HISTORY doesn’t always offer up a lesson, rather we must ask ourselves what we can learn from history. Let us take the example of the American Revolution. The ancestors of the Americans arrived at their destinations from Europe 400 years ago. The ancestors of the Taiwanese [of Chinese descent] came from mainland China at roughly the same time. Yet the respective relationships between mother and offspring could not be more different. Today, America is a powerful and independent nation, while Taiwan cowers in China’s shadow. Only after Taiwan becomes independent can Taiwan and China communicate as the United States and Britain do today.

Exactly 230 years ago, a few intellectuals in America led a revolution against their mother country and built their own nation. The American “rebels” were genteel but firm, especially when it came to fighting for independence. By comparison, the Taiwanese elite borrowed the name “Republic of China” instead of establishing their own national identity. Even today they are weak and afraid of the challenge of fighting for an independent nation, citing a range of circumstances as an excuse. You can wait as long as you wish for the perfect timing and ideal circumstances, but independence is not going to happen without the strong determination of Taiwan’s leaders.

America’s Samuel Adams once wrote: “Is not America already independent? Why not then declare it?” He believed that if America wanted to break away from Britain, it had to so openly. At that time, the stars were not yet aligned in favor of the colonists. Europeans had dominated what is now America for almost three centuries. The world was ruled by emperors and monarchies. Furthermore, in Colonial America, those who really wanted independence from Britain were in the minority. Most would have been content with more political equality and peaceful coexistence with the British.

Just days before the signing of the Declaration of Independence, six of the 13 colonies were against the idea of independence or reamined undecided. The timing was not perfect, the American revolutionaries understood their chances were slim, but they relied on the sheer will of their leaders.

Guided by the belief in “liberty or death,” America launched its independence movement. America’s success was determined neither by its size nor natural resources, nor by its position on the far side of the Atlantic Ocean, which acted as a protective barrier. Many countries that have won their independence today are even smaller than Taiwan and do not possess a natural buffer like the Taiwan Strait. One of Taiwan’s great patriots, K.C. Wu echoed Samuel Adams’s rallying cry: “Is not Taiwan already independent? Then why not declare it?” But the response was hardly the same. And the reason is economics.

Taiwan has always been proud of its “economic miracle” and its status as one of the “Four Dragons of Asia.” But economic prosperity didn’t bring about the desire for liberty as it did for America. The Americans understood that the only way to continue their prosperity was to become independent from Britain. The Americans knew they could face an initial economic setback, but they also understood long-term prosperity could only be possible if they became an independent nation.

On the contrary, Taiwan’s leaders continue to believe that independence would stunt Taiwan’s economic growth. Taiwan’s elites—its intellectuals, businessmen and entrepreneurs—believe money is the first priority. For the sake of economic growth, they have shunned the idea of an independent nation. For the sake of money, Taiwanese businessmen and entrepreneurs have sided with mainland China. Taiwan’s economic miracle only reinforced a society that puts money in front of everything else. The result is that Taiwan’s businessmen have become China’s hostages.

Taiwan today enjoys a better economic environment than America did in 1776, but Taiwan’s elites have not seized the opportunity to declare their independence. Instead, they are content with the status quo (the mirage of “peaceful co-existence”) when they should help the masses understand that the “Republic of China” is a dead end. Taiwan needs to be its own nation.

We cannot again pass this responsibility onto the next generation. We must learn from U.S. history that independence is the only way to build a better and brighter future for all Taiwanese and only a steely will and determination can get us there.

Ingsiong Jeng is a retired professor of engineering. He left Taiwan in 1964 and now lives in Southern California.