[UncleDick]

I know some people despise him, but without him it seems that Taiwan would have suffered under the PRC for many years.

Instead, they got to suffer under the Chiang dictatorship and one-party rule of the Kuomintang. The Nationalist government was every bit as nasty as the Commies. They just didn't have as big a population to murder once they fled to Formosa.

The 20th century sucked for China no matter where you were.

[zook]

“The Nationalist government was every bit as nasty as the Commies.”

I don’t think so! The people of Taiwan were never forced into collective farms or re-education camps. They were never forced to attend group-think meetings. Their teachers were never stoned in the public square. The people of Taiwan were always allowed to travel, change jobs, and leave the country.

I really think you’ve engaged in some unsupportable hyperbole! Taiwan was a dictatorship, perhaps, but not a totalitarian state!

[JohnnyZ]

Instead, they got to suffer under the Chiang dictatorship and one-party rule of the Kuomintang.

On the other hand, the ChiComs still run an oppressive authoritarian regime while Taiwan is free, and began moving toward freedom under Chiang's son.

Dictator, yes. He had many personal and leadership failures. But Mao he was not, and he made some important positive contributions to history.