志异 Draft by Drama box July 2014 (english) | Page 50

explanation or justification, it too reflects the lack
of discourse. But we can talk about this section of the
movement separately.
Paradoxically, the lack of a discourse is in fact one of
the ‘driving forces’ sustaining the movement. This is
because the movement depends on a sense of ‘wefeeling’ rather than an analysis of reality—one only
has to look at the ‘quick guides’ that was circulated
to understand the rest. Frankly, if we analyse the
student movement from the cold, hard lens of
realism, how and in what ways is the mindset
of the Ma Ying-jeou administration—which
dichotomises economics and politics (that is
leveraging on China’s rise to seek economic
development opportunities for Taiwan while
being politically aligned with the United
States and Japan against Communism)—
antithetical to the movement? Unless
the movement insists that Taiwan must
completely sever itself from China
politically and economically, and on
all other issues, with them being the
‘Chinese’ and we being the ‘Taiwanese’.
But if that is not the case, what is the
movement arguing for? Is it for how
Taiwan should view the reality of its
dependence on trade? Or is it for its
position in East Asian geopolitics? Or how
to pursue peaceful Cross-Strait relations? Or how
to unite a divided society? These questions need to be
approached not with emotion or ‘conviction’, but with
an ‘ethic of responsibility’.

Is it
Taiwfor how
view an sho
uld
real the
depeity of it
trad ndenc s
for i e? Or i e on
in E ts posi s it
geopast Asiation
how olitics n
peac to pur ? Or
Stra eful C sue
Or h it relat rossunit ow to ions?
soci e a divi
ety?
ded