Aneglica Oung reports on the group of Taiwanese students who want to be Nazis -- and reflects on some of the contradictions of Nazism in the local context.The group is apparently meeting somewhere in Taichung on Saturday the 17th. I'd love to drop by and engage in a little citizen journalism...anyone know where it is?With Alberts' help, the Taipei Times located the apartment in which the Nazi flag was displayed. It was located in a gated community in Tienmu. A man in his late thirties answered the door and agreed to speak to us, on condition of anonymity.
"Hitler did a lot of bad things which I don't condone, but he also turned Germany from a weak and divided nation into a world power," he said. "I admire that because unity and strength is what Taiwan needs. Democracy and capitalism have their good qualities, but they have left our collective spirit chaotic, flagging and mired in defeatism."
These comments mirrored the rhetoric found on the NSA blog.
"We have seen relentless societal and political chaos since democracy was instituted in this country ... wake up, youths of Taiwan!" an open letter said.
However, the man claimed he had never heard of the NSA and had a view of the Chinese Nationalist Party's (KMT) legacy that was diametrically opposed to Hsu's.
"Taiwan used to be a part of the axis as a part of Japan," he said. "Who did more for Taiwan than Goto Shinpei as the governor-general?"
"When the KMT came, they were the brutal occupiers, they oppressed the Taiwanese," the man said.
Asked if he believed he would have fit in society if Taiwan were still under Japanese occupation, the man replied: "I am in contact with hard-right [sic] elements in Japan ... they all love Taiwanese people. If the KMT did not take over Taiwan, I believe that in time we would have been accepted as Japanese."
[Taiwan]
I think Eli said something along the lines of "it's really tempting to give in to the authoritarian instinct during times of uncertainty" and you can see it in a lot of places, including the United States.
ReplyDeleteI think it's hilarious though, that even the Nazis in this country fall (very roughly) into the "blue" and "green" camps.
That's really disturbing, Michael.
ReplyDeleteThese a-holes want to exterminate your children. They said that in the interview which you quoted. I find the cavalier attitude and ignorance of world history here in Taiwan appalling. When I grew up, I certainly learned about Chiang Kai-Shek, Mao, the massacres, the prison camps (in America, Canada, and in Japan).
These people should not be given a voice. But then, I don't know if we should ignore it entirely, either. But, you know, it is just a group of 20 kooks. 20! There are kooks of every stripe everywhere.
I posted on this on my site as well. There certainly are "kooks of every stripe everywhere." The question is: how many people are attracted to this kind of thing at any one time? Is it a sign of the times or some sort of isolated phenomenon? What does it take for something that is isolated--a bunch of kooks--to explode into something bigger and more dangerous? What is the place of education in preventing this kind of situation from occurring? And no, I am not just talking about Taiwan.
ReplyDelete"I am in contact with hard-right [sic] elements in Japan ... they all love Taiwanese people. If the KMT did not take over Taiwan, I believe that in time we would have been accepted as Japanese."
ReplyDeleteDoubtful that, even if Taiwan had become a prefecture, with Diet representation. There are still people in Japan today who don't consider Okinawans to be "Japanese".
Well, there are bound to be nutcases in any society. Might as well let them languish in obscurity, as opposed to making them intro martyrs.
ReplyDeleteNothing like a good spread of brown shirts, a nice salute, good slogans ("ein reich, ein volk..."), and some hysterical discourse when democracy gets too confusing on TV!
ReplyDeleteCongrats to the political representants that have let the debat land-slide so much that people get that much out of their brains!
"These people should not be given a voice."
ReplyDeleteInteresting use of the passive voice. Those people should not be given a voice by whom?
While I'm not averse to cracking a Nazi wannabe upside the skull, I'm not real comfortable with this kind of assertion.
these kids are isolated case, not even worth a news story. this will have their 15 minutes of fame for a week and then whammo, disappear forever. they are just a teeny tiny group of nothing people. forget this crapola....they represnt nothing...... why the media writes about such shite mystifies me......20 stupid people, probably just 5 members in truth.........
ReplyDeleteWell, Karl, you must be American.
ReplyDeleteI wonder if it's a typically Canadian characteristic to use the passive voice more often. I think "cracking them upside" will only give them legitimacy. That is the probably with the United States policy on terrorism. It seems to me that, from what I recall, reading your [Karl's] blog some time ago, that you take somewhat of a similar vision as some conservatives in that country.
We should be treating idiots like the Taiwan nazis, the wannabe or even sometime terrorists (particularly prevalent in Britain) as mentally ill.
If they are caught doing something, of course, then it should be police business. But not necessarily military business. The media and governments should treat the miscreants like members and leaders of a very dangerous cult, like Asahara's gang.
It is making more cult members. People want to join this mysterious network that propagates violences to speeds up and enhances the ends of the world.
The United States' approach in this is completely wrong. You know it and I know it.
Or rather, these people should only be given the voice and legitimacy that insane people or sick people have.
ReplyDeleteI don't have a problem with people using the passive voice, Karl. The passive voice is now a relatively accepted grammatical form (except when it is used overmuch).
I prefer that to the slovenly use of real, when you could just as easily use really. And what's with you dissociating yourself with how you feel: "I'm not real comfortable." I often speculate that Americans are quickly destroying the English language faster than they destroyed Iraq.
Someone throw a stapler at the guy.
ReplyDeleteThoth, my problem is with the use of passive voice in normative claims. If someone says "Karl should not be allowed to drink so much.", it leaves open the question of who should not allow Karl to drink so much. His wife? Michael Turton? The federal government? Everyone?
ReplyDeleteI think your second formulation is much better. Let the Nazi wannabes speak, and let everyone else laugh at them for being, well, Nazi wannabes.
As for my having similar views with American conservatives, aside from an affinity for Budweiser, guns and mullets, this is probably not the case.
Andy, why don't you throw a stapler at me? If people leave one sentence comments on The Peking Duck without explaining, then usually a slew of people will attack the guy as a, what was it...? Not a spammmer...but anyway, I can't recall at the moment. Explain yourself, man. Or else say something worthwhile (or worth somebody's while to attack).
ReplyDeleteThanks for your explanation, Karl. Touche.
Hey Karl, I'd also like to say I'm sorry for the assumptions about you. I have seen many an intelligent comment of yours on Michael's blog. Do pardon my pedantic tone (me in attack mode) towards you as well. Cheer
ReplyDeleteThere are still people in Japan today who don't consider Okinawans to be "Japanese".
ReplyDeleteYeah, those people are called "Okinawans."