tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10698887.post116186561702047216..comments2023-10-22T18:25:39.688+08:00Comments on The View from Taiwan: STOP_MA: Bloomberg Blue Bias BarefacedMichael Turtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17974403961870976346noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10698887.post-1161923588092771672006-10-27T12:33:00.000+08:002006-10-27T12:33:00.000+08:00...Thanks for that first-hand report, Patrick!I wa....<BR/>.<BR/>.<BR/>Thanks for that first-hand report, Patrick!<BR/><BR/>I was curious to find out how James Peng reported on the March 26th rally in 2005 (against the anti-secession law). Interestingly, his report was again filled with unique eye-opening language such as:<BR/><BR/>"He [President Chen] refuses to recognize the sovereignty of the Chinese Communist Party."<BR/><BR/>That is NOT a quote from an official in China. That is a quote from James Peng, himself.<BR/><BR/>Peng also gives the "police" estimate at 300,000 for the event.<BR/><BR/>Here is the "police" estimate in the other international media:<BR/><BR/><I>Police estimated the crowd at about a million, The Associated Press reported.</I> - <B>CNN</B><BR/><BR/><I>Police estimated the crowd at about a million. Taiwan's population is 23 million.</I> - <B>The Sydney Herald</B><BR/><BR/><I>Organizers said they had met their goal of attracting a million protesters, though the police put the crowd at more than 500,000.</I> - <B>The New York Times</B><BR/><BR/>Is it a coincidence that James Peng would underestimate a pan-green rally and overestimate a pan-blue rally? You decide.<BR/>.<BR/>.<BR/>.skiingkowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05381159852660053893noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10698887.post-1161916451667514632006-10-27T10:34:00.000+08:002006-10-27T10:34:00.000+08:00As far as Ms. Gluck's reporting, she is making the...As far as Ms. Gluck's reporting, she is making the same mistake that most people do -especially newcomers to Taiwan, foreign journalists, and Taiwan's pro-China media. She is taking everything on face value. But of course NOTHING involving the current "anti-corruption" can be taken at face value. It seems to be ALL about what's under the surface. <BR/><BR/>I agree. It's so frustrating to see yet another shallow and uninformative report from Taipei in the international media. It is a complete waste of time and resources for foreign journalists (including those who apparently have resided here for years and should know better how to interpret local political movements by now) to write yet another article about the anti-corruption movement and cross-strait tensions if they are not going to write something that will actually help people not already familiar with local movements to better understand what's really going on.<BR/><BR/>Perceptions in Taiwan politics are SO twisted it is almost unbelieveable. After reading an interview in the Taipei Times, I am finally convinced that pro-Blue people are getting fed their ideas directly from the PRC party news bureau via Taiwanese pro-China media. <BR/><BR/>Apparently, the hard-core pro-Blues are the group most suspicious and resentful of the USA. They believe that the USA is intentionally stoking Taiwan-China tensions (by supporting Chen and the DPP) in order to be able to make more money selling weapons to Taiwan and to enhance the USA's hegemonic ambitions in east Asia. That is one of their primary arguments against any proposed arms purcahse or up-grade. <BR/><BR/>It's frightening to think that there are people who actually internalize reasoning so out of touch with reality. <BR/><BR/>I usually steer clear of discussing Taiwan politics with Taiwanese people I know here, because I know how sensitive a topic it can be. But I find that the majority of them believe what the local (predominantly pro-China) media tells them, and they are well-educated people in their 20s, 30s and 40s.<BR/><BR/>Of course, I'm sure the USA would like to hang onto whatever influence they still have in Taiwan-China relationship for as long as possible, but Washington has clearly shown that they aren't prepared to go out on any limbs to actively preserve such influence if it risks annoying China in any way. Even they know that it's only a matter of time before it becomes obvious that that influence is not backed by any willingness to actually intervene in any substantial way. <BR/><BR/>How can people see that as US support for pro-independence leaders in Taiwan??Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10698887.post-1161916375350504962006-10-27T10:32:00.000+08:002006-10-27T10:32:00.000+08:00As far as Ms. Gluck's reporting, she is making the...As far as Ms. Gluck's reporting, she is making the same mistake that most people do -especially newcomers to Taiwan, foreign journalists, and Taiwan's pro-China media. She is taking everything on face value. But of course NOTHING involving the current "anti-corruption" can be taken at face value. It seems to be ALL about what's under the surface. <BR/><BR/>I agree. It's so frustrating to see yet another shallow and uninformative report from Taipei in the international media. It is a complete waste of time and resources for foreign journalists (including those who apparently have resided here for years and should know better how to interpret local political movements by now) to write yet another article about the anti-corruption movement and cross-strait tensions if they are not going to write something that will actually help people not already familiar with local movements to better understand what's really going on.<BR/><BR/>Perceptions in Taiwan politics are SO twisted it is almost unbelieveable. After reading an interview in the Taipei Times, I am finally convinced that pro-Blue people are getting fed their ideas directly from the PRC party news bureau via Taiwanese pro-China media. <BR/><BR/>Apparently, the hard-core pro-Blues are the group most suspicious and resentful of the USA. They believe that the USA is intentionally stoking Taiwan-China tensions (by supporting Chen and the DPP) in order to be able to make more money selling weapons to Taiwan and to enhance the USA's hegemonic ambitions in east Asia. That is one of their primary arguments against any proposed arms purcahse or up-grade. <BR/><BR/>It's frightening to think that there are people who actually internalize reasoning so out of touch with reality. <BR/><BR/>I usually steer clear of discussing Taiwan politics with Taiwanese people I know here, because I know how sensitive a topic it can be. But I find that the majority of them believe what the local (predominantly pro-China) media tells them, and they are well-educated people in their 20s, 30s and 40s.<BR/><BR/>Of course, I'm sure the USA would like to hang onto whatever influence they still have in Taiwan-China relationship for as long as possible, but Washington has clearly shown that they aren't prepared to go out on any limbs to actively preserve such influence if it risks annoying China in any way. Even they know that it's only a matter of time before it becomes obvious that that influence is not backed by any willingness to actually intervene in any substantial way. <BR/><BR/>How can people see that as US support for pro-independence leaders in Taiwan??Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10698887.post-1161882469388798402006-10-27T01:07:00.000+08:002006-10-27T01:07:00.000+08:00I have been to the protests regularly to take pics...I have been to the protests regularly to take pics and mill about. Every single person I talked to was a Blue - clearly every single one. The things they told me they were as follows: they were protesting for a clear Chinese identity ("everyone in Taiwan is Chