Sun Yat-sen is not the Father of the Nation; according new textbooks in Taiwan Province

History textbook changes draw criticisms

2007/1/30
The China Post staff

A newly revised history textbook for high-school students has drawn criticisms from opposition parties, reflecting the perennial political debate on how to view Taiwan’s identity and teach the island’s history.

The title of the national history textbook for second-grade high-school students to be used in the new semester after the winter vacation has been changed to “China History” from the traditional “National History.”

In this new textbook, terms like “our country,” “this country” and “the mainland” have all been changed to “China” to indicate Taiwan is separate from and not part of China.

Founding Father Sun Yat-sen of the Republic of China also loses the venerable title as the founder of the nation.

The 1911 Wuhan Uprising that toppled the imperial Ching (Manchu) Dynasty will now be called a “chishi” (disturbance or riot) instead of “chiyi” (righteous uprising) as it was referred to in history textbooks used in the past 60 years here.

All these and other changes were made in accordance with the guidelines of a reviewing board whose members were appointed by Education Minister Tu Cheng-sheng.

They said if Tu does not want to call Sun the nation’s founding father, he should formally declare independence-leaning former President Lee Teng-hui or incumbent President Chen Shui-bian the “founder of Taiwan” — if he really has the guts to do so.

They also lambasted the attempt to twist historical facts by branding the Japanese occupation and colonization of Taiwan during the five decades ended in 1945 as “the Japanese administration period.”

Analysts said the new history book represents another “desinization” measures taken by President Chen to remove the word “China” from the names of public places and enterprises.This will only create more confusion for the future generations of people living in Taiwan.

Taiwan citizens and political groups remain divided on the island’s identity and status, with some advocating for an independent nation from China and others pushing for its reunification with China once it embraces democracy, although most people want to maintain the status quo for now.

The textbook changes could spark another strong reaction from Beijing, which has viewed self-ruled Taiwan as sovereign territory since the end of the Chinese civil war in mainland China in 1949 and has vowed to bring the island back under mainland rule, by force if necessary.

Many in Taiwan feared that the history textbook could come under another revision in case the DPP becomes the opposition party, creating more confusion for students.

First, Chen Shuibian is caught stealing taxpayer money for personal gain, next they fight like schoolgirls in the Legislature, and now they promote revisionist history for public consumption.  This is just as bad as those “Corean” nationalists hawking textbooks that claimed they were cultural relatives to Turks and Indian, that ancient Korea ruled everything from the Korean peninsula all the way up to Northern China, and even had the nerve to claim they invented Chinese characters.

Now this has gone  too far in Taiwan Province with their crazy idea that Sun Yat-Sun is not the father of the Republic of China, that the 1911 revolution was a Chinese riot and Japanese colonial rule is now known as a benevolent “administration”.  It is one thing to draw on personal conviction to identity as a separate ethnic group and nationality, but it is completely immoral to push the Taidu agenda on young, naive and impressionable children in this country.  The DPP have also set a dangerous precendent of revising textbooks and history based on party ideology.  Although many uniformed liberals, and overseas Taiwanese claim that Taiwan is hitting great strides in freedom, their province is still deeply flawed and their newly found freedoms can be easily corrupted as seen by Chen Shuibian misappropriation of state funds.

First Chen Shuibian abolishes the Unification Council, which was there to promote ties between China and Taiwan Province.  Then, he perverts October 10 (Double Ten Day) by transforming it from a celebration of the founding of a Chinese Republic to a Taiwan Pride day, alienating large sections of the population and signalling the demise of the Republic of China.  Now, there is a drastic overhaul of textbooks that claim China has always been a foreign country whose internal turmoils shaped the history of a foreign country called Taiwan.  On the other hand, this book suggests that Japan is the benevolent coloniser that helped Taiwan evolve into a democratic and progressive “country”, which is not the full story.  The worst part about the textbook revision is that it will be adopted by a majority of Taiwanese public schools, unlike those revised textbooks that were approved in Japan.

