2010 - 3rd Quarter Writings
Smoke, Mirrors, a Scam? Are Taiwanese Orphans or Masters of Their House?
People have often asked me my opinion of the Lin-Hartzell argument that Taiwan is still subject to determination by the US Military which was victorious (with its allies) over Japan. It is true that the San Francisco Peace Treaty stipulated that Japan give up Taiwan. Yet in 1952 the San Francisco Treaty did not say to whom Taiwan should be given. This was seven years after World War II, and three years after China's Civil War on the continent ended with the expulsion of Chiang Kai-shek and the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT). ...
Panda Dig Breaking News: Wen Jiabao Pledges to Remove Missiles
It is no secret that China continues to increase its military budget and beef up its military threat against Taiwan. However China's Premier Wen Jiabao surprised everyone recently when he commented that the some 1500 plus Chinese missiles deployed against Taiwan would be removed "some day." Many were shocked but then astute reporters noticed that the English translation of Wen's remarks omitted a key phrase at the end of the sentence. i.e. Wen stated, "Our missiles aimed at Taiwan will be removed some day, when pigs learn to fly." ...
Wasting Away Money in Non-sequiturville: Hau Lung-bin and the Carpetbaggers
A characteristic of Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) carpetbaggers is their sense of privilege and entitlement and the belief that after gaining high positions via loyalty, they can in turn use such positions to reward carpetbagger friends. Hau Lung-bin, the current Mayor of Taipei fits this carpetbagger profile. He has had no strong political background to justify his being mayor; however his father, Hau Pei-tsun came to Taiwan as a general under Chiang Kai-shek. Hau Pei-tsun later served as Premier, ran as a Vice Presidential Candidate and was a key suspect in the Lafayette Frigate Scandal involving hundreds of millions of dollars of bribes, inflated prices and most likely murder. That supposedly made Hau Lung-bin, whose education was supported by the KMT, a good mayoral candidate. ...
The Spanish Galleon "Andalucia" Arrives with Typhoon
With a typhoon beginning to batter the east coast, something that is being overshadowed or outclassed is the arrival of the Spanish Galleon "Andalucia," a replica of the 17th century ships that once ran the famous "Manila to Acapulco" trade route for over 250 years. This ship sailed out of Seville, Spain earlier in the summer and was present at the Shanghai World Expo as well as doing some PR touring for Spain. I was hoping to go see this sea-worthy replica on Monday in Ilan, but the typhoon has forced it to seek the port of Keelung--a much more protected port--in the storm. ...
It's Worry Time in Taiwan!!
Typhoon Fanapi is bearing down on the island; fortunately thus far for this year, there have been few dangerous typhoons that hit the island. The problem on this one is that President Ma Ying-jeou has instructed the government agencies to "treat every typhoon as if it were Typhoon Morakot." Whoa, are we ready for this??? Anyone with any memory will recall how the Ma government was asleep at the wheel when Morakot hit, how it responded so slowly, and how its solutions exacerbated the problem more than solved it. ...
Taiwan, as the World Turns; the Soaps Continue as the Carpetbaggers Defend Their Privilege
I have been away on vacation for the past three weeks and come back to find the "bushiban soap opera" still continuing. Either the "dancing/entertaining/owner/teacher" or the media or both seem to not want to let it rest. Taipei's Mayor Hau is probably just as happy since the overspending and corruption on the Flora Show is surfacing more and more; it is humorous to see all the KMT pundits work hard to find ways to rationalize the KMT Carpetbagger Privilege that still lingers over Taiwan. Anyone who has lived in Taipei during the Ma and Hau administrations can easily recognize the attitude of "do it wrong the first time" as regards quality; that way one has to continually pay to do it over and over again to one's construction buddies. So the world turns; expect comments soon.
Taiwan as the World Turns: the Media Love Good Soap Opera
Last week the media in Taiwan were all ablaze with the gossip of Kao Kuo-hua, owner of a major cram school being caught French-kissing a teacher from a competing cram school by vigilant paparazzi. One would wonder, why is this a big deal? It would be different if Taiwan's President had been caught in a gay tryst with a youthful page or such, but a cram school owner? Come on. ...
Taiwan as the World Turns: Ma-speak is the Order of the Day
The uninitiated would not recognize it, and those whose only knowledge of Taiwan is to talk to pan-blue stalwart friends long esconced in the States would applaud it, but Taiwan got another of its monthly dosage of Ma-speak when Ma clamored that the USA should really hasten to sell Taiwan defensive arms etc. etc. ...
KMY Legislators Dodge Responsibility: Taiwan as the World Turns
Taiwan's National Health Insurance (NHI) needs some revamping and the KMT dominated Legislative Yuan can do the job so they say. Since they have a strong majority the KMT can do most anything it wants in the Legislative Yuan; so why are they hesitating to act, especially if the actions are necessary and needed? They did not hesitate to ram through the approval of ECFA that Ma wanted. So? Ah yes, it is an election year so they don't want to touch it till after the elections. ...
