The Evan Lam Show: Recent Episodes
Evan Lam
Explore current news and topics with Evan and learn more about the events influencing Taiwan and Greater China today.
Is Taiwan becoming less democratic? With the new Digital Intermediary Services Act Proposal regulating internet speech, that may be so! If the proposal becomes law, this democratic government could encourage and discourage what you say online.
Last week, Taiwan had its worst power outage in recent years, with much of the problem due to the current administration's unrealistic energy plan. I dive into that issue, as well as question why former US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo received a medal of recognition from President Tsai of the Republic of China, despite his blank record of contributing to meaningful Taiwan - US relations.
The Russian invasion of Ukraine is horrible and unjustified. Let us continue to pray for the people of Ukraine and the safety of everyone involved. Previously, I mentioned how Ukraine is not Taiwan and how Russia is not China. Still, this situation can teach Taiwan valuable lessons on the importance of peace and self-sufficiency when dealing with mainland China. Taiwan must pursue peace but be prepared to defend itself at any moment.
The Beijing Olympics are over! It was mostly successful. The athletes were happy, and barely anyone got COVID. However, the Olympics highlighted pressing issues. Namely, athletes of Chinese background and ethnicity now have labels, either pro-America and democracy or pro-China and totalitarianism, without regard to the athletes themselves, their thoughts, and feelings. This labeling is detrimental to the world and will only further divide Americans and Chinese against one another and themselves.
When discussing public policy decisions, we cannot only rely on numbers and science. Instead, we must consider human needs and wants; ultimately, our policies are for humans. Especially relevant in Taiwan, as the government is planning to lift a ban on food products from Fukushima, the site of a nuclear accident in 2011.
Welcome to part b of Episode 4. In this episode, I explore the political atmosphere surrounding this year's Olympics in China. What are the impacts of talking about these issues right now, and what is it like to be ethnically Chinese during this sensitive moment? As guests, how should we react to China as the host nation?
Welcome back after the Chinese New Year holiday! This week's episode is in two parts. In part A, I cover the venues, locations, and infrastructure of the Beijing Olympics. I also talk about the My2022 app that all athletes have to use and the artificial snow. In part b, I delve a bit more into the politics of the Olympics - and what it's like being ethnically Chinese during these sensitive times.
Happy Chinese New Year y’all! 新年快樂！ I hope you guys had a great time celebrating the new Year of the Tiger. Because of the holiday, we will not have an episode this week, but we’ll continue our regular schedule next week!
Hello again! Welcome to Episode 3. As usual, we'll be starting off with the weekly news highlights. Then we'll be diving into TWO topics this week. First, we'll find out whether the situation between Russia and Ukraine is similar to what's happening with Mainland China and Taiwan. We'll wrap it up with a discussion about why anti-communist rhetoric from multiple administrations in the Republic of China is false and what that means. Thank you all for listening, and please remember to subscribe and rate this podcast!
Welcome back, everyone! In episode 2, we'll be going over last week's major news in Taiwan. Then, we'll be talking about what's up with the KMT (Kuomintang/Chinese Nationalist Party) and why they have been so unsuccessful in the public space over the past couple of years, accumulating a never-ending string of losses. To preserve the nature of the Republic of China's young democracy and for their supporters and influence, the KMT has to get their act together quickly.
A quick note: In the episode, I imply that the US Congress was controlled by one party at various points in time. I should have specified the house of Congress that party had control over. Apologies for the confusion.
Hello, and excited to get this show on the road! My name is Evan. Today, we'll be introducing this podcast before getting right into our first topic - a recent referendum election held in Taiwan that paints a clear picture of the political atmosphere in the Republic of China today.