Struggle for independence? How about domestic control first...

A proposed Taiwan independence flag.
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Yesterday supporters of Taiwanese independence held a flag raising ceremony in Taipei to mark the signing of the San Francisco peace treaty when Taiwan was finally formally ceded from Japan. The likelihood of Taiwan gaining independence is of course slim to none. The ill-mannered threatening neighbour (China) just won't allow this to happen and the position of power that it occupies means other nations just can't afford to offer Taiwan support even if they accept Taiwan's aspirations as justified.

Taiwan is often hand-tied while dealing with the outside world as it is stuck in the precarious position of having de facto sovereignty but de jure sovereignty. Recently the condition of being hand-tied has enveloped national politics as well. The struggle for power over control of Taiwan between the DPP and KMT has reached a nasty new phase. The KMT is refusing to cooperate at all with the DPP and because they hold a majority in the legislature they have an effective veto over anything the DPP proposes. The special arms purchases budget bill that includes submarines, Patriot missile batteries to defend Taiwan from China's 700 missiles, as well as P-3 anti-submarine aircraft is being blocked by the KMT. The KMT is offering dubious reasons for blocking it based on an invalid referendum on the purchase in which less than 50% of the population voted and of those that voted a majority supported it. Get a Taiwan News article here.
Sadly the KMT is also blocking a bill that is aimed at flood control measures. This year many areas suffered from flooding and the government is trying to make the needed changes for the future but the KMT complains what is offered is poorly written. I do not recall seeing any counter proposals or negotiations from the KMT.
If one looks at these actions and includes the visits to China by KMT senior officials and the on-going dialogue between the KMT and CPP it looks more and more like the KMT's goal is to turn the DPP into a lame duck. It appears that if the KMT don't have control over Taiwan then they are completely prepared to leave Taiwan and its people in the lurch with a government that is incapable of functioning.
What is the KMT thinking? Obviously only of itself and not the Taiwanese people.

If we look at the China-Taiwan issue, overwhelmingly the majority of Taiwanese people want the status quo kept in relations with China. This means no formal move to independence and no move toward unification. However, to maintain the status quo there must remain a balance of strength in the Taiwan strait. The KMT is actively undermining this. Undermining the special budget and increased cooperationwith the CPP only moves Taiwan closer to China and puts Taiwan in a weaker position. This is in opposition to the status quo.The status quo does not simply mean not declaring independence and not unifying. The status quo means keeping Taiwan's ability to defend itself against a Chinese attack and maintaining a strong position from which to negotiate if that is what the Taiwanese people wish.
I hope the Taiwanese citizens break out the whip and give the KMT a good lashing in the next election for being a bunch of self-absorbed power hungry bastards. They will sell this whole country out in a second if given the chance. Nothing matters more to the KMT than power, at any cost.
The KMT is poison--letter to the editor in Taipei Times
There is a good editorial in the Taipei times today too.