Well, it’s been nice knowing the Republic of China, a historical state that is now at the mercy of the pan-Green extremists…All that is needed is a new Constitution and it’s all over for Taiwan Province and the Republic of China.

Prison Break Season 2, Episode 15

So, Kellerman may be using the brothers to find Sara, Haywire is still building his raft to Holland, while Sucre is in Mexico looking for Maricruz. It turns out that Bellwick did get his ass kicked by the inmates and we find him recovering in the prison infirmary from the following night.

Michael, Lincoln and Kellerman manage to get out of the motel by first having Kellerman pose as an FBI agent taking custody of the two. Then once they got near a getaway car, they took the cameraman from the local station hostage and drove off. They made the cameraman film footage of them proclaiming their innocence and exposing the truth about the Company and the conspiracy, which was later aired on Fox News. The video also suggested that they were going to meet up with the President in Denver, where she is making an appearance. Additionally, they talked about how Agent Mahone was responsible for the deaths of Tweener, Abruzzi and Oscar Shales.

Mahone is later placed under the watch of Internal Affairs over the allegations in the video. Steadman’s death was covered up by claiming the trio had just killed a random janitor.

However, we later learn from Mahone’s analysis that the video was just a ruse to divert attention with random body language, and coded messages to throw them off while the only real message was to get Sara to meet them in Akron, Ohio. Sara later gives a call to Michael telling him she couldn’t make it and confirms that people are looking for her over a key. During this part of the storyline, Lincoln becomes suspicious about Kellerman wondering if he is using them to get to Sara. This storyline ends with Kellerman getting a call from the President tempting him to sell Michael and Lincoln out.

Sucre is in Mexico taking a bus to Ixtapa to meet his girl. He strikes up a conversation with an old man in the bus and is thrown out when he can’t pay for the rest of the trip. Sympathising with Sucre’s plight, the man offers him a place to stay for the night and enjoys a nice dinner conversation with him. In return for his kindness, Sucre carjacks his Volkswagen Beetle and drives off before getting caught by the police. However, the man covers for him by giving him gas money and telling him to go find his girl and for redemption.

We learn that Haywire may be crazy as a result of growing up with an alcoholic father. The episode starts off with him swimming in a dumpster looking for food and wood until some teenagers ask him to buy them beer. After getting them some beer, he shows them his raft and suddenly becomes edgy when he sees a girl with bruises when he learns they are from his alcoholic father. He offers to help, but she freaks out when he grabs her arm. Haywire later follows the girl home and attacks his alcoholic father just when he was about to hit her.

Other things that happened tonight involved Mahone offering Bellwick a deal out of prison if he helps him hunt down the convicts and Michael learning about Sara’s torture, but not about Kellerman.

The Liberal Democratic Party does not reflect the Japanese people

Taken from http://chineseinvancouver.blogspot.com/2007/01/poll-majority-of-japanese-agree-to.html

Poll: Majority of Japanese agree to reflect on past

China Daily (Tokyo) – While nearly 80% of Japanese say they are patriotic, most of that majority say their country should own up to, and reflect on, its record of aggression in Asia, according to a poll published in a newspaper yesterday.

The Asahi Shimbun said 78% of 1,805 respondents to the December 2-3 poll felt at least some degree of patriotism. The figure was slightly lower than the 80% recorded in a similar poll conducted in April 2005, the daily said.

At the same time, 88% of those claiming to be patriots said Japanese must consider their country’s militaristic past and brutal colonial rule in Asia, the Asahi said.

The results reflect public concerns about Japanese friction with China and South Korea over their shared history, the Asahi said.

Japan’s relations with its Asian neighbors have often been poor because of Tokyo’s lack of contrition for its aggression and harsh colonial rule in the first half of the 20th century.

Repeated visits by former prime minister Junichiro Koizumi to the Yasukuni Shrine that honors war criminals from World War II have further strained those ties.

