Taiwan's Bian and Thailand's Thaksin Falling Down!

Depose the President Chen Shui-bian in Taiwan through peaceful siege procession and Depose the Prime Minister Thaksin in Thailand through military coup .

In Taipei of Taiwan, millions of protesters laid siege procession to the presidential house to call on President Chen Shui-bian to step down over a series of scandals. The leader of the campaign, Shi Ming-the, has called on supporters and opponents of the president to respect each other's views.

On the other hand, the Thai coup in Thailand sparks international concerns. The Thai military forces took the political arena and grabbed the power in order to overthrow the Prime Minister Thaksin.

Looking at the two issues in parallel, it gives me some inspiration. Even are they independent issues but they have some common perspectives in nature. It is just a matter of social choice from the democracy and dictatorship spectrum. Which is better for our society? How can our community be effectively governed? Is the democratic system in modern civilization including the United States mature enough? At what price for a mature democratic constitutional system be established? Should the successful implementation of democratic system necessarily be at the expense of economic efficiency? Should there be prerequisites leading to a more civilized and advanced democratic system? It seems a shortcut through dictatorship coup as in Thailand, and on the other hand, a long and tortuous road in Taiwan to achieve some desirable goals --- anti corruption and anti power abuse of the governor and his or her relatives.

Obviously, Thailand has a longer history of free elections than Taiwan. Free election has been implemented in Thailand since 1973 and Taiwan has never had its presidential election until 1996. However, it seems more mature in Taiwan (Red coup) than in Thailand (military coup) in this aspect as learnt from what just happened around. It is really a paradox of democracy.

Is it really “power corrupts” and “absolute power corrupts absolutely”? I forgot who made this dictum.

Most Taiwan people (at least those in red) look so rational in the anti-corruption campaign and their efforts will pay in some day. This may be a significant milage in the course of long Chinese history. Their appeal is justified and it gave me a valuable lesson of democracy in deed. Be the wish of long farewell to tyrant and dictature (no matter it's democratic or dictatorial) come true! Also be the remarks of "Of the people, By the people and For the people" * behind a democratic country substantial and not just our slogan!

* Quoted from Abraham Lincoln's remark in dedicating the military cemetery at Gettysburg: "that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain--that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom--and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth."

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