在臺灣執政的中國國民黨於昨日的縣市長選舉中遭逢挫敗，將競爭最激烈的其中一個縣的縣長寶座輸給了在野的民主進步黨。[1] 結果，中國國民黨主席馬英九總統誓言繼續推動「改革」。「馬總統說，政府會把握剛萌芽的經濟復甦契機，來改善人民的日常生活。」[2]
這裡說的剛萌芽的經濟復甦，如果有的話，應該是指某些都會區飆漲房價的復甦，某些公司股價的復甦，以及飆漲的汽油價格的復甦。但話說回來，這個所謂的「經濟復甦」，與多數臺灣人民的日常生活有何關係？
在大多數民主國家，尤其是臺灣，經濟始終是一個主要議題，也是候選人為了贏得勝選而對大眾提出的重要訴求。在臺灣，幾乎每一位候選人，不論來自執政黨或反對黨，皆會承諾透過經濟來改善人民的生活。
然而，經濟成長通常是用國內生產毛額的增加來衡量的，但只有資本家們與政客們能必然從中獲利。普羅百姓們並不必然從中獲利，尤其當所謂的「經濟成長」是用房地產市場、股票市場或超級市場中的價格飆漲來作代表時。
一個政府若想永續改善人民的日常生活，必需適度地監督與管制資本家們的活動，而非與他們合作。一個只重視經濟發展而非環境保護的政府，連保護其人民的生命安全都很困難，更別提改善人民的日常生活了。
The ruling Kuomintang (KMT, the Chinese Nationalist Party) of Taiwan suffered a setback in local government’s election yesterday, losing control of one of the most tightly contested counties to the opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP). [1] As a result, President Ma Ying-jeou, chairman of KMT, vowed to continue pushing for “reforms”. “Ma said the government will use the budding economic recovery to improve the people’s daily lives.” [2]
If any, the budding economic recovery in this context should mean the recovery of certain metropolitan area’s soaring house prices, the recovery of certain companies’ share prices, and the recovery of soaring petrol prices. But then, what do most of Taiwanese people’s daily lives have to do with this so-called “economic recovery”?
The economy has always been a major issue and an important appeal to the public to win elections in most democratic countries, especially Taiwan. In this country, almost every candidate, either from the ruling party or the opposition parties, would promise to improve people’s daily lives through economy.
However, only capitalists and politicians can certainly benefit from economic growth, which is usually measured by an increase in real gross domestic product (GDP). Proletarian people do not necessarily benefit from it, not even close when the so-called “economic growth” is represented by the soaring prices in the housing market, the share market, or the supermarket.
To sustainably improve people’s daily lives, a government needs to properly supervise and regulate the activities of capitalists, not to cooperate with them. A government which only values economic development rather than environmental protection can hardly protect its people’s lives, not to mention the improvement of their daily lives.
參照 Reference
[1] The China Post, “KMT suffers setback.” Dec. 6th, 2009. http://www.chinapost.com.tw/taiwan/national/national-news/2009/12/06/235412/KMT-suffers.htm
[2] The China Post, “Results were unsatisfactory: Ma.” Dec. 6th, 2009. http://www.chinapost.com.tw/taiwan/national/national-news/2009/12/06/235414/p1/Results-were.htm
＊片頭：2009年8月的莫拉克風災（數百位臺灣人民因氣候異常、土地開發不當與救難指揮不當而喪命） The Video Above: The Disaster of Typhoon Morakot in August 2009 (Hundreds of Taiwanese people died from it due to climate change, improper land development and inadequate rescue orders.) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yPDVxKCr_Qs