The Shinzo Abe government has pursued a policy agenda aimed at bolstering Japan’s international military role, building up national pride and distancing the country from its war guilt, leading some critics to question whether Japan’s postwar pacifist stance is under threat.

However, Japan’s relations with China and South Korea have improved after Abe took power in September last year. His first overseas trips as prime minister were to Beijing and Seoul and there have been several initiatives in recent months to thaw ties.

There is indeed a disconnect between the government and the people of Japan. Other than a vocal minority that reflects the government’s sentiments on the Internet, forums, and SNS, it looks like people do have a rough idea of past transgressions and want to bring some reconciliation and closure to those issues. I really want to believe that there is progress and the government ruling Japan only reflects the sentiments of a few elites, right-wingers, and business interests instead of the Japanese people. I really do.

In response to the growing number of documentaries and films about the Nanjing Massacre, a Japanese filmmaker decided to make a film claiming the entire massacre was just Chinese wartime propaganda designed to promote anti-Japanese sentiment. Note that right-wingers and ultra-nationalists in Japan will often dismiss anything that comes critical to Japan or past Japanese history as just anti-Japanese sentiment or even go out of their way to claim victimhood as the first and only country to suffer a nuclear attack.

http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20070125a3.html

About 40 people, including Diet members, university professors and critics, rallied Wednesday behind a Japanese director’s plan to shoot a film putting his spin on the Nanjing Massacre in which he claims the butchery of Chinese by the Japanese Imperial Army is nothing more than political propaganda.

In a news conference held to “strike back against an erroneous understanding of history,” people including Upper House members Hirofumi Ryu and Jin Matsubara gathered to support Satoru Mizushima, director and producer of “Nanking No Shinjitsu” (“The Truth About Nanjing”), which will depict the filmmaker’s account of what took place in 1937.

Though not present at the news conference held at a hotel in Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo, supporters of the film also include Tokyo Gov. Shintaro Ishihara and well-known journalist Yoshiko Sakurai.

“Gov. Ishihara has shown his keen support and I am very thankful,” said Mizushima, 57, who has taken part in the production of more than 300 films and documentaries, including the 1995 war epic “Minami No Shima Ni Yuki Ga Furu.”

He said he feels obliged to counter that film by making his own, which he said will tell the world what really happened.

“The anti-Japan propaganda will spread all over the world and become an established fact. That would not only put shame on the Japanese people but also disgrace those who fought in the war, which is unacceptable,” Mizushima said.

Upper House member Ryu of the Democratic Party of Japan agreed, claiming “many people show no concern regarding the issue, but correct history and the truth must be brought out.”

Right. The people of Japan are just victims of anti-Japanese war propaganda proliferated by the KMT. All photos documenting any killings were simply wartime propaganda with images severely taken out of context since Japanese newspapers had the same images for different reports and Japan was known to never produce any propaganda whatsoever. All testimony from survivors is just scripted to incite anti-Japanese sentiment and there is no evidence backing the victims’ claims. Also, I would like to note that Japan was forced to invade China to stop local Chinese terrorists and racists from bombing valuable railway lines in Chosen colony and to finally bring justice and order to the wild Chinese. Japan was also forced to attack America at Pearl Harbour because they would not export much needed raw materials to help Japan liberate Asians from colonial rule and to stop local terrorism against Japanese businesses. All Japan received in return for their kindnesses were violent atomic attacks from America and generations of shame under falsehoods perpetuated by racist victors…

What I have just written is a rough portrayal of the revisionist ideas that are held by the right-wing in Japan, which appear to be gaining popularity among segments of Japanese society. They appear to gain appeal among conservatives, who question the current nature of their society in light of drastic changes in the past two decades and because they see their country as a continuation of the country formed in the Meiji era. Additionally, another group embracing these ideas are NEETs, individuals who are not in education, employment or training, that are disillusioned with the current changes that deprived them of the benefits enjoyed by previous generations and still adjusting to globalisation. I would like to point out that the NEETs are not necessarily maladjusted individuals who are stereotyped as “Otaku” that regularly spew nonsense on forums such as 2ch, but rather they are the future generations of Japanese who have spent time overseas, eager to question the status quo, and are developing patriotic attitudes in response to their neighbours.

