中文翻譯請見下方 (Please see below for a Mandarin translation)

A lot of people consider Taiwan to be a small country -- if they realize it's a country at all -- far away from the West and not important enough for the rest of the world to worry about. It is also one of the most successful and thriving democracies in Asia, a region which has seen increased authoritarianism with the Myanmar coup,  genocide in East Turkestan (Xinjiang) and overall declining freedom. The People's Republic of China and their CCP government is among the worst offenders. Other countries in the region dislike their bullying and aggressive tactics, as well. 

Taiwan is at the forefront of this fight between democracy and authoritarianism. China claims Taiwan as its territory, but the fact is that Taiwan has never been ruled by the PRC. Looking into history, there are so many other claims by China that it is "a part of China" since "antiquity", but these claims are false. Even during the period when China did govern Taiwan, it was as a colony, and only partially. Today, the people of Taiwan mostly do not identify as Chinese (a majority identify as solely Taiwanese) and do not wish to be governed by a dictatorship whose most noted accomplishment to date has been a FUCKING GENOCIDE. 

Oh wait -- there was one other accomplishment. Fucking destroying Hong Kong!

Do you want that for Taiwan? No? Then sign our petition. And John, do an episode about Taiwan.

Taiwan does matter to the West. Taiwan designs the chips that are in all of your electronic devices. Yes, all of them. Yes -- even that one. Yes, the one you are reading this on right now, Brad. With a population similar to that of Australia, Taiwan is the world's 22nd largest economy. 

Taiwan is also an important link in the island chain that ensures the safety of nearby nations. It is not merely US naval supremacy on the line. If Taiwan falls to China, what does that mean for the safety of Japan, South Korea and the Philippines? China has long claimed the (Japanese) Ryukyu Islands as well -- can they just take Japanese territory at will? They've been salami slicing with the Philippines, and angered Vietnam and India as well. That's a lot of nations. This isn't a US-China fight. This is a global issue. Taiwan is central to that issue. 

And yet, China has hundreds, if not thousands, of missiles pointed at Taiwan right now. It routinely violates Taiwan's Air Defense Identification Zone, forcing the Taiwan Air Force to scramble. It refuses to renounce the use of force, which means it believes it has the right to invade Taiwan at any time and subjugate 23.4 million people who want simply to keep same human rights the rest of the democratic world enjoys, under the fairly elected government they already have. 

The truth is, Taiwan is already independent. Taiwan has a government, territory, a military, a currency and more. The only reason it's still even called the Republic of China is because the PRC threatens to start that war (you know, the one with all the missiles) if they change the name. It's not because Taiwan actually thinks it is "part of China" or "the real China". 

Taiwan also offers the world an example of how liberal values such as women's rights and marriage equality can co-exist and take root in a "traditional" Asian culture. They are not mutually exclusive. Taiwan is not only consistently ranked one of the freest democracies in Asia, it is currently the only country in Asia that has legalized marriage equality. Doesn't the world need to be a little more gay? Well, #Taiwan can help! 

In fact, Taiwan is so free that it's a country where a group of students and activists can occupy the legislature for almost a month, demand the retraction of a problematic trade pact, and not only win (yes -- they won!) but change the entire discourse around Taiwan-China relations.

By the way, we also have hands-down the sexiest legislator in the world. No, you cannot prove this wrong, because it is objectively correct. You could wash the laundry of the entire nation on those smokin' abs. And he's the frontman of a black metal band, too! 

Until recently, Taiwan has also very successfully handled the COVID19 epidemic, arguably better than any other country. Even now, with a local outbreak, the government is working hard to keep everything under control. They donated masks. They offered medical expertise. They tried to participate in international affairs, but China keeps blocking them from crucial organizations such as the WHO. In some ways, it faces a similar conundrum to Palestine: blocked and threatened by a foreign power which claims its territory, while the world looks on.

And yet, the world ignores Taiwan, if it knows it exists at all (hint: it's not the same country as Thailand). The right has aligned itself with Taiwan's cause, which causes many liberals to think that Taiwan's cause fundamentally right-wing. It is not. Most support for Taiwan now is bipartisan, and Taiwan would like it to remain that way. 

That's terrifying: media headlines scream about how Taiwan could be the flashpoint for World War 3, but nobody seems to know much about it. That must change.

To put it another way: those of us who care about Taiwan and support its recognition and continued independence want the world to learn more about it. We encourage them to read, consider, visit. Those who want the world to think Taiwan is simply a part of China that is not worth caring about want you to do the opposite: to accept the Chinese Communist Party line, not question it and learn nothing more. 

So, how can the world stop believing there are two Thailands, and start understanding that Taiwan...well, exists? And that it matters?

How can we get the world to see this? By talking about it in major news media. John Oliver has consistently done an excellent job parsing international issues, including a willingness to take the PRC to task in a way that no other comedy show hosts -- let alone non-comedy media outlets -- seem ready or able to do. He has a massive viewership that trends young and liberal: exactly the people who should understand Taiwan better. 

This is why we believe that he is the best possible person to take on this issue and discuss Taiwan on Last Week Tonight. 

And maybe, just maybe, we can get that sexy legislator to come on your show too. We haven't asked yet, but if we're real nice about it, you never know! 

