Is the Statement “People No Longer Owe the DPP Anything" Considered a Confession?

   Is the Statement “People No Longer Owe the DPP Anything" Considered a Confession?

United Daily News Editorial (Taipei, Taiwan)

December 6, 2018

 Translation of an Excerpt

After Tsai Ing-wen resigned as party chairwoman, the approach of the DPP’s internal narratives has immediately undergone enormous change. Acting DPP Chairman Lin Yu-chang in an interview said, “The DPP has been in power twice; from now on, we should no longer refer to our contributions to Taiwan’s democracy in the past. People no longer owe the DPP anything." At the same time, President Tsai Ing-wen, when having tea with Green legislators, was still "recollecting the good old days," proclaiming that she would bring back the old partners and old allies before the DPP came to power. How far the gap between the two Green Camp generations is!

Perhaps people in Taiwan do not realize how long they have been blackmailed by the DPP’s "nativism" and the so-called "democratic contributions." Yesteryear, when Chen Shui-bian sank into loss of morality, maladministration, as well as graft and corruption, the people rose up to lay siege to the Presidential Palace in fury, leading to the disastrous defeat of the DPP like a beaten dog, what did it do in the way of soul-searching? However, one turn-over of ruling parties was not enough; the people of Taiwan repaid their debt to the DPP once again. Nevertheless, the DPP’s totems are still worshipped in the pantheon of Taiwan’s democracy; Tsai Ing-wen continues to use her young literati-style to push for so-called reforms. “Saint” Lin Yi-hsiung, from time to time, appeared in apparitions, reminding people to strictly follow his "commandments." At the same time, the KMT is being shackled in bondage before the gates of the Ill-gotten Party Assets Commission and the Transformational Justice Commission, subjecting it to interrogation by the DPP at will.

The reason for the DPP’s stunning defeat in the November elections, in fact, was that the people have seen through its old tricks of blackmail. The people didn’t want to once again prostate themselves before the DPP's phalanx of the "nativism card," "victimization complex card," "provincial origin card," "sovereignty card," "anti-nuclear power card" and "saint card" to worship democracy in name with no substance. From the perspective of democracy, when Lin Yu-chang said, "The people no longer owe the DPP anything," it more or less carried an iota of confession, while having the significance of “expelling” the specter on the political level, because he understands that this party was not that great and was not qualified to permanently remain in the pantheon. From the perspective of the DPP, this statement, however, was a blow of loud admonition with a club hanging in the air. So many second- and third-generation political figures have stood there, enjoying the legacies of their antecessors; it is high time that they created values for this generation!

Lin Yu-chang has been acting chairman for just a few days; he debunked the long-term myth of the DPP. Three hoorays for him!

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