A friend of mine sent me a website translation of a Green Party candidate for Taipei, with the note that this illustrates the real difference between Taiwan and China. Note that she raised the money she needed and is a candidate. Note her unusual background and set of concerns -- as he pointed out, you gotta kinda get past the victimhood .....+++++++++++
2010 Taiwan Green Party City Council Candidate for Zhongzheng and Banga Districts, Taipei City: Candidate No. 4 Song Jia-lun
Song Jia-lun was born in Miaoli County in 1983. She is a graduate student in the Department of Psychology at Fu Jen Catholic University who has been involved in Taiwan’s gender/difference movement for many years. She has recently become involved in Taiwan’s farmer and environmental movements after the Dapu Incident in Miaoli County and through this she has come to a new understanding and imagination of how the youth can participate in politics and become a part of Taiwan’s future.
My background:
1. organizer, 2003 Taiwan Gay Pride March,
2. member and founder of the Anti-censorship Alliance,
3. founder of the BDSM Company
4. founder of the Taiwan International Family Association [Traditional Chinese only],
5. panelist at the Cross Strait Conference on Gender/Sexuality.
My Name is Song Jia-lun. I’m looking for a job in Zhongzheng and Banga.
My name is Song Jia-lun. I was born in the beautiful town of Nanzhuang in Miaoli County. I am 27 and am a 2010 representative of the “Youth Council Vision” alliance. At the end of this year, I will be looking for a job in Zhongzheng and Wanhua. This job requires me to put up a bond of NT$200,000.
My father was adopted. My mother is from Indonesia. I have been working and living in Taipei since I graduated from high school when I was 18. I have done all kinds of jobs while hanging out in Taipei. I worked as a temp at government offices, insurance companies, and as a design assistant. During these eight years, I worked and went to school, graduating from a junior college and a vocational school. During that time my has risen from NT$20,000 to just NT$24,000. My rent has always been about NT$4,000 and I have no savings. I took out student loans and started graduate school this year while working part time. Over the summer, I needed to earn my living expenses for the next semester, so I worked as a drinks promotion girl to be able to save enough money That’s when I met [Wang] Zhong-ming [candidate for city council in the new Xinbei City, Danshui District]. I suddenly felt the hopelessness of our life in the city and the capitalist structure. We set up the Youth Council Vision to change this city.
But I need NT$200,000. This city has deprived me of the possibility of a reasonable life, and yet they say that change depends on yourself. But it is absolutely impossible for ‘myself’ to put up NT$200,000. So I’m looking for money and support from every voter who wants to hire me for the job of city councilor in Taipei City’s Zhongzeng and Banga districts. I understand poverty and the underclass and I have the energy that comes from life on the edge. I am telling this city: Democracy should not be in tune with capitalism. So I oppose temporary employment, and exploitation, I support the legalization of sex work, and I support the homeless because we could all become homeless. These are the three three main platform planks in my candidacy for city councilor. I am speaking up for the underclass and the all the young people in the city who are in the same situation as I am!
Official election site: Youth Council Vision
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8 comments:
蘇貞昌競選廣告 台北超越台北 東京篇
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eg1B5_lGVHg
I can't see why the difference between Taiwan and China is the key point of this. Sung Chia-lun is seeking to gain political representation for the poor and marginalised. Politics is typically a game played on behalf of the rich and powerful. This issue is not just something about Taiwan or China. It is far more universal.
A person from the underclass in Taiwan rallying against the capitalist structure. I think she spent too much time as a 'drinks girl' hanging around foreign English teachers. She seems to have adopted their politics!!
As a part-Taiwanese, part Indonesian, she should understand more than anybody that the big business establishment in Taiwan hires a lot of Indonesians for manual labour, provides them with the opportunity to learn a new skills set, and pays them a salary that they couldn't earn in the structure back home in their native country.
Why bash Taiwan and what's the solution? Paying benefits to the underclass so they can be more lazy and dependent on the state? Sure hasn't worked in most places.
I suddenly felt the hopelessness of our life in the city and the capitalist structure.
What's that now about "capitalist structure"?
Good for her! Taiwan needs more diversity in its legislative representatives. There are plenty of reps who are concerned with transportation and cement, but few if any who advocate for the minorities and the disadvantaged.
Don't be too quick to disgard the capitalist economy. Sure, there are economic and social problems, and there are people who need some help, but that does not mean the system is a total failure.
Taiwan is able to prosper over the past decade because entrapeneurs start business, factory owners took the risk of investment and hired people, business representatives flied to Japan and the US to establish trade, armed only with their suitcases. Those are part of our history. Without them, Taiwan would be much worse right now.
hi , I am friend of Song Jia-lun, she is wondering if she can post this article on her campaign blog
http://tnfatale.wordpress.com/
, please let us know, thank you!
Of course!!! Please post.
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