David on Formosa

Bill Stimson has written a great article that has been published as a guest post on Peking Duck. He has a great perspective on what is happening with the development of politics in Taiwan compared with China.

Taiwan is different. Not just because of the Green Party, and the indigenous Taiwanese intelligencia and pro-democracy advocates that came together under its banner, but also because of the Blues, and the innocent foot soldiers, thugs, entrepreneurs and bluebloods who gave rise to them. The magic that happened in Taiwan couldn't have happened without both camps. The DPP and the KMT: each played its role. They are the pieces of a whole. In China this whole didn't survive. In Taiwan it did. This is what future historians will see. That throughout Taiwan's long history the island often served as a refuge for that which was hard pressed and on the run elsewhere won't be contested.

Take the time to read the rest of the article. It is a brilliant piece of writing.