In the intricate tapestry of human society, political parties and religions are among the most prominent collective forces. Though differing in outward form, they share a fundamental essence: groups of people mobilizing, persuading, or controlling others. A philosophical critique of power, collective catharsis, and individual autonomy.
There is a person who keeps issuing warnings before things happen. Some accuse him of talking nonsense, others of spreading alarmist talk. After the event occurs, that person says, "See, it happened after all." Some accuse him of gloating, others of digging up his entire family history. Such a person may be regarded as a prophet by the devout, or dismissed as a showy charlatan by those devoted to a different set of values. This person could be Jesus Christ, Columbus, Copernicus or Galileo, former Director-General of the Department of Health Yang Chih-liang, or you and me—people who found a problem but had no one to tell.
In the small town of Tamsui, climbing up the steps along Chongjian Old Street, many quaint old houses, rotted away, have long been forgotten by time.
