Englam’s Weblog

Today is the last day of my trip this time visiting my son in Nashua, New Hampshier. My driver’s license from New Jersy where I lived before going back to Taiwan has expired, and so I wanted to have a New Hampshier licence to replace the expired NJ USA licence. I learned that I need to establish my residency first and then take a driving test due to my age. I did not get to have my residency established as such, but was able to change Social Security address to Nashua.

While going shopping with my son, I noticed on New Hampshier plates there is a phrase, Live free, or die. It is the state motto from the revolution time, I was told. The motto triggers a deep cord in my heart as a person whose root is Taiwan. For more than FOUR HUNDRED YEARS Taiwan has been a colony of succesive foreign powers even untill today. Taiwan is still under the de facto occupation by the Republic Of China, even though the Nationalist party of the Republic Of china lost presidential elections in years 2000 and 2004. The elected President, Chen Shui-Bien had to swear in as the President of the republic of China, and not as a President of Taiwan. In fact, after the ROC lost its seat in the UN and was replaced by PRC in 1979, the ROC became a dead body, it even gripped Taiwan tighter and harder untill 2000 AD.

The problem with Taiwan is that it does not enjoy diplomatic recognition by major contries. In the words of the former US Secretary of State, Mr. Collin Powell, “Taiwan does not enjoy soverignty, and we do not support Taiwan independence”. But a ore grave problem comes from the remnants of the ROC, namely the KMT and its off-shoots, in Taiwan. They have majority in the House (Legislative Yuen). Their ultimate aim is “re-unification with China” and for that reason they have blocked 64 times military procurement bills which were presented to the US before the year 2000 and were OKed by the present Bush Government. They just want to make a mess for Taiwan by attempting to recall a duely elected President while knowing it will fail, and they do not like a strong Taiwan that can defend herself against China which has over 700 ballistic missiles lined up on the opposite side of Taiwan Strait and threat to take Taiwan by force.

But, there is an increasing number of people in Taiwan who are looking forward to a day when Taiwan will truly achieve her nationhood as an independant and normal country. “It is better be the pecker of a rooster than be a bull’s tail”, as a saying goes. The motto, “Live Free, Or Die”, certainly rings a deep sympathy in my heart.

This entry was posted on Thursday, November 9th, 2006 at 1:19 am and is filed under General. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.