I really want to believe Abe will be smart enough to put Japanese economic interests and North Korea as his first priority. I want to believe that he will not promote further tension by allowing his subordinates to spew nonsense or making visits to the Yasukuni Shrine and the museum. It seems other leaders in China and South Korea have also taken a leap of faith by making moves to embrace Abe and in return Abe is willing to work with them to hammer out these lingering regional issues. The right-wingers have finally regained a position of influence after being on the fringes for so many years during the Cold War and from the LDP power structure. Whatever happens, they must always make sure they actually reflect the true will of their taxpaying citizens.

Fun at Panico’s

Wento Panico’s for dinner with Mike Burger, who just returned from research work in Hungary with Willmon, Salman, Lazlo, and Mike Kazin.  Fortunately, Willmon was able to secure a dining certificate that would reduce our check by $100 if we ordered a minimum of $200 worth of dinner, which we did.  While at Panico’s I learned that Mike had some interesting adventures in Hungary and he was still having trouble with the USD since he spent so long with the Florint.  First, he said he was there during the government riots and some of his friends lived in apartments near the riots, which meant they kept smelling tear gas.  Second, he got lost at the Red Light District one time when he lost the map to the city of Budapest.  He only made it out without getting mugged because he didn’t speak and he was wearing a heavy jacket.   Next, the first thing that happened to him in Hungary was he entered the wrong apartment and got yelled at by some Hungarian woman for 10 minutes.

He finds that there is no anti-American sentiment in Hungary, but he noted that he was being ripped off in Austria when he didn’t pass off as a German.   It was good seeing Mike and the gang back together again after over six months of changes since the last time we celebrated his birthday at Tumulty’s.  I also pre-ordered the Casino Royale BluRay at work today

Where’s my money?

俺は好きしゃぶしゃぶであります

I had to block my niece’s MSN account because it looks like my estranged father is using it to talk to me.  I know for a fact it’s not my niece because

Red Flag 1 – Her English is not that good

Red Flag 2 – She is always online and IMs me at random times near midnight

Red Flag 3 – She talked about Shanghai which I had never discussed with her

Even if that is not the case, I am not taking chance since I know she is staying with one of my idiot uncles that is visited by him.

I just saw 24 tonight, and it looks like a 1 mile’s worth of LA is atomised by random terrorists and Kumar.  It appears that Jack is related to the guy who was pulling Logan’s strings in the last season and he had a child with his brother’s wife.  I also found it strange that Commander Locke from the Matrix is trying to pass himself off as a Black Muslim in this season.  Also Cage from Ally McBeal is in this season as President Palmer’s seedy advisor…

It’s fun watching 24 and Prison Break on 1o80i HD

Prison Break Season 2, Episode 14

Terrence Steadman is dead and Alex Mahone is alive. The new trio of Kellerman, Lincoln, and Michael were able to evade capture and make it outside state lines. Agent Kellerman then informs Michael that he is willing the help them because they have a common enemy and receives a phone call from Kim about Mahone surviving the gunshot. Kellerman seems surprised but informs Kim that he is in the process of destroying Lincoln and Michael’s corpses and will send him a photo when it’s all over.

However as they drive away into the highway, Lincoln suddenly remembers Kellerman trying to kill him back when his father tried to break him out the first time. He then gets Kellerman to pull over into the road and threatens to kill him until Michael talks some sense back to Lincoln. Meanwhile, C-Note is still hiding out in the woods with his daughter and calls his brother-in-law to learn that his wife is in court and plans to pick her up once she gets bailed. Later we learn the judge denied her bail and she is going to be tried to helping C-Note.

