ELISA ENGLISH's Blog 英語園地

It is getting close to Taiwan's Presidential election and we can tell whom some of our friends support.  Everyone has his or her reason to support a certain individual.  I also have a very strong preference for a political party even though I cannot vote.  You all know who she is, the person I would vote for if I have the voting right.  

When talking about politics, sometimes people take up positions that defy any reasonable logic.  A mellow person may show his or her side of aggressiveness to gain support for the person he or she supports.  I have seen that families become battlefields and family members turn against each other during the time of elections.  Anyway, what was I trying to state?  It is life and we do have to tolerate the difference among all of us to peacefully coexist with those who we consider as friends as sometimes friends don’t always see eye to eye with you. 

I do hope that the one I support will be elected and that Taiwan will have its first female president in 2012.  There needs to be a change for the better.  Like the proverb says: "Heaven helps those who help themselves".  We need to know how to protect ourselves, have the tools to protect ourselves and be able to camouflage ourselves like a komodo dragon.  Nobody will be there for you all the time.  An ally can become an enemy the next time around.  However, it is important to have allies, different allies and several allies.  If you have been through World Wars or read the history of World Wars, you will know the importance of allies.  If you place all your hope on a particular country and look upon that country for rescue all the time and if you keep giving in the demand of that country, your value to that country will be diminished and you will become a rag to that country, as you no longer hold any bargaining power.  Eventually, all you can do is to surrender yourself to that country.      

It fareth between thee and me as it doth between a player at the chess and a looker on, for he that looketh on seeth many draughts that the player considereth nothing at all.  In plain English, the stander-by sees more than he who plays.  Do I see clearer as I am more removed from the situation and look at it from far away?  I like to think so.