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MoneyMorning.com/China_Economy Love with chinese women Girls and women from China searching for love www.chinesekisses.com Taipei Times - archives Wed, Apr 22, 2009 News Editorials 646659054 visits Front Page * Father may face murder charge * MAC poll results unreliable: DPP * Giant bicycles, CAL may team up for flight mileage plan * Nearly 50,000 civilians flee Sri Lanka war zone * Talks between two Koreas fizzle over venue dispute Taiwan News * Promotions under Ma all clean: MND * Legislators free budget for PTS * Minister says PRC tourists must seek permit in China * MOFA behind delay in Ma signing UN covenants: official * Ma to head delegation to summit with Pacific allies * Legislators mixed on pension fund * Mayor Chen optimistic merger will be approved * Chan dropped from Deaflympics * Maokong pillars pose a safety threat: councilor * Tainan City tops competition for eco-friendly ideas * Council approves program to invest US$17.7m to raise English proficiency * CLA offers free therapy to unemployed * EPA unit delays expansion plan * FEATURE: ‘One-handed knife king’ shares recipe for life * Traditional Taroko knives become hit with tourists * Two sailors barred from leaving country as probe continues * Taiwan News Quick Take World News * Thailand extends state of emergency * PLA close to getting aircraft carrier * Immigrants smash detention center * Senior opposition member to back Karzai in election * Three sentenced over arson during 2008 Tibet riots * Fiji needs good lawyers to restore rule of law: official * UN tries to contain fallout at anti-racism conference * MI5 agent gave 'incorrect' evidence in detainee trial * Invasive species ravaging Europe, scientists warn * South African 'rainbow nation' remains divided along color lines after 15 years * World famous physicist Stephen Hawking 'very ill' * Obama to meet Jordanian king * Supreme Court hears school case * 'New York Times' wins five Pulitzer journalism prizes * Two animal rights activists charged with stalking in US * Twenty-one polo horses collapse at international match * World News Quick Take Editorials * EDITORIAL: PRC visitors have a right to know * Who will watch the watchers? * Two treaties with real impact for Taiwanese * Republicans through the looking glass * [LETTERS] Sports * Allen leads Boston Celtics to victory * O’Connell to lead Lions on tour of S Africa * In Pakistan, sports isolation proving to be a hard sell * Pittsburgh bring Florida’s winning streak to abrupt end * Lu makes early exit from Barcelona Open * STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS : Canadiens facing elimination * FEATURE : Sporting superstars not immune to depression * ‘Golden oldies’ sparkle for Chennai * Tennis great Seles tells of weight struggles in book * Ethiopia's Merga, Kenya's Kosgei earn Boston wins * Cavaliers' Mike Brown honored as NBA coach of year * Sports Briefs Business * Unemployment rate nears 6% * Want Want stock to trade in Taiwan from next Tuesday * Tatung InfoComm set for WiMAX * Elpida to raise memory prices by up to 50 percent * Allianz to double local sales agents to more than 3,000 * GPS competition begins regional tour in Taiwan * CAA amends aviation pact with Italy * CPC's Kaohsiung naptha cracker set to reopen mid-May * HSBC lays off 100 private bankers in HK as demand falls * [BUSINESS BRIEFS] World Business * Auto industry could receive US$5.5bn * IBM first-quarter profit outperforms forecast * Tesco shows strong start in new fiscal year * LG beats analyst estimates * Fed official says economic recovery may be on the way * Japan Airlines considers government loan option * World Business Quick Take Features * Short cuts * Sometimes art is just art * [CD REVIEWS: TAIWAN] * [ART JOURNAL] Nostalgia for lost times * Zin and the art of media manipulation Bilingual Pages * The Adventures of Kathleen the Great and Mark the Meek 英勇凱薩琳 與害羞馬克歷險記 * SURVIVAL CHINESE   Photo News   More Editorials   Johnny Neihu     Community Compass   Back Issue    << >>    Full List TaipeiTimes    Subscribe    Advertise    Employment   FAQ    About Us    Contact Us    Copyright Search Most Read Story Most Viewed Photo Enter your search terms Submit search form Taipei Times  Print  Mail  wiki links [LETTERS] Wednesday, Apr 22, 2009, Page 8 Chan’s White Man’s Burden At the end of the Taipei Times’ April 21 editorial, “Jackie Chan [成龍] — Friend of Repression,” it states: “The Taipei City Government should do the right thing and replace Chan as