From: cshi@cs.ulowell.edu (Chunde Shi)
Subject: Re: Those Typical Taiwanese
Organization: University of Massachusetts at Lowell Computer Science
Date: Sun, 24 Jan 1993 16:30:33 GMT

In article <1993Jan23.183932.13976@nntpd.lkg.dec.com> li@sicvax.enet.dec.com (Tom Li) writes:
>
>In article <C1A5oM.Dqp@ulowell.ulowell.edu>, cshi@cs.ulowell.edu (Chunde Shi) writes...
>> 
>>You can sense Taiwan/Taiwanese showing off wealth, not only among individuals,
>>also institions, and even Taiwan government. I got this feeling from reading
>>Taiwan's newspaper, listening to it's radio. Do you guys notice  a seris of 
>>commercials on behalf of Taiwan on Time magazine? One commercial boasted 
>>the Six Year Plan, in term of how much money Taiwan has. Those kind of 
>>blantant, clumsy self-serving(I am not sure it serves good), not only about
>>wealth, also about "Excellence Made In Taiwan". Some time it became so
>>radiculous. Example: One ad says something like Taiwan has stepped into space
>>age because Taiwan makes tennis racket with light, enduring material which is
>>also used by U.S. spacecraft. Another ad says Taiwan is the first to make PC
>>with 32 bits words. Come on! To increase words from 16 bits to 32 bits in PC is
>>a grad student's term project.
>>Taiwan is peculiar, unique on this. It might have some to do with KMT's defeat
>>during Civil War. It is so urgent to them to feel recognized, valued. Adding
>>to their image more than just losers during the War.
>
>I have not seen those ads so I have no comments. But it has nothing to do with
>KMT's defeat during the Civil War, particularly, it was forty years ago. Who
>cares and remembers those trivial things (that is why I think you are quite
>outdated). Those ads aims for those foreign readers, not you, not me. Also 
>old KMT has been dead. If you keep talking the KMT before 1949 frankly you 
>are talking to a ghost.
If you have some degree of knowledge of Soclial Psycology, you may agree
that past experience, especially like the one with the maginitude of the 
Defeat in Civil War, should have major impact on Taiwan people's
Psychic. Unless conciatiously controlled, those psychic should influnce
the hehavior of the society. 
>
>The ads intends to repaint the image of "Made in Taiwan" and Taiwan herself.
>Certainly the ads will mention the quality of Taiwan products and Taiwan's
>economic status, including our foreign reserves and GNP. Advertising those 
>so called "wealth" is to attract business opportunity, and public support 
>to Taiwan and the products, what's wrong with that? Is it "show-off" or just 
>"business strategy and public relation"? Maybe you feel uncomfortable and 
>would think "Those god damn Taiwanese and KMT why they advertise these numbers 
It is rarly done by other nations. People should read those ads to see for
themself wheather it is show-off, or advertiing bussiness environment to lure
foreign inverstment.
>to "show-off" to me? And in the meantime, they refuse to unify with us." But 
>think about it whether those feelings are originated from jealousy, resentment,
>and worrisome? 
You underestimated your mainland counterparts. I found Taiwan media
persistantly belittle and daemonize mainlanders. My firend, the evil do not
win,the mighty do; the good do not lose, the weak do. Let's not label the
other evil, simply becaue they are mighty; let's not label ourselve good
simply because we are weak. It easier for CCP to forgive and forget the past
fued becasue CCP won the war, it is harder for Taiwan to forgive and forget
becasue the defeat. Those are human nature, we should work against them, not
let them rampant.
>
>Jealous people in Taiwan doing well? Resent KMT's past? Worry Taiwan getting 
>stronger the unification seems to be more further away? 
>
>Then blame these for Taiwanese "show-off" and comfort yourself "oh, that is 
>all their faults".
>
>Yes, in every society including China there are always some people very 
>superficial. But I think majority of Taiwan people are more interested in 
>catching up with Japan and other Western countries in the economic or political 
>fields and have little interest to "show-off" to mainlanders unless you guys 
>try to challenge on some issues, eg, unification by forces. It is sad, isn't 
>it?


Xref: sparky soc.culture.taiwan:17625 soc.culture.china:35329