immense geopolitical power; of course they get a say. That’s not to say that it could prevent an annexation if the CCP wanted it badly enough, but Washington has no shortage of levers to pull to make it as unattractive an option as possible.
Doing things like including Taiwan in Chinese import is a far cry from holding a gun to Taiwan’s head to keep separate from China. There isn’t a mechanism that the USA could use to keep China out if the Taiwanese government invited China in.
Sorry, I wasn’t looking at the original context of the comment chain - you’re right that the picture changes a great deal if Taiwan is complicit.
KMT presidential candidate Hou Yu-ih said on Saturday that a vote for the DPP was equivalent to “sending everyone out to the battlefield” because supporting Taiwan independence would touch off a war.
What’s happening in Taiwan? Why did a presidential candidate said something like this? In another country, a presidential candidate telling people to not supporting their own country’s sovereignty would be a political suicide.
Because things aren’t black and white and reality is all sorts of shades of gray. Most Taiwanese don’t care one way or the other, they just want to live in peace. You constantly see this in the polls and the votes. If the Taiwanese people’s priority was independence, then the vote wouldn’t be so split. This is the reason the DPP hasn’t declared independence, it’s simply not what most Taiwanese people want.
Surprisingly, most Taiwanese are interested in their own well being. This is why the KMT won so many seats last election. This is why Tsai is stepping down. When they threaten Taiwanese people’s well being, shockingly the Taiwanese vote against them. Again, they neither want independence nor submission to China.
Thus, we see the votes EXACTLY AS WE WOULD EXPECT CONSIDERING THE SITUATION. They keep splitting the parties so neither side can make a declaration one way or the other.
As an outside observer, I ask one simple question. Why is it so hard for you to realize that what I said is the truth and not what western media parrots. Why do you believe the black and white issues that your propaganda keeps claiming even in the face of irrefutable evidence.
As an outside observer, I ask one simple question. Why is it so hard for you to realize that what I said is the truth and not what western media parrots. Why do you believe the black and white issues that your propaganda keeps claiming even in the face of irrefutable evidence.
Hmm, did you reply to the wrong comment? Anyway, I’m not aware of current political situation in Taiwan and was really surprised by that presidential candidate’s statement. Are you telling me that this is considered a normal statement for political opposition on Taiwan?
Yes, it is. It’s been like this for decades now. So the fact that it’s surprising and used in a way to shock western audiences tells you a lot does it not?
*Edit: Mind you, I’m not for Taiwan being absorbed into China nor am I strong on Taiwan’s independence. I just want to point out the way western propaganda works to manipulate people.
*Edit 2: Essentially, if the KMT has been talking like that for decades and the Taiwanese still vote for them in large enough numbers to win them most of the seats last election, what does that tell you about the Taiwanese people’s desire for independence? How does the media report on that? Why are these two pieces of information so conflicting.
Believe it or not, a lot of younger Taiwanese people want to rejoin the mainland. Not exactly a majority yet, but it’s getting pretty close.
What is your source for this ? Recent polls show reunification support is still <2%, with about 6% open to reunification eventually but not now.
In 2018, before the crackdown in HK, the reunification support was 3%, with 13% open to it eventually - the events in HK have definitely significantly eroded support for reunification in Taiwan.
I have family in Taiwan and literally don’t know a single Taiwanese person that wants reunification with the PRC.
Source?
Foreign influence operations exist because they work.
That’s a dogwater (approaching racist) argument and you know it.
I’m not parent poster, but I didn’t read that at all. International propaganda works, and has the potential to destroy democracy in America (and lots of other countries, too.)
What am I missing?
They’re implying that the people who live there can’t make a decision for themselves, in other words a white guy overseas with zero stake in the matters thinks they know more about the reality than the people who actually live there, which is a very disrespectful prospective.
The racism comes from the long history of white people doing this to peoples who choose for themselves in ways that they don’t agree with. It’s never that they chose for themselves but always that someone else (usually malicious) came in and made the decision for them.
Wouldnt the foreign influencer in the context of this comment tree be china though?
Yeah but there’s no doubt in my mind they were running the “vassal state chooses to align with enemy state” script.
That’s the reason US spends billions on shit like NED, USAID, and other programs to interfere in countries around the world.
Taiwan knows they will lose
There are people who would rather just join CCP so they don’t die
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“Oh, bother.”, Xi
Aah yes Taiwan and West Taiwan
Yo we’re still alive
“Look at Ukraine when you vote, do you want to end like them ?”
Shocking that people would prefer to end up like Hong Kong rather than ending up like Ukraine. Absolutely incomprehensible to the liberal mind.
Hong Kong is fine 🙄
But have you considered that Hong Kong is now administered by yellow savages as opposed to being a proper and civilized British colony.
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petition to rename you guys sh.itholefor.nazis
That booch shit is gross dude 😒
It’s a damn shame that so many right-wingers have flooded Lenny over the last year.
Nah it’s just a few shit instances that are the problem. Lemmy World and Feddit De immediately come to mind as other shit instances that never have anything to say. Last update added instance blocking for posts but IMO there needs to be a blocklist for commenters too.
Typical leftists, editing the “my” out of Lemmy.
It tastes good, just don’t smell it.
It’s not that bad
Yeah, think of Hong Kong, horrible things like reducing wait times for public housing could happen in Taiwan too https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-12-02/hong-kong-cuts-public-housing-waiting-time-to-boost-birth-rates