its spokesman for this summer’s Deaflympics.” Despite the fact that I usually agree wholeheartedly with the Taipei Times’ editorial stance, I must, in this instance, with all respect, beg to differ for three reasons: First, Chan’s views in regard to Hong Kong have been well known for a long time. The Taipei City Government was certainly aware of Chan’s attitude and “world view” before the members invited him to serve as spokesman. Better that they never asked him at all than to retract their invitation. Second, Chan certainly has his right to freedom of speech. As hopelessly ignorant, naive and truly pathetic as they were, Chan’s comments fell within the acceptable parameters of free speech. In my opinion, none of his statements were so egregiously hateful, or hate-provoking, that they should be squelched or censored. By the way, I find it ironic that his comments — while receiving considerable notice and commentary in Hong Kong and Taiwan — were ignored in China. Third, I basically view Chan as a woefully pathetic loser whose “star is descending.” He is desperately clinging to his vanishing career. Hence his groveling and kowtowing. Most pathetic of all is that he has psychologically internalized imperialist oppression and colonialist ideology. Chan has psychologically internalized, and made his own, the ideas expressed in Rudyard Kipling’s poem The White Man’s Burden. According to the colonial world view, the non-European peoples of Africa, Asia and the Americas were viewed as helplessly childlike. They were seen as utterly incapable of governing themselves or managing their own affairs. Thus, they were in dire need of a strong, authoritarian “father figure.” White European people viewed themselves as carrying the heavy “burden” of ruling over and encouraging the cultural development of people from other ethnic and cultural backgrounds until such time as these people were able to assume their rightful place in the world by thoroughly adopting Western ways. Rather than being barred from entering Taiwan, Chan should be encouraged to come and see for himself. Hopefully, he will benefit from the education that he will receive. Hopefully, he will learn through dialogue. At the very least, if allowed to enter Taiwan, Chan will be obliged to explain himself and provide support and proof for his ideas. MICHAEL SCANLON East Hartford, Connecticut No peace without Taiwanese Fidel Ramos’ key message in his article “Constructing Asia’s missing links” (April 16, page 8) was that peace between Taiwan and China will be established when Taiwan is annexed by China, and when the US stops its arms sales to Taiwan. This is a political position that ignores the Taiwanese who do not want to be part of China, and it ignores the fact that China has about 1,500 missiles aimed at the island and an “Anti-Secession” Law legitimizing a military attack on Taiwan. Most politicians in Taiwan, regardless of party ideology, agree that deeper economic agreements and an open dialogue with China form part of the way to peace and mutual understanding. This is precisely why Taiwan and China experienced the largest economic integration during Taiwan’s eight years under the Democratic Progressive Party, with independence as its ultimate objective. A pro-China supporter like Ramos should take note of this. Taiwan’s current Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) government is trying to reach a kind of free trade agreement with China. In this context, however, Taiwan is experiencing a heated debate, as China has set the acceptance of a “one China” policy as a condition for an agreement and thus Taiwan would formally become part of China. This is pursued despite 80 percent of Taiwanese being opposed to an agreement with a “one China” condition. Thus, Ramos is speaking against a vast majority of Taiwanese. US arms sales to Taiwan are, according to Ramos, “a major obstacle to easing tensions.” Arms races are rarely a success, but if China maintains its “Anti-Secession” Law providing for an attack on Taiwan if it will not become part of China, and continues to set up missiles during the current negotiations, Taiwan has the right to buy defensive weapons. It does not promote understanding of a complex conflict to make a one-sided and distorted analysis of reality while ignoring Taiwan’s democratic population of 23 million people. MICHAEL DANIELSEN, CHAIRMAN, TAIWAN CORNER Copenhagen, Denmark This story has been viewed 1120 times. Advertising Copyright © 1999-2010 The Taipei Times. All rights reserved.