Taiwanese Dilemma

Saw recently on Taiwanese TV about the following discussions:
1) Taiwanese compared their election campaign with the Korean. One of the latter's candidate articulated target to make Korea the 7th economy in the world and annual economic growth of 7%. That compared with the campaign of mud slinging between the 2 Taiwanese candidates -- Ma Ying Jiu and Frank Hsieh; both brought no clear deliverable targets to the country.

2) Taiwanese compared their past years achievements to that of Singapore's and found themselves fallen short of the other island in the so named 4-little-dragons club. The comparisons were in the aspects of economic growth, global competitiveness, global ranking as the place for foreign investment, corruption index and etc.

In my personal opinion, I think: The Taiwanese society is facing a diminishing middle-class, decrementing educational level, and losing global competitiveness.

The middle-class diminishes due to manufacturers fleeing to China leaving many unemployed or under-employed, but yet the cost of living went up instead of down, hence pushing the middle layer in the demographic downward.

The education system decided to allow many more private universities while at the same time promote "native or love Taiwan culture" i.e. speaking more Taiwanese and become inward looking. The policy damaged the already handicapped English proficiency and caused a drop in Mandarin level. It also direct student's focus away from world's affairs.

The "Love Taiwan" campaign is a camouflage for the failed foreign affairs in winning support over China amongst international community. Every failure in turn reinforces besieged mentality thus fortifying self-pity and rebellion against the world. Need not say, politician capitalized on such for votes by advocating false hope of breaking away from China as a new republic.

The government's failure to revive the economy in the past 7 years had led to a lost in confidence in civil institution, self-confidence amongst workers, and combined with the dropped in educational level, create a lame environment not conducive for foreign investment and deficient in global competitiveness.

There is no lack of intelligence in Taiwan. However, failure is contagious. Without quick remedy, the diminishing middle class, waning economy, degrading education, reduced global competitiveness, and an inward self-pity outlook will weigh on the Taiwanese and eventually causing the people to feel helplessness and failed.

Taiwanese dilemma is a free-for-all and badly abused democracy doesn't facilitate a quick fix on economy, which without will further erode self-confidence.

BUT, would anybody in Taiwan want to give up democracy to be more like...say...Singapore???