Taiwan Tati Cultural and Educational Foundation

A frequent joke that comes up in the United States is when those who are from the Southern States are at a party with those who are Northerners and the Southerners claim that the Civil War never ended. It happens when discussions turn regional and political; thus someone will inevitably say, "Save your Confederate dollars my friends, the South will rise again." The joke is accepted by all since it provides a humorous way to avoid the potential tension and hostility that can arise when politics as well as religion are discussed. In Taiwan, however, any such past Civil War jokes linked to China's and not Taiwan's past are not a way of relieving potential tension, but the result of its current president and some others living in a bygone age and not being able to let go of it. Why? This is what Taiwanese need examine as the 2012 elections approach.

Two major pillars — the will of the Taiwanese public and the US’ commitment to its ally — provide support for Taiwan’s future, Formosan Association for Public Affairs executive director Coen Blaauw said earlier this week.

In a keynote speech to the 27th annual convention of the North American Taiwanese Medical Association (NATMA), Blaauw said that while he had no real concerns about the US fulfilling its role, he worried that Taiwanese might not fight hard enough to stay separate from China.