Hey Robert Ross, How's that fading independence movement treating ya?

It's Laiji, one of my favorite places in Taiwan.

Hey, Taiwan history buffs, today (Apr 17) is the anniversary of what important document in Taiwan history?

Several years ago I put a note in Google Calendar to remind myself that this month is the 10th anniversary of one of most vapidly pro-KMT, endlessly clueless articles ever published on Taiwan, Robert Ross' immortal Taiwan's Fading Independence Movement. It was published in Foreign Affairs, which would publish a hamster writing on international relations in Urdu, provided it was sufficiently anti-Taiwan. Reflect for a moment on the fearsome ignorance of its first two sentences.

Political developments in Taiwan over the past year have effectively ended the independence movement there. What had been a major source of regional instability -- and the most likely source of a great-power war anywhere in the world -- has become increasingly irrelevant.

My old post on it is still as relevant as ever. I just thought I'd post on this as I contemplate a populace which, in the under-45 demographic, is post-independence: it has already embraced independence and has moved on to other things.

So Robert Ross, how is that fading independence movement treating ya?

Yeah, I thought so.

Meanwhile, it is scary to realize this blog is old enough to refer to stuff posted on it more than a decade ago. I need to get a life...
_______________________
[Taiwan] Don't miss the comments below! And check out my blog and its sidebars for events, links to previous posts and picture posts, and scores of links to other Taiwan blogs and forums!