Article snippet: Posted at 8:00 pm on July 14, 2017 by Andrea Ruth Giving the South Africans a run for their money, the Taiwanese parliament erupted into a full-scale brawl on Friday, with chairs being thrown along with punches. This fight seems to be expected by some as members started throwing water balloons they’d brought with them that morning. The traditional Taiwanese “opposition party” has control of both the presidency and the legislature for the first time. Apparently, this melee broke out over a major infrastructure spending bill the president wants to pass. Some suggested this is where the United States is headed. I suggest anyone who thinks a fight over a spending bill with water balloons is bad in the context of American history should read up on the issue of slavery and the caning of Sen. Charles Sumner in the well of the Senate in 1856. From the Senate’s archives: While these types of fights in places like Taiwan and South Africa are stunning (and at times amusing) to watch, we should keep perspective of where we come from before we start pontificating about where we’re headed, and comparing the two. Link to the full article to read more