The Workers Sing A Song Of Mass Production

[matrix]

In the song, there's a line that says...

'they don't like that much,

cause it's called Formosa'

 

Does anyone know what this means? I searched Encarta, and the only thing I can find is that it's related to Taiwan somehow, which obviously fits the song, but I can't find the actually definition.

[no yu begin wher i end]

I think that Formosa is the island, whereas Taiwan is the country. Either that or Formosa is the former name of Taiwan.

[Lorien]

I was made by the Taiwanese in Taiwan

but they don't like that much

because it's called Formosa

 

"Formosa may also refer to a fictional country located on the island of Taiwan, but whose culture was invented by George Psalmanazar as a hoax." (thanks wikipedia)

 

this may piece it together?

[Gallick]

Formosa is a placename which comes from Latin formosa (*formous, meaning "beautiful"). Other Iberian Romance versions are hermosa.

 

The following places bear the name:

* The island of Taiwan, also sometimes used for the Republic of China

 

I'd guess that Formosa is the Taiwanese name for Taiwan.

Edited November 20, 2005 by Gallick

[HoboFactory]

What is now Taiwan was once refered to as Formosa in the west. Sorta how Iran was more commonly called Persia, and the people often prefer to be called Persians.

[miles2025]

Formosa is the name that was given to Taiwan when it was discovered, and the name it kept up until it switched from Japanese to Chinese rule after WWII (nobody refers to it as Formosa anymore).

 

I think the key point here is that the meaning of the word Formosa is "beautiful island". However, once it fell under Chinese rule, it largely became the home of many globalizing factories which treat their workers like sh*t and give them crap pay.

 

So basically my interpretation of the song is...

It's a song against mass production (duh). It describes the lifestyle of those that live and work in Taiwan, and how badly they are exploited and taken advantage of.

But he throws in that line "They don't like that much, cause it's called Formosa" kinda to say "this isn't right, we're supposed to be living on a beautiful, free land".

[Guest Prosis]

That was beautiful man

[pennies]

way to ruin a beautiful island, north america.

[S.E. Hardy]

It's one of our specialties.

[Guest jjazz]

I believe "Formosa" was a great ship used in the, civil war era...

[Ravenous Yam]

What is now Taiwan was once refered to as Formosa in the west. Sorta how Iran was more commonly called Persia, and the people often prefer to be called Persians.

That's it.

I like the old names way better.

 

Formosa, Persia, Siam, Ceylon, Arabia, Indochina.

Way cooler.

[matrix]

Thanks all for the feedback, that had been bothering me for awhile.

[Are You for Scuba?]

way to ruin a beautiful island, north america.

The GDP per capita of Taiwan is $25,300 (2004 est). Hardly ruined when they have one of the best standards of living in Asia.

[carkiwi]

there is a Formosa cultural club at school

never thought of what it was before though

[Lorien]

It sounds like a type of cheese...

 

"Id like to buy a pound of formosa..." IT suits!

[marik]

how exactly are the lyrics in this song detailing the bad conditionf of the workers? i'm not doubting it, i am just stupid at this moment

[MarketTomato]

Yeah, I don't know, and I don't know about the whole "do it while the worlds awake" business.

[marik]

my guess about "do it while the worlds awake" line was that maybe it meant they work in these production lines in bad conditions, while the world (the important countries US, europe) are in a different time zone (just waking up, or day time, over on the other side of the world)