Bellick is in Fox River and gets into a fight with an inmate. In response to the fight, one of his former colleagues warns him that the inmate he attacked is well-connected with the guards on the night shift, who happen to resent Bellick for assigning them to the night shift, and plan to attack him at lights out. To make matters worse, Bellick took the top bunk from Avocado, which left him with no one to protect him from his night guards.

T-Bag finally caught up with Susan and only desires to be with her and her kids as a family. Susan tries to get her gun at T-Bag but she is interrupted by her kids who just returned home from school. She later makes another attempt for the gun, but learns T-Bag took it earlier while she was attending to her children. T-Bag later threatens Susan for trying to pull the gun at him and is attacked by her son after he gets worried about the argument. Susan tries to get her kids to escape through the front door, but T-Bag stops them. His subplot ends with him boarding up the front door, and keeping the entire family hostage.

In regards to Agent Mahone, we learn that Kellerman accidentally missed him and he is recovering at a local hospital. Once he regained conciousness, Agent Kim informs Mahone that he failed to kill Scofield, but he tells Kim that Kellerman double-crossed him. Kim then asks Alex to get back to work, but he tells him he quit and is even willing to confess to killing Shales and burying him in the backyard. Later in the episode, we learn the Company ran over his son, fracturing his thigh, as a way to persuade Mahone to get back to the hunt. He complies but not before killing one of Kim’s agents.

Kellerman, Scofield and Lincoln make it into an airport and take a chartered jet to Montana to pay Steadman a visit. After learning of the chartered flight, Kim orders his men to evacuate Steadman from his “prison”, but they are quickly intercepted by the trio who promptly take custody of Terrence. Kim then orders his men to kill them all, but Kellerman takes out both Company agents and drive off.

They hide out in a local motel where Michael learns that Kellerman and the Company have taken all measures into reducing Steadman into a John Doe with no trace of his original identity. He suggests the only way to end all of this is to go directly to Washington DC, meet-up with the anti-Company groups that Michael’s father worked for and expose the conspiracy for what it is. During this time, we learn from Steadman that Kellerman was in love with President Reynolds, and Lincoln was tempted to kill Steadman because he ruined his life and cost the lives of everyone he knew. For some reason, Michael dislikes the plan and calls the local news agency to turn himself in the hope of quickly exposing the truth without walking into what he saw as a “Lion’s Den”.

While waiting for the police and media, Steadman swipes a gun away from Lincoln and threatens to kill himself. Michael tries to talk him out of it, but he still commits suicide but shooting himself in the head. Just then the local police arrive and Kellerman, Lincoln and Michael are left with just a corpse that has no evidence of Steadman or the conspiracy.

Taiwan Province Makes Progress in Legislative Violence

Taiwan parliament ends session as fists, shoes fly

TAIPEI (Reuters) – Dozens of lawmakers kicked, shoved, shouted, threw shoes and pulled each other’s ties in Taiwan’s parliament on Friday, stalling passage of the island’s annual budget and a long-beleaguered military spending bill.

The parliamentary scuffles, by no means Taiwan’s first, began with members of the two dominant political parties carrying signs accusing their rivals of ill intentions.

One legislator threw shoes at the speaker of the house, one was cut in the head, another climbed on a table and others hurled objects as each side tried the other from controlling the podium.

Legislators from Taiwan ruling party DPP and opposition party KMT clash during a congress session in Taipei January 19, 2007. (REUTERS/ Jimmy Chang)
The fighting broke out after the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) opposed a proposal by the main opposition Nationalist Party to adjust the make-up of the Central Election Commission.

The proposal would give the Nationalists an edge on the commission, which organises and ensures elections run smoothly.

In retaliation, the Nationalists decided not to vote for the DPP-backed 2007 budget bill.

