In Taiwan today, the minds of the youth is dominated by popular culture - a black messy mix of brainlessness from various countries. Globalization is clearly evident - from the popularity of manga to the failed interpretation of rap to the US-democracy-fetish. Nationalistic patriotism is nowhere to be seen but the names of some streets and districts. Even the street names though, fail to retain any sense of patriotism. I recall conversing with a Chinese restaurant owner in San Francisco. Trying to tell me where she used to live in Taiwan, she was not able to remember what the street name is: "什麼孝東路的". The loyalty to one's nation - 忠 - is corrupted and replaced by globalist capitalist erections.
But you might say, "But you're a Trotskyist internationalist!" (or maybe you might not as I have not posted anything about this yet). However, we should consider the analogy of Sun Yat-sen in his 民族主義:
從前有一個苦力，天天在輪船碼頭，拿一枝竹槓和兩條繩子去替旅客挑東西。每日挑東西，就是那個苦力謀生之法。後來他積存了十多塊錢，當時呂宋彩票盛行，他 就拿所積蓄的錢買了一張呂宋彩票。那個苦力因為無家可歸，所有的東西都沒有地方收藏，所以他買得的彩票也沒有地方收藏。他謀生的工具只是一枝竹槓和兩條繩 子，他到什麼地方，那枝竹槓和兩條繩子便帶到什麼地方。所以他就把所買的彩票，收藏在竹槓之內。因為彩票藏在竹槓之內，不能隨時拿出來看，所以他把彩票的 號數死死記在心頭，時時刻刻都念著。到了開彩的那一日，他便到彩票店內去對號數，一見號單，知道是自己中了頭彩，可以發十萬元的財。他就喜到上天，幾幾乎 要發起狂來，以為從此便可不用竹槓和繩子去做苦力了，可以永久做大富翁了。由於這番歡喜，便把手中的竹槓和繩子一齊投入海中。(from http://zh.wikisource.org/zh-hant/%E4%B8%89%E6%B0%91%E4%B8%BB%E7%BE%A9/%E6%B0%91%E6%97%8F%E4%B8%BB%E7%BE%A9%E7%AC%AC%E4%B8%89%E8%AC%9B)
It is not that we should become racist or be isolated in North Korean Juche. Simply, our national solidarity and unity must NOT be sacrificed for globalization. We can still be Chinese while retaining economic power (especially in collaboration with the mainland).
Of course thomas, if you ask a woman in SF where she used to live, why would she remember. She's now living in US, not TAIWAN. Why will she be loyal to her "ex"-country. Patriotism? Loyalty? i believe that they can still exist while cooperating with globalization. And definitely NOT in collaboration with the mainland.
ReplyDeleteThat woman remembered very vividly every other aspect of her Taiwan life: she DID remember where she lived, but forgot only the street name. And yes, it is natural for people to forget things? But why did she forget the "忠" only yet remember the "孝"? It is the first word in the street name... (Not saying 孝 is not important.)
ReplyDeleteAnd it IS possible and righteous to remain a patriot in another country. The problem is that now it seems "natural" to behave otherwise and focus on making money or the current CSI episode. Just because you live somewhere does not make your homeland an "ex-country".
Thomas, the world had changed, and there is nothing you can do about it. Protesting on blogs is not an effective option. good luck fighting against globalization
ReplyDelete"Thomas, the world had changed, and there is nothing you can do about it. "
ReplyDeleteJihad is ALWAYS an option.
"Protesting on blogs is not an effective option."
What am I doing now?
"good luck fighting against globalization"
I am not fighting it. Globalization is a necessary evil - just like capitalism - in order to instigate ultimate communism.