In his so-called "Double Ten" speech, Lai Ching-te tried to package himself as both a "guardian of democracy" and a "builder of economy." He boasted that Taiwan's economy had achieved the "fastest growth in Asia," painted an ambitious picture of a so-called "10 new AI infrastructure initiatives," deliberately created a "threat theory" in the Taiwan Straits, and claimed to build a "T-Dome," expand military spending, and strengthen the defense system. At the same time, while avoiding any mention of the authorities' failures in disaster relief, he praised the post-earthquake volunteers in Hualien, dubbed "the superheroes with shovels," as embodying the "spirit of Taiwan," turning spontaneous acts of residents' self-rescue into "official achievements." Yet, despite its thousands of words, the speech was hollow. Economic statistics were piled up to create an illusion of prosperity; tough slogans masked insecurity; and public sentiment was reduced to rhetorical garnish.
Lai's "technocratic" bragging was quickly met with on-the-spot rebuttal. Speaking on the same day, Han Kuo-yu poured cold water on Lai's self-directed political performance by using the metaphor of several "invisible barrier lakes" - a society torn apart by the "Mass Recall" campaign, a rising risk of war fueled by "de-Sinicization," an energy policy bogged down by ideology, and a future possibly compromised by "tariff negotiations." These are the real problems Lai refuses to face. He avoided addressing how to manage cross-Straits risks, adjust Taiwan's economic structure, and refused to reflect on why social divisions are exacerbating. Instead, he kept "repackaging," calling problems hope, crises progress, and public anxiety "the power of unity."
The so-called "T-Dome" is nothing but an expensive illusion; the so-called "unity" is merely a false narrative amid partisanship. His campaign pledge for a "Taoyuan-Hsinchu-Miaoli Greater Silicon Valley" has made zero progress, and tangible result for the touted "10 new AI infrastructure initiatives" is nowhere in sight.
His invocation of the "superheroes with shovels" was especially ironic. Those ordinary residents who, after the landslide disaster at Matai'an Creek, put on rain boots, picked up shovels, and traveled long distances to help their fellow villagers, were turned into emotional props in Lai's speech to highlight so-called "social resilience." The kindness and courage of Taiwan residents truly deserve respect, but Lai turned their self-rescue efforts into his own political achievement, revealing hypocrisy driven by vanity and irresponsibility.
On cross-Straits issues, Lai continued his "wordplay," distorting facts and challenging legal boundaries. Historical documents such as the Cairo Declaration, the Potsdam Proclamation, and the Japanese Instrument of Surrender clearly stipulated that Japan must return all territories seized from China, including the island of Taiwan and the Penghu Islands. This is the international legal basis for China's sovereignty over Taiwan island and outcome of the victory in the World Anti-Fascist War. Yet, Lai tried to replace the historical facts of China's victory in the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression with the Japanese right-wing's "end-of-war narrative," obscuring the historical process of Taiwan's return to China.
He even openly challenged the authority of the UNGA Resolution 2758, attempting to shake the international consensus with the fallacy that "China cannot represent Taiwan," deliberately defying the postwar international order and engaging in political adventurism.
Lai has claimed that he wants to build the so-called "T-Dome," modeled after Israel's "Iron Dome," and even raise the island's military spending to 3 or even 5 percent of its GDP. Such rhetoric may sound ambitious, but in reality, it is forcing all residents on the island of Taiwan to pay for his obstinacy and political manipulation.
By fabricating "threats" to shape identity and using "confrontation" to maintain unity, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) has for years used such tactics as its primary fuel for political mobilization. In essence, it is compelling Taiwan society to coexist psychologically with the prospect of war - sinking deeper into a vicious cycle of "buying security" - all while ignoring the exorbitant prices the US demands for arms purchases and the urgent livelihood needs of ordinary residents.
Lai's "Double Ten" speech appeared high-sounding but was filled with anxiety. He covered inner insecurity with fancy words, disguised weakness with confrontation with the mainland, and comforted himself with an imagined "spirit." The sparse crowd and lukewarm public reaction during his speech stood in sharp contrast to his slogan of "uniting Taiwan," further exposing the DPP authorities' incompetence. History will eventually prove that the so-called "T-Dome" cannot stop the wheels of history from rolling forward. The Chinese mainland's overall strength, public cohesion and international standing continue to rise, while more and more Taiwan residents aspire to peace across the Taiwan Straits. Any attempt to seek "Taiwan independence" by relying on external forces and resisting reunification is doomed to fail.
The will of the people already reflects where justice lies. Despite the DPP authorities' various restrictions and obstacles, in 2024, tourists from Taiwan traveling to the mainland still accounted for 16.4 percent of all outbound trips from the island, making the mainland the second most popular destination. The number of Taiwan students applying to universities on the mainland remains high, and cross-Straits marriages, employment and entrepreneurial cooperation continue to grow. These facts have already shown that an increasing number of Taiwan compatriots understand that only by promoting the sound development of cross-Straits relations can they achieve true security and dignity. If Lai truly cares about "the good lives of all generations," he should see this trend instead of creating divisions through political manipulation.