At one stage, DPP legislators locked the door of the meeting room to prevent parliament speaker, Wang Jin-pyng, who is also a member of the Nationalist Party, from entering.

The parliament session ended without reviewing the annual government budget for 2007 or a bill that will pave the way for a special purchase of advanced U.S. arms to defend itself against China.

The government planned for an eighth straight year of budget deficit this year, with the poor fiscal health prompting ratings agency Standard & Poor’s to put Taiwan’s sovereign credit rating outlook to negative in 2004.

On the U.S. arms purchase, the Nationalists had blocked the plan repeatedly as they sought to build better relations with Beijing and thwart the ruling DPP.

But the ruling party faces pressure from the United States after the top U.S. diplomat in Taiwan publicly expressed in October disappointment about the arms bill impasse and pressed the parliament to approve a purchase.

Taiwan Province is joke. Their conduct reminds me of bitter schoolchildren in the playground and it is sickening because I have seen governments in war torn countries that behave better then those idiots.  Examples of legislative professionalism in the face of real ethnic strife or historical issues are Bosnia, Indonesia, Rwanda, and even Iraq.

Some would say that they would prefer a fighting, hollering, and brawling legislature over no legislature at all.  However, what is the use of a pugnacious Parliament if it gets nothing gets done, raises a negative profile on the province, and promotes turmoil?  I am sorry, but these regular fights were seen by outisders as pure comedy and it would make perfect sense why file footage from such fights were used in a PlayStation commercial.    With all that is said and done, I am sure this is edutainment because it is both educational and entertaining for many people.

ニューヨーク市はすごいです！

Went out with Willmon, Will, Jehangir, Salman first to check out the Sony Wonder Technology Museum at th Sony Plaza on 56th and Madison Ave.  Interestingly enough, not much has changed since I last visited about 6 to 7 years ago.  The items that remained the same and appear dated are the exhibits on the 4th and 3rd floors which still discussed VCRs, Watchmans, fiber optics, and pre-VAIO computers in an era where iPods, VoIP, DVD, Blu-Ray, and AMDs are the latest in technology although the analogue HDTV programme in the promenade was still interesting even after all these years.

The kiosks dealing with the environment, television, medicine and automation were still interesting.  It appears the major changes they had at the Sony labs was the HDTV theatre which now shows a clip about Alaska in its full 1080p glory compared to the Jazz concert I originally saw in 720i when I last visited.  Finally they changed the final floor, which now has PS2 games instead of PS1, and they replaced the HD movie of the Japanese family with some random instruments.  We didn’t really get time to explore this part because the museum was about to close by the time we worked ourselves to that floor.

The Sony Style store was also interesting in its own right.  However, it was funny that the Associates knew nothing about their PS3 products.  They actually thought Virtua Fighter 5 is delayed until April, which I hope is not true.  If that is the case, this would allow the developers to add all the Version C updates to the PS3 version just like the Xbox360.  I also found it interesting that Memory Card Adaptors and HDMI cables were readily available at the store but were scare in other stores and etailers.

After the Sony Wonder labs, we walked our way to Angelos’ to have some gourmet salad, pizza, and calamari.  Vivian later joined us after she finished her work around 9PM where we continued catching up with old times and had some smoothies at jamba jam near Times Square.  After 11PM, we called it a night and I went home with Salman on the NJTransit trains.  F

For some reason, Salman still does not know what to do with his life but he is currently in his situation because he is supporting his unemployed parents at this time.  However, he does seem content with his work and it gives him opportunities to travel the country and work with companies.

R8 vs Gallardo

The Audi R8, the production version of the Le Mans concept car, which shares components with:

The Lamborghini Gallardo, which is focused on raw performance while the R8 build around technological innovations.

I wonder how these two would do in a head-to-head shootout.  Maybe Top Gear or Fifth Gear can look into this in one of their shows in the future.  It will be almost two weeks until Top Gear is back on air with Richard Hammond, James May, and that lovable oaf Jeremy Clarkson.