To Be Whole, Taiwan Must Shed Itself of its KMT Carpetbagger Legacy: Part I
Taiwan has many problems, not only with its economy but even with its democracy and identity. In the past two years Taiwan's economy has gone nowhere but down under President Ma Ying-jeou; his 6-3-3 promise is at best a country wide joke. The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) from its one-party state days up to the present still controls the Legislative Yuan. For this reason it maintains tremendous leverage, and its possession of the stolen state assets can go unchallenged. Thus, the KMT can continue to place party interests before Taiwan's national interests. Or put another way, the KMT only protects Taiwan's interests if they protect the KMT interests. This is the root of Taiwan's problems and what Taiwanese still have not yet grasped. The KMT is a carpetbagger party that exists to serve its carpetbagger interests and preserve the Constitutional fantasy that perpetuates its carpetbagger rights. ...
As the World Turns, Taiwan, Yang Chiu-hsing Backtracks on His Word
Yang Chiu-hsing went back on his word this past week. When the DPP had held their primaries in May, Yang entered and said he would support the winner whoever it would be; but when he lost, he changed his mind. ...
The Film "Formosa Betrayed" Though Different from "Cape No. 7" is Important for Taiwan Youth
There was a time, not long ago, when Taiwanese were not allowed to speak Taiwanese. There was a time, not long ago, when Taiwanese could not say they were Taiwanese without being ridiculed. There was a worse time, also not that long ago, when Taiwanese were tortured and imprisoned if they wanted democracy. That time is what the movie, "Formosa Betrayed," opening in Taiwan theatres island-wide on August 6th is about. ...
Still Not Free of KMT Bias, Taiwan Prepares for the Film, "Formosa Betrayed"
For today's Taiwanese who have grown up in a democratic country with rule by law and freedom of the press, it is difficult to visualize anything of the oppression that the people endured during the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) one-party state under Chiang Kai-shek and Chiang Ching-kuo. For that reason, and since the new film "Formosa Betrayed" will soon be opening on the island, it may be good to step back a few years and see some examples of that. I have already written of the imprisonment of Taiwanese Peng Ming-min for advocating democracy in the 1960s and his escape from the island. I have also written in the past about Dang Nylon (having a Chinese father and a Taiwanese mother) who identified himself as Taiwanese; Dang was harassed and immolated himself for the cause of democracy as late as 1989. Use the search engine on this site to find writings on them. A third person, however, that everyone should know about is Bo Yang (1920--2008) ...
Taiwan's Hybrid Nature: its Strength and its Hope
Most short and long term visitors to Taiwan will comment on its unique characteristics, culture and style. Taiwan has an identity that makes it clearly different from all its neighbors; further its people are hardy, resilient and adaptive. Why? This is no doubt more than just the result of historical experience and development; it may also be its nature. Theorists certainly wonder how and why after century upon century of diverse colonizers, with each striving to impose its brand of imagined community on it, Taiwan has still managed to develop its own characteristics and culture. I posit that Taiwan did this not so much by rejection, but by absorbing the colonizing cultures and cross breeding them into its own indigenous ways and stock. In other words, Taiwanese have forged what can be called their own unique hybrid culture and way, the Taiwanese way. ...
Taiwan Voters Peek Behind the KMT Curtain of Corruption in Taichung
Jason Hu was born in Beijing and grew up in the hierarchical, one-party state culture of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT). As a one-party state, it was a culture of privilege, power, and entitlement. Within that culture one could easily rise if one had reasonable talent, kept one eye closed under the party mask of hierarchical respectability, and was loyal to the party regardless of its actions. It was a culture fostered by Chiang Kai-shek (CKS), a warlord among warlords and one who manipulated events so that he seemed the logical choice to bear the mantle of Sun Yat-sen. If one followed the above precepts particularly that of loyalty, one could expect to be taken care of by the benevolence of the KMT. Jason Hu did that and was rewarded by being its representative for Mayor of Taichung. ...
Taipei Elections, a Matter of Quality
The November elections approach and the voters of Taipei have many questions to ask. One important question concerns the quality of Mayor Hau Lung-bin's past leadership. When it comes to quality, whether it is Quality Assurance, Quality Control and/or Quality Management, those familiar with the topic would know the name of Philip Crosby, author of "Quality is Free" (1979). In that work, Crosby gives his famous maxim, "Do it right the first time." Crosby's maxim is simple and direct, and it explains the title of his book. If a person, a company, a mayor, or the mayor's staff does something right the first time, then there will be no need for the cost of re-doing it or for the cost for repairs. In other words, quality will be free. ...