I had had a busy summer this year. Two things I did in particular reinforced the idea that I had chosen the best possible career for myself. I taught two summer session classes back to back and wrote a few editorial pieces for the Apple Daily, Taiwan's leading newspaper. But what do they have in common?
The Ma administration in Taiwan is contemplating a tax system overhaul. What I wrote about was some tax reform concepts from the perspective of conservatives/classic liberals/libertarians. We need such voices to counter the ubiquitous left-leaning elites in the media. Though not a tax expert myself, I never hesitate to cry out loud what is wrong with the left (see my Chinese blog if you read characters.)
Meanwhile, the very first batch of students in my teaching career gave me very positive response to my teaching. Again, I am no teaching expert. In fact, I shall be called as a lousy public speaker with a thick accent. But I am very enthusiastic about instilling interesting and sometimes provoking ideas into them. I am very happy that I influence a few people already.
To paraphrase Arthur Seldon, the intellectual architect of Thatcherism, both my acts are "lobbing shells into enemy lines, but (they) would never be the infantry, engaged in the short-term face-to-face grappling." I enjoy doing it, and hopefully get to do it for the next thirty years.
(Picture: www.findgrave.com)
