w The Michigan Daily- Wednesday, December 11, 1991 - Page 5 "7 orm r}Y.+}rda::4 :fi :.xrt::. .}r}:"rn"} rx"}:rftx ":r "rr:"}fJrre :"x:" :"x;,^.,tr:}f ;;c. . {.rrrr:;rr"{. ": r:: nv :vr }".":.".}'%vr"}:"}}:4:"Y: }'r: }:"s": XrtiJti4 }. .r.. r. t. i :.. .. r.:i::}}:", ;v:"a:: % Y::":{tii i:; ;:;i: Sii:S r 1 Yr'.'f:'f.":;":}".{:";"J%:}'J:'::{"}: }:1."}:":"}:%.::'l':r :.;r ;:% :"fr" 1:"::.;J;"";...,.,r... ., . , .y,"Jr" r t}...:::.":.1:;::; J.}: ".}:":}.;": {.:. : ':: J:::::"}:'.;. 'f."r. r: r..: J;"::":Jr;:d^:"S:r ;r.:;;{: ;{>.};;' ?r<: ."1. f. her:: :":'.' :':'::}rl:'f:':':'.'J}:'''.::"::.::: :} ,; .}. ......... . .. r. : r. .J.:rJ :::.: r."::r: rr: r.'."rr rr"L"" Jfrtt::...., ."1..:":;:. J., 1.": "r: rJ::'.:".. ..r t: Jtf::?":.-r ::{.:":L'."rr'::1 h F,.h.x"}.... r ...................h:::,:h": r..........,.., r. ."::: :"..". r.". ."........... r.::v:;.".{w.".":ti"}:ti{":"r:::::.}.r,........... .... ..... A free Taiwan To the Daily: This is in response to Peter Davidson's letter (11/15/91), in which he makes inaccurate statements on the issue of Taiwan independence. I would like to comment on three points. First of all, Mr. Davidson says that Taiwan's "unique" and "tragic" history does not justify independence. Here Mr. Davidson ignores the fact that in human history each big transition derives rfrom its existing conditions. Theories or personal wishes cannot arouse a revolution. Instead, the reality fertilizes the soil of a revolution. In actuality, it is Taiwan's "unique historic circumstances" that leads to the growth of the Taiwanese indepen- dence movement. To understand the forming of this movement, we have to review Taiwan's history. In the last 400 years, this island has been chronologically ruled by the Dutch, Koxinga pirate regime, Ching dynasty, Japanese and KMT (Kuomingtang). The Taiwanese people have been defeated and brutally repressed again and again. Finally, they realized that without establishing an indepen- dent country, Taiwan will be 6epeatedly colonized by other countries and that there is no real democracy and liberalization under a colonial rule. The Taiwanese independence move- ment is not an abstract ideology. Instead, it comes from reality. It is a lesson that the Taiwanese learned through continuous oppression and struggles. Secondly, Mr. Davidson wrongly stated that Taiwanese would rather enjoy democracy and their "economic success" under the rule of KMT than establish an independent country. I would like to say that he failed to see the nature of a totalitarian regime like KMT. Basically, KMT is a government against the Taiwanese people. It may tolerate more parliamentary seats taken by the opposition party or erect new laws, but still it wants to maintain iA totalitarian form of government in order to keep its privileges and acquired profits. Therefore, KMT is unable to initiate any real political or economic reform. More and more Taiwanese understand that to accomplish democracy and to secure their economic success they have to establish their own country. Mr. Davidson also claimed that KMT wants to return to the mainland to establish control over all China. In fact KMT has given up returning to China since the 50s. "Recovering the mainland" has only been used as an excuse to impose a totalitarian rule upon Taiwan. In 1954, Chiang Kai- Shek, late KMT dictator, had confessed to then U.S. Secretary of State John Dulles that he would not retake mainland China. Mr. Dulles had testified to this during a session of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Jan. 24, 1955 and this document was made public in April 1978. Mr. Davidson should have read this material before he makes such an untrue statement. In his first letter of 10/7/91, Mr. Davidson admits that he is not qualified to discuss the issue of Taiwan independence. Yet, in his second letter, he ignores historic facts and biased himself against the Taiwanese indepen- dence movement. I only hope that he will not contradict himself again. Yayi Cheng University graduate and member of the Michigan Taiwanese Student Association Kristallnacht To the Daily: How sad that the recent article (11/13/91) concerning Kristallnacht demonstrations against violence quickly became an article that succeeded in characterizing all Germans as practicing anti-Semites. Instead of pointing out that demonstrations against recent neo-Nazi groups were numerous and successful, the Daily chose to focus on the the fact that anti-Semitism is supposedly once again out of control in Germany. The Daily made reference to the fact that these neo-Nazi groups were threatening wide- spread attacks on foreigners on the anniversary of Kristallnacht. Interestingly, though, even the Daily admitted that "very few such incidents occurred" while citizens of over 30 cities took part in demonstrations mourning the horrific losses which took place during the Holocaust. The Daily seemed to want to ignore this indication that mainstream Germany is ashamed of the Holocaust and is trying to fight the radical elements of society which may be promoting these ideas. The author's obvi- ously biased, and weak attempt at a German history lesson on anti- Semitism was despicable. Saying that the Holocaust was "by no means an aberration in German history," was simply wrong. I am tired of people implying that all Germans are racist xenophobes. You also cited a study (the only study even mentioned in the article) in which "Two thirds of all German people held subtly anti-Semitic views, while the other one third were blatant anti- Semites." Are we to believe that 100 percent of all Germans are anti-Semitic? This certainly does not seem like a credible source to me. What characterizes a "subtle" racist anyway? What are the results of similar studies done in the United States? I would be willing to bet that if the same study were done here, one could manipulate any form of questions or studies to prove that a large amount of Americans also hold "subtle" or "blatant" anti-Semitic views. Also regarding the recent "plague" of attacks on immi- grants, a newspaper must provide facts to back up damaging statements, or they tend to be less believable. We in the United States are also "plagued" with attacks on immigrants,thomosexu- als, minorities, etc. Yet, this article seems to ask us to accept that Germany is the only country with an active anti-Semitic element. Theauthor also implied that the German parliament, by imposing immigration restric- tions, is also xenophobic and racist. How interesting. Germany has recently been flooded by immigrants from Eastern Europe as a result of the sweeping political changes. The immigra- tion restrictions were placed to help protect the German economy from certain disaster, and is, in fact, much more open to immi- grants than the United States' immigration policy. It is obvious that the author never bothered to research the topic of anti-semitismm in Germany beyond perhaps the World Book Encyclopedia. Instead, the Daily's readers were subjected to one-sided anti- German garbage that once again succeeded in painting the radical views in Germany as those accepted by the average citizen. Katja Rowell LSA first-year student Editor's note: The study on German anti-Semitism, cited in the editorial, was conducted in 1976 by Alfred Silberman, a professor of sociology at the Univesity of Cologne, Germany. The well-known study has been cited in numerous historical texts. 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