What can we be proud of on the blogs today....
MEDIA: Global View magazine says Taichung Mayor Hu is tops in integrity. Temples that specializing in handling the guilt and regret of abortions. Japan Times hosts an article by a Taiwan official on participation in the UN, and by Max Hirsch on the KMT and Japan. The two nations are also in fishing talks. UPI online has an article on Chinese views of Taiwan democracy, which, like so many international media articles, repeats Ma Ying-jeou's criticism of Chen Shui-bian as Marcos, without mentioning that Ma is no stranger to downloading government funds himself. Note that Chen is accused repeatedly of money-laundering but in fact the issue is that he kept campaign funds without reporting or apparently, paying taxes. The ex-chief of intelligence was indicted on suspicions of covering up the alleged money laundering by Chen. The article says that Chen has denied "any illegal activity" in the case but that is not correct; Chen has already admitted he broke the law. Far Eastern Chair Douglas Hsu denies he bribed Chen. Taipower to build nuclear waste dump in Taipei County. Will Ma's "diplomatic truce" open space for Taiwan's participation in special agencies and other UN organs? Not a chance in hell, says China. The Vancouver Sun goes on a food trip to Taiwan. The CFR argues that Russia may attempt to strengthen its security ties in Asia in response to our insane foreign policy of pissing on their leg while telling them it is raining, while in the Financial Times Geoff Dyer says that China might be a bit miffed that Russia has supported the independence of two parts of Georgia and that this might offer leverage for the US to split the two giants. Sure, if we gave Taiwan to China first..... Joe Biden's instrumental role in establishing US listening posts in China. A major expert in vanishing languages puts Taiwan's Thao language among the world's 10 most endangered.Paul Katz over at the China Beat has a great post on the KMT's changing fortunes in Taiwan recently. Holly on today's air raid drill in Taipei. Kent at the Taipei Air Station has a letter from a US kid here in the 1970s. Amateur commune as always, with good pics. Ming surfs in Yilan A-gu, always on top of everything, blogs on China's rejection of UN agencies for Taiwan. He also discusses the DPP reaction to Pres. Ma's decision to grant landing visas to Chinese entering Taiwan. Sponge Bear encounters a snake and writes on Taiwan-Japan relations. Stocks and Politics blogs on what it feels like to become Chinese Taipei instead of Taiwan. Scott S discusses N Daly's recent piece in the Taipei Times on English teaching. Tea Masters on the shapes of pots. Steve Crook with a nifty piece on the heart of old Hsinchu. Taiwanonymous on a subject near and dear to my heart: the use of the word "besides" in writing here.
[Taiwan]
Taichung Mayor Hu... integrity???
ReplyDeleteHe said he completely forgave the guy that released his medical records during the election, then turned around and sued him.
Lately, one of his top guys gets set up with call girls while on a government business trip. Says the guy was set up and stand behind him, even though even if he was set up, he was still accepting the entertainment of call girls...
Before that recent typhoon that flooded Taichung, he was on a junket where he claimed he was "working hard" for Taiwan's foreign relations. Yeah, definitely a lot going on between Taichung and Guam + Marshall Islands. So he was using Taichung funds to do what?!
Crime in Taichung is also still notoriously bad compared to the rest of Taiwan--if he were so Mr. Clean and clamping down on corruption or at least turning off the faucet, you'd think there'd be less money to feed all those gangs out there...
Anyways, hard to believe.
Hey Michael its me Trace, guess where im at.... Im in the DPP Parallel Universe. Remember this place? You mentioned it in your blog sometime back and I thought I would sneak in the place and see whats happening.
ReplyDeleteIn the parallel universe Frank Hsieh won the presidential election you know and basically Taiwan is the same as it ever was right down to Chou Yi rioting about the election results but one thing I find really different is the fact there is no money laundering scandal, in fact the entire country of Taiwan has no idea Millions of US dollars was transferred to Swiss accounts under Chen's daughter in laws name. This all remains totally covered up as it was since January.
Michael this fact brings up one of those really tough choice ethical questions - you know like the one where what if you and your younger brother were thrown overboard in the ocean and with only one life preserver - Who gets to stay alive?
Here it is - If Hseih winning the presidency meant Chen's transfer of millions overseas was never discovered and he and his family got away with their hoard scott free would you accept
the circumstance and consider it the lesser evil to Ma being president? Do you feel the way the Taipei Times editors have been feeling lately, where to them its ok for the DPP officials to consider stealing from the R.O.C. and even get way with corruption because "the KMT did it worse", They should be excused because they have been repressed for 50 years by the great satanic dictator murderers?
Trace -- it's a fair question but remember? We don't have that parallel universe either. Egmont and the Swiss knew and proceedings on Chen started back in Jan. Hence Chen's millions would not have been covered up no matter who got elected.
ReplyDeleteWould I rather have Hsieh than Ma? No question, of course. Ma does not appear to support Taiwan's democracy and independence, and appears to be an incompetent and dilatory administrator to boot. Hsieh, whatever you may say about him, is a proven administrator.
Michael
BEIJING (AFP) — China on Thursday ruled out Taiwan joining agencies of the United Nations, frustrating hopes that its stance might soften after the island elected a more China-friendly president earlier this year.
ReplyDeletehttp://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5gqDkzTMfMQaDe-lHmXgTQZ_b6bjw
trace,
ReplyDeleteNo one should be excused for this type of scandal. Cheating money out of the party, public, country is wrong no matter who you are. So yes, the TT should take the upper road and just point the finger at CSB in their articles, but at the same time, reporting on the corruption of KMT should also be present. But, that does not mean excusing CSB because KMT does it too.