The KMT news org offers a brief report in Anglais, complete with the Twinkie Defense. It goes without saying that if you listened to the first hour of news, before everyone got their stories into agreement, you already knew this:Banciao District Prosecutors Office’s investigation into the Sean Lien Shooting Incident is on-going. After administering two lie-detector tests to the gunman Lin Cheng-wei and questioning relevant witnesses, the prosecutors concluded that Lin was telling the truth when he stated that he had shot Sean Lian because of mistaken identity and that his intended target had been Chen Hung-yuan, the KMT Xinbei City Council candidate for whom Sean Lien had been stumping.Of course, this won't end the tiresome conspiracy theory speculation. It won't stop the local and international media from creating drama where there isn't any. And it still won't get the public up in arms about gangsters in politics. Or get gangsterism mentioned in the big international press.
The prosecutors said that with the exception of when he replied to questions about how he acquired the handgun, the lie-detector readings had been normal, indicating that he was answering the prosecutors’ questions honestly, including his claims that he had been motivated by financial disputes with the Chen Hung-yuan family.
Asked why Lin had pulled off an execution-style hit, the prosecutors revealed that some people were inherently prone to large mood swings and at the time of the shooting, Lin must have been out of control.
*sigh*
Love the "mood swings." It permits the eye to be turned away from what's going on. "Look man, it's just too many Twinkies. Move along folks, no gangland conflicts to see here."
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- Taiwan's troubling lack of cycling advocacy.
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16 comments:
Bicycle infrastructure is nice but I'm still waiting for proper pedestrian infrastructure.
Which in turn requires proper parking infrastructure, among other things.
If Gutsy Sean was a knowing character of that stunt when he stepped up that stage, my hat off to him for guts.
If he was kept in the dark, Lin must have whispered "say aah, pull that tongue down hard..." before pulling the triggger.
By my own reckoning, from his front palate up and outward, Sean Lien's right upper jaw must have been badly messed up. Although, a point-blank shot through a wide opened left cheek guaranteed lesser damage. KMTers are known for snout, not for brains.
Knowingly or not, Sean Lien became a tool in Ma's last-ditch effort to protect his hind-quarters from investigation in the event of a DPP take over in Taipei.
At any event, it is fortunate Earnest Sean did not learn from your tongue in cheek posts, Michael.
What's a lie-detector test worth? They are not allowed in court because they are unreliable. It's been known for a long time that they can be defeated easily.
The last couple of years, there have been more of those "Pedestrians have right of way" signs (with both Chinese and English text) at "crosswalks".
Of course, nobody who's been in Taiwan more than a week would be fooled into thinking that pedestrians have the right-of-way ANYWHERE.
I guess those signs do about as much good as the stripes on the street that demarcate "bicycle lanes".
What's the point in spending money for signs and "bicycle lanes" if rules are not going to be enforced?
Nobel faces Liu Xiaobo boycotts
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-11935230
Nineteen countries will not attend Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo's Nobel Peace Prize ceremony. China brands the Nobel Committee "interfering clowns". Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu said that more than 100 countries supported Beijing.
"Those at the Nobel Committee are orchestrating an anti-China fuss by themselves," Ms Jiang said.
"We are against anybody making an issue out of Liu Xiaobo and interfering in China's judicial affairs," she said. "We will not change because of interference by a few clowns."
The flowers on the wall of shame
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-11879731
Michael,
Do u know that
1. The KMT knew about that the culprit intended to go there shooting IN ADVANCE;
2. They didn't inform the police but instead summoned gansters to "watch" the culprit; that's why a 'former' gangster head was there to follow the culprit to the stage; he was not "happen" to be there;
3. At least a dozen ganster members were there to watch a single culprit;
4. Couple days hefore shooting, the kmt started putting out campaign film, saying that the DPP will use dirty steps. The background of the film is a shooting target;
5. Sean Lien changed his schedule at the last min to go to the scene where he got shoot;
6. So far the KMT and Lien family are reluctant to reveal the photos and x-film. Lien sneaked out of the hospital in the midnight last night. There's no convining data to show the shooting actually happened as the Kmt described;
This is just a partial list.
