2nd叔叔

日本發表了蠻有意義的資料﹐就是對提供精子的男生所做的調查。因為聽說蠻多以第三者的精子長大的孩子想見自己的”親生父親“﹐那這些88%的“親生父親”認為假如知道有這樣的麻煩﹐就不會去捐精子。

社會的法律問題也許將來會變得更複雜﹐這些孩子也許有自己想知道自己的權利﹐所以也許這些爸爸們也許會被挖出來跟孩子見面的吧。還有DNA的資料越來越齊全﹐將來他們也許可以輕易地找到親生爸爸的。

我覺得提供卵子的女生們也是有這樣的問題吧﹐不知道女生們的看法。以我個人來看﹐當然不想自己的后代隨處亂長﹐生在何處應該是自己要有控制的權利吧。這麼說還是不能去這樣捐的﹐什麼事可以幫忙﹐但是生孩子是應該幫不了忙的呢。

這篇文章寫得很好﹐假如您是留學中而又過份享受﹐也許可以煞車一下(阿扁的兒子就是其中之一)....

2005.05.23　 中國時報
留學生撫今追昔 我為台灣前景擔憂
陸以正

今天本版兩篇由駐紐約的王良芬執筆的文章，報導美國自九一一事件後加強對外籍學生管制的措施，喚起了當年我作為窮留學生時的回憶。

五十年前，幾乎也就是這幾天，我從駐美大使館文化參事處領了獎助留學生歸國的免費船票，在奧立岡州波特蘭搭乘一艘勝利級（Victory ships）貨輪，航行了十二天才到基隆。
一九五○年代，出國留學不是件容易事，男生必須服完兵役。我雖在政大受過四年軍訓，領有預備軍官證書，卻丟在大陸沒有帶來，因而還去鳳山陸軍官校補受四個月的訓練。美國大使館又是另一關口，依規定自費留學生須備有足夠第一年費用的證明。上哪兒去找最低額的二千四百美元呢？申辦簽證時，更要受美國領事與那些華籍僱員的氣。正因為手續煩瑣，許多人離台時就發誓不再回來，使國家平白流失了不少人才。

那時大家都很窮，留美學生逢暑假必去紐約上州Catskill避暑勝地打工，賺點錢貼補學費。即使到六○年代出國的人也無例外。出國留學比我又晚十年左右的所謂「四公子」─陳履安、連戰、錢復、沈君山─只要讀他們已出版的回憶錄，這方面的經驗也都很豐富。大家非但不以為恥，談起來還津津有味，視作人生值得回味的一段。

相形之下，九○年代以後的台灣留美學生，早已完全變樣。他們大多數家境小康，一到美國，就先買輛新車代步，對獎學金更不屑一顧。不必說寒暑假，即使只有一星期的春假，有女朋友的帶佳人到處旅遊；沒女友的則可飛回台灣，親朋好友會忙不迭地替他找尋相親對象。有位朋友現任紐約某大學外籍學生顧問，她告訴我說，九一一事件後，發Ｉ─20學生簽證給一般國外申請人固然緊縮許多，但來自台灣的學生並無困難，批准率幾乎達到百分之百。本版另一篇林志成的報導，引述教育部張欽盛處長的談話，也證實了這點。

張處長透露的數據卻該受到國人注意：台灣的大學數雖然增加三倍，赴美留學人數卻仍維持過去水準，每年僅在一萬二千至一萬四千人之間。其中就讀研究所的佔五五％，裡面又有五至七成選擇攻讀企管碩士（ＭＢＡ）。驟聞之下，未免納悶：台灣需要這麼多ＭＢＡ嗎？為什麼在大學讀理工科系的人都想擠進管理階層？長此以往，誰去做基礎研究，為台灣長遠發展默默苦幹呢？

四十九年前，亦即一九五六年，我被沈錡羅致入行政院新聞局，擔任第二（國際）處處長，與當時美國中央情報局駐台單位，以西方企業公司（Western Enterprises, Inc）名義對外，後改名海軍輔助通訊中心（Naval Auxiliary Communications Center簡稱ＮＡＣＣ）有過密切的合作關係。我記得一九五八年，哈佛大學教授、經濟學大師、甘迺迪總統時曾任駐印度大使的高伯瑞（John Kenneth Galbraith）出版他的名著《富裕的社會（The Affluent Society）》一書後，ＮＡＣＣ託我幫忙把這本書找人譯為中文出版，我也照辦了。

事隔四十七年，當年找的是哪家出版社，早已忘卻。但因此把後來被譽為「對廿世紀影響最大的一百本書」之一的原著讀了一遍，對我卻有些影響。高伯瑞主張的政府應多投資基礎建設與教育，從而創造財富的理論，不但是美國在甘迺迪與詹森兩位總統時代「對貧窮宣戰（War on Poverty）」的原動力；台灣在六○與七○年代，也奉行得頗有成效。

雖然另一派支持海耶克（Friedrich AugustHayek）的經濟學家，把高伯瑞批評得體無完膚，甚至說他的謬論，該為八○年代美國史無前例的巨大國債負責。我大一時讀的「經濟學概論」早已完全還給了趙蘭坪教授，對這兩派經濟學理論的激辯，無從插嘴。但高氏這本書卻激發了我另一個至今無解的疑問。孟子不也說過「天將降大任於斯人也，必先勞其筋骨，苦其心志，餓其體膚」嗎？因此，當一個國家跨過了貧困的界線，踏入「富裕的社會」後，正因為人民生活富足優裕了，它會逐漸喪失部份競爭力，淪為別國趕前超越的對象嗎？

