What has Monty Python’s ‘The Life of Brian’ got to do with Taiwanese independence? More than you might think … try comparing this news article:
The leader of World United Formosans for Independence said yesterday that he disagrees with the view expressed by the Taiwan Defence Alliance in an advertisement in the Washington Post that Taiwan, like Puerto Rico and Guam, is an autonomous territory of the United States.
Asked to comment on the advertisement placed in the American daily Tuesday, WUFI Chairman Huang Chao-tang, who is also a presidential adviser, stressed that Taiwan belongs to the 23 million people who live on the island.
With this scene from the Life of Brian:
REG: Right. You’re in. Listen. The only people we hate more than the Romans are the fucking Judean People’s Front.
P.F.J.: Yeah…
JUDITH: Splitters.
P.F.J.: Splitters…
FRANCIS: And the Judean Popular People’s Front.
P.F.J.: Yeah. Oh, yeah. Splitters. Splitters…
LORETTA: And the People’s Front of Judea.
P.F.J.: Yeah. Splitters. Splitters…
REG: What?
LORETTA: The People’s Front of Judea. Splitters.
REG: We’re the People’s Front of Judea!
LORETTA: Oh. I thought we were the Popular Front.
REG: People’s Front! C-huh.
FRANCIS: Whatever happened to the Popular Front, Reg?
REG: He’s over there.
In case you were wondering the ‘World United Formosans for Independence’ and the ‘Taiwan Defence Alliance’ should not be confused with pro-formal independence political parties like the Taiwan Solidarity Union (which regularly polls between 5-10% in national elections), the ‘Taiwan Independence Party’ (which gained 0.3% of the vote in the last election), the ‘Peasant Party’ (0.4%) or the ‘Taiwan Number One Party’ (didn’t bother standing).
Further relevant words of wisdom from the Life of Brian can be found:
- Arguments continue over the correct Romanization of ‘Romanes Eunt Domus’.
- What have the Japanese/KMT ever done for us?
- Chen Shui-Bian’s mother addresses a TI rally: “He’s not the Messiah. He’s a very naughty boy!”
Pingback: The View from Taiwan
There are 94 political parties in Taiwan on my four-year-old list.
FAPA’s also distancing itself from the ad. Looks like Richard Hartzell’s been dropping names of groups who he has no connection to. I’ll try to scan the ad in later today. It’s a hoot!
Pingback: asiapundit
Ironically, there’s no contradiction between Hartzell’s view and WUFI’s.
Michael
What a great post! I hope you don’t mind, but I’ve linked to it here:
http://madminerva.blog-city.com/monty_python_and_taiwan_independence_groups.htm
Cheers,
MM
I’d be interested to know any considered opinions on the legality of the position put forth in the Washington Post ad, regardless of who does or does not support it at present.
You can see the text of the article here. 60 years ago it might have been a good argument.
In December 2005 Dr. Huang Chao-tang held a conference to say that he supports the stationing of US military troops in Taiwan. This is very close to established position of Mr. Hartzell, Dr. Lin, and the Taiwan Defense Alliance.
Pingback: Monty Python and Taiwan Independence Groups (madminerva.blog-city.com)