I fully approve of the structural changes the government has made to Taiwan’s military service system to enhance the battle preparedness of draftees.

However, there remains a lack of complementary provisions to cultivate a level of preparedness among the general public, such that any talk of “all-out national defense,” including the nation as a whole, remains empty words.

Despite the arrangements for the annual Wan An air drills — the series of military exercises and civil defense drills preparing Taiwanese for emergency situations — the majority of the public are still going about their everyday lives as if there is no immediate danger.