不必找很遠，現代史就充滿活生生事例。西歐國家如瑞士、瑞典、法國等，早已走到富裕的境界，閉門享受高水準與優閒的文明生活，才讓美國挾廣土眾民，加上它對世界各國移民獨一無二的磁吸力，把「舊歐洲」遠遠拋在背後。台灣與大陸今日對比，是否也有點這種味道在裡面？

我沒有答案。只想提出這個疑團，希望大家都想一想。

阿扁﹐快看齊台灣的一個友邦國吧﹗不然梵帝崗要離開﹐那時候阿扁只好下地獄了。台灣的天主教信徒也很糟糕﹐對梵帝崗的決定不敢嗆聲。
http://diary.yam.com/hercafe/article/513198

May 22, 2005
Hints of Thaw Between China and Vatican
By ELISABETH ROSENTHAL,
International Herald Tribune

ROME, May 21 - The Roman Catholic Church and the Chinese government are actively exploring the re-establishment of diplomatic relations, with contacts between the sides warming to the point that the ailing John Paul II quietly received a quasi-official Chinese delegation in the Vatican late last year.

In half a dozen meetings in Rome and Beijing, starting in early 2004, both sides have indicated an increased willingness to yield on their differences, people present at some of the discussions said. Diplomatic ties were cut in 1951.

China has indicated that it may allow the Vatican to nominate bishops for the Catholic Church in China. The Vatican has shown a willingness to sever longstanding diplomatic ties with Taiwan, which Beijing considers a breakaway province.

About four million Chinese Catholics worship at state-approved churches, where priests must declare allegiance to Beijing rather than to the pope. Millions more worship at "underground" churches that are loyal to the Vatican and whose members often suffer persecution and harassment.

In re-establishing ties with the Vatican, China would strengthen its prestige as a world power and aid its claim, in regards to Taiwan, to be the only true China.

So far, the meetings have been unofficial; top officials from the two powers have not negotiated face to face. Rather, the exchanges have brought together leaders of the Community of SantEgidio, an international Catholic aid group with close ties to the Vatican, and officials from Chinese government policy research groups and the Chinese Communist Party School, the power base of President Hu Jintao.

On Thursday, Pope Benedict XVI publicly took up the effort, telling diplomats at the Vatican that he was "thinking of" nations with which "the Holy See does not yet maintain diplomatic relations," a clear reference to China, diplomats at the meeting said.

"I wish to address a deferential greeting to the civil authorities of these countries, expressing the wish to see them as soon as possible represented at the Apostolic See," the pope said.

Cardinal Pio Laghi, a frequent papal envoy, said in an interview with Corriere Della Sera that "China was certainly a priority" of the new papacy and that the pope was already contemplating a trip to Beijing.

Mario Marazitti, a spokesman for SantEgidio, which is based in Rome, said: "The Vatican has become really active on this. There is now a convergence of efforts between our work and the Vatican. It is taking its own direct steps. The other side seems receptive. This is a new situation."

In a briefing in Beijing on Tuesday, a Foreign Ministry spokesman, Kong Quan, confirmed Chinas interest, saying that "we are sincere about establishing ties with the Vatican."

The spokesman said he hoped the Vatican would create "favorable conditions to normalize relations." But he also insisted that the Taiwan issue was vital, saying, "The Vatican must follow the decision of the international community to treat Taiwan as an inseparable part of China."

Relations were at a low point just five years ago, when John Paul canonized 120 Chinese Catholics as martyrs on Oct. 1, the anniversary of the Chinese Communist revolution, provoking outrage in Beijing. But the bitterness from that episode has obviously faded. It is not clear if any of these early initiatives will lead to diplomatic relations, and there is some skepticism about the possibility despite the eagerness by both sides to establish ties.

Beatrice Leung, a Catholic nun and professor of international relations at the Wenzao Ursuline College in Taiwan, said: "I feel the Vatican is showing itself to be very anxious to establish relations with China, to help solve the problems of Chinese Catholics."

When President Chen Shui Bian of Taiwan traveled to Rome for John Pauls funeral, he was snubbed by Vatican officials, who refused requests for meetings, she said. He was seated between the first lady of Brazil and the president of Cameroon. "This is strong political language telling mainland China, We are ready, " Professor Leung said.

Still, she said she was skeptical that China would allow Catholic bishops the independence required by canon law and insisted upon in other countries.

"The bishops have to be accountable to the pope and not to civil authorities; they need administrative independence to act as they see fit in their diocese," she said. "I can see China giving this free hand now because of its fears about social unrest. The church emphasizes the need for social justice and democracy, and thats the last thing they want."

The current optimism stems, at least in part, from the series of meetings between representatives of SantEgidio and Chinese scholars and officials, which started early last year. Although there was no official mandate from the Vatican, the pope was "aware" of the efforts, SantEgidio officials said.

Likewise, it is inconceivable that officials of crucial Chinese government research institutes would have visited the Vatican without the approval of the countrys leaders.

"We are trying to work with them to find terms and a solution that is acceptable to the Vatican and also in line with what the Chinese consider nonnegotiable," Mr. Marazitti said.

Mr. Marazitti said the Chinese seemed to accept the Vaticans right to nominate bishops. "Of course they would be appointed by the Chinese government, but after the Vatican says who to appoint."

A similar system already operates in Vietnam, which also tightly controls religious practice. But there have been occasional standoffs between the Vatican and Vietnams Communist government, which has sometimes stalled in seating the popes nominees.

The issue of Taiwan is likely to be less problematic. As early as 1999, a Vatican official suggested a willingness to transfer diplomatic ties if Beijing offered an invitation.

Taiwanese Catholics are "psychologically prepared," Professor Leung said, and could accept a religious relationship rather than a diplomatic one.