tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10698887.post7180801809281255289..comments2023-10-22T18:25:39.688+08:00Comments on The View from Taiwan: Happiness in TaiwanMichael Turtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17974403961870976346noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10698887.post-1441629169718203042012-07-01T00:32:51.190+08:002012-07-01T00:32:51.190+08:00The beef issue is getting absolutely ridiculous. ...The beef issue is getting absolutely ridiculous. If the US wants to negotiate an FTA in good faith, then fucking add beef to the negotiations. No one is going to trust that the US is going to negotiate an FTA with Taiwan when it's not an explicit part of the beef negotiation.<br /><br />Beef is not a negotiation. Negotiations mean you give up something to get something. The US has offered NOTHING. It's just trying to cram something down Taiwanese throats with nothing in return.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10698887.post-50158615308269069942012-06-30T22:24:57.742+08:002012-06-30T22:24:57.742+08:00The irony is that GDP is quite unimportant? Taiwan...The irony is that GDP is quite unimportant? Taiwan clocks in much higher on adjusted GDP (PPP) than South Korea and even Japan.<br /><br />Furthermore, GDP alone is not worth much, look at the US. Does the sufficiently higher GDP translate into better living standards of the masses in comparison with European countries? I don't think so.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10698887.post-83938686120778672852012-06-30T22:01:51.458+08:002012-06-30T22:01:51.458+08:00but it does mean that the identification of zero-s...<b>but it does mean that the identification of zero-sum thinking in Taiwan is not a profound observation in itself.</b><br /><br />No, but the identification that the current generation is less afflicted by it is interesting and I thought the more important item in there. <br /><br />MichaelMichael Turtonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17974403961870976346noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10698887.post-1561865547461481292012-06-30T21:49:02.302+08:002012-06-30T21:49:02.302+08:00Michael,
While I agree with much of what you say,...Michael,<br /><br />While I agree with much of what you say, I will remind you that fear of competition is not unique to Taiwan. Americans fear being eclipsed by China, Chinese have had a preoccupation with being better than the US for years, Europeans have Germany envy, the Swiss are secretly preoccupied that they have a tiny country that doesn't offer much to the world in contrast to their superiority complex, Brazil is sore that it does not yet have the status it desires/deserves in the Americas, Russia still thinks it is due the respect it once had as the leader of the commie world, etc. None of this means that zero-sum thinking is rational, but it does mean that the identification of zero-sum thinking in Taiwan is not a profound observation in itself.Tommyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13552370490869601403noreply@blogger.com