The circus-like, angry and aggressive atmosphere surrounding the president-elect’s first press conference appears in stark contrast to the festive mood present in Chicago during President Obama’s farewell address. One thing that I particularly appreciate, and one of my fondest memories of Obama’s speeches, other than their rhetoric, is their pedagogical side, in the sense that the president educates his people, reminding them – or sometimes even teaching them – the fundamentals of the U.S. Constitution and the origin of the democratic American dream. Currently, very few world leaders are giving us the opportunity to be the privileged witnesses of such demonstrations of eloquence and depth of rhetoric.
Taiwanese government officials and national security leaders must remember that, right now, silence speaks louder than words, and it is better to remain still than to act rashly.