Yes, these are all circumstantial, but they are also consistant with a conspiracy theory. "consistence" does not equal to "proof," but speculations is justifiable.
The police report has always been consistant, like u said. But that doesn't prove that the kmt didn't know about it all along and, instead of preventing it, re-staging it and making sure it play into their gain. With kmt's deep gangster affilation, gangster "brothers" are surely more loyal than the police to carry out missions.
So, imo, at this moment, both "must be a conspiracy" and "no conspiracy" are conclusions made too soon.
# Echo posting from cell phone ... Phew!
Michael: have you seen this news regarding Sean Lien's dad:
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/08/world/08nobel.html?_r=1&hp
I predict that this Lin guy will not live long.
I find it interesting that the pro-green supporters are basically coming out with the same conspiracy theories for this shooting that the pro-blue side did in 2004. I also remember how the pro-green side criticized the pro-blue over their theories in 2004. What's good for the goose and all that.
What does the evidence say?
anon,
There is a huge difference between pan green and pan blue's reaction: namely, pan green appeal to rationality while pan blue appeal to emotion.
Remember how right after 2004 election, Lien said he does not accept the result and pan blue supporters riot for 5 days in Taipei. In this election, once again KMT appeal emotionally to pan blue supporters without even a clear picture of what happened. That is one of the reason why a lot of stuff that come out now about the shooting does not match with newsreport before the election.
While no such thing happen in pan green in both elections.
@Scott
The reasoning behind the improvements is that eventually an elected official (probably DPP) will make the police enforce them. The police are gangsters so they aren't going to do anything unless their is a payoff involved for them. They can be shamed into it though with Taiwan's rabid media.
2 Examples:
1. Motorcycle helmet law-CSB
2. Kaohsiung drinking water and love river-Frank Xie
Sean Lian getting shot is just the normal kabuki theater that the KMT often engages in. I don't see any good questions being asked, just crap questions to distort what should be considered a dangerous crime that requires a lot of hard investigative police work.
@dixteel The point was the conspiracy theories. In 2004, you had the blue supporters creating conspiracy theories, in 2010, the greens are doing the same. Scroll down the page at http://twitter.com/timmaddog to the entries from Dec 6th (2.51 and 2.52pm in particular)and 7th.
The KMT doesn't have a monopoly on idiocy.
Anon,
Conspiracy theory does not automatically mean idiocy. It's good for people to be suspicious, to a certain extent, especially when there is a lack of transparecy. You can argue that Ma selling Taiwan out is just a conspiracy theory. But does that mean it is not true? Once again Ma government`s lack of transparecy result in behind the door and under the table negotiation with China. You cannot help but speculate on possible conspiracy given his recent performance.
The problem with pan blue is how they express it. To me their reaction to their conspiracy theory is extreme. In fact, they do not even form any theory, but just blindly follow the rally of pan blue politicians before any sort of facts are out. And that is a danger to any country.
This is similar to those people who burn the Korean flag before any solid evidence indicate that Korean flag deserved to be burned.
Speaking of gangsters, I'll relate an incident that happened two nights ago. I typed it out to a friend so I'll just copypasta it here:
---
Last night I was walking home on Minsheng W. Rd at around 9:30pm. All of a sudden, I heard a commotion about 30 feet behind me.
I turned around and witnessed two thugs with aluminum baseball bats savagely beating a guy that was lying on the sidewalk.
I know you read about assaults like this in the papers here everyday, but I have never seen this happen on a busy street with lots of foot traffic and less than 50 feet from the main door of a big police station. (corner of ChungShan and Minsheng). There were at least 20 other people around.
For the first few seconds, my immediate instinct was to run back and try to stop these guys... but... damn, I've been regretting this all day, I backed off didn't get involved. Today I went to the police station and told them what I witnessed, but they just didn't care. Didn't want to take a statement, didn't even want my name and # as a witness. I am sure this guy had multiple broken bones. It was the most brutal attack that I've seen in person since coming here 20+ years ago.
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