許多人認為台灣只是個小國家（假如他們真的認為台灣是個國家）──既遠離西方，又沒有重要到該讓世界其他地區來操心。但台灣也是亞洲最成功、繁榮的民主國家之一，而亞洲地區則面臨如緬甸軍事政變、東突厥斯坦（新疆）種族屠殺等威權主義增加的情況，以及整體性的自由衰退。中華人民共和國（以下簡稱「中國」）更是最糟糕的侵略者。亞洲地區其他國家的政府都非常厭惡中國的霸凌和侵略性戰術。

台灣位於民主與極權主義鬥爭的最前線。中國宣稱台灣是其領土的一部分，但其實台灣從未受過中華人民共和國統治。仔細檢視歷史，中國曾宣稱許多地區「自古以來」就是「中國的一部分」，但這些宣稱多半是錯誤的。即使在清朝統治台灣期間，台灣也僅是清朝的殖民地，而且只有部分地區受到殖民。在今日，台灣人民大多不認同自己是中國人（大多數只認為自己是台灣人），而且不希望被一個最大成就是種族屠殺的幹他媽獨裁政權統治。

喔，等等──這個獨裁政權還有另一項成就：他們幹他媽地毀了香港！

你想要台灣被摧毀嗎？不想？那請加入我們的連署。還有，約翰，請製作一集有關台灣的節目。

台灣對西方確實很重要。台灣設計你們所有電子裝置裡的晶片。沒錯，所有的電子裝置。沒錯──連那個也是。對，布萊德，就是你現在閱讀這篇文章用的裝置。台灣的人口和澳洲相似，是世界第22大經濟體。

台灣也在確保鄰近國家安全的島鏈中占了關鍵位置。這攸關的不只是美國的海上霸權而已。如果台灣落入中國手中，對日本、南韓及菲律賓的安全會有什麼影響？中國長久以來也都聲稱擁有（日本的）琉球群島──難道他們可以任意占據日本領土嗎？他們也一直對菲律賓搞小動作，並且激怒越南和印度。這可是很多國家。這不只是中美之戰。這是全球性的問題，而台灣在此問題中扮演重要角色。

然而，中國現在卻用成千或至少幾百枚飛彈瞄準台灣。中國常態性地侵犯台灣的領空，迫使台灣空軍緊急出動。中國拒絕撤銷武力使用，代表他們相信自己有權隨時侵略台灣，征服兩千三百四十萬的台灣人，而台灣人只想在他們早已擁有、透過投票公平選出的政府統治下，保有民主世界其他國家享有的人權。

事實上，台灣已經是獨立的國家。台灣擁有自己的政府、領土、軍隊、貨幣等。台灣仍然叫做中華民國的唯一原因在於，假如台灣更改國號，中國就可能會發動戰爭（你懂的，就是用那一堆飛彈發動戰爭）。完全不是因為台灣認為自己是「中國的一部分」或「正統中國」。

台灣也為這個世界樹立了典範，展現女權、婚姻平權等自由價值如何和「傳統」亞洲文化共存，並在其中扎根。自由價值與傳統文化並非互不相容。台灣不僅長久以來持續名列亞洲最自由的民主國家之一，更讓婚姻平權合法化。世界對同志的態度不是應該更開放、更友善嗎？那麼，#Taiwan can help！

事實上，台灣這個國家是如此自由，就連學生和社會運動份子都能占領立法院長達近一個月，以要求撤銷有問題的貿易法案，而且他們不但勝利（是的──他們贏了！），更改變了圍繞兩岸關係的整個話語權。

順帶一提，我們還有毫無疑問世上最性感的立法委員。不，你沒辦法證明這點是錯的，因為客觀來說它是正確的。這位委員性感火辣的洗衣板腹肌，簡直可用來洗全國的衣服。而且他還是黑金屬樂團的主唱！

不久之前，台灣的COVID-19疫情控制得很好，可說比其他任何國家控制得都好。就算現在國內疫情爆發，政府也在努力讓一切都在控制中。他們捐贈口罩。他們提供醫療專業。他們努力參與國際事務，但中國卻一直阻礙他們加入WHO等重要世界組織。台灣在許多方面都面臨和巴勒斯坦類似的困境：他們受到占據其領土的國外強權阻礙和威脅，但世上其他國家卻袖手旁觀。

 

然而，就算世界真的知道台灣的存在（小提示：台灣和泰國是不同的國家），也依然忽略台灣。右派人士支持台灣的目標，這導致許多自由主義者認為台灣的訴目標基本上屬於右翼。但事實並非如此。在美國，台灣現在受到兩黨支持，而台灣也想維持此情況。

駭人的是，媒體頭條總是大肆渲染台灣如何可能成為第三次世界大戰的導火線，但似乎沒有人真的了解台灣。這種情況必須改變。

換句話說，我們這些在乎台灣、支持台灣受到國際承認並保持獨立的人，想要讓世界更了解台灣。我們鼓勵大家閱讀、思考、來訪。而那些想讓世界認為台灣只是中國的一部分、不值得大家在乎的人，卻想要你們做相反的事：接受中國共產黨的主張，不加以質疑，也不去了解。

那麼，世界要怎樣才能停止相信有兩個泰國，並開始明白台灣……確實存在？而且台灣不僅存在，還很重要？

我們該怎麼讓世界看到這點？透過在主流新聞媒體上談論台灣。約翰‧奧立佛（John Oliver）在剖析國際議題方面一直表現出色，也願意以其他喜劇性節目主持人都做不到、或未準備好去做的方式來批判中國。（其他喜劇性節目尚且如此，非喜劇性的媒體管道就更不用說。）約翰‧奧利佛在年輕人和自由主義者之中擁有廣大收視群，而這些人正是應該要更了解台灣的人。

這就是為什麼我們相信約翰‧奧立佛是處理此議題，並在《上週今夜秀》討論台灣的最理想人選。 

而且，也許，只是也許，我們還可以找那位性感的立委來上節目。我們還沒問過他，但假如我們的態度很好，說不定他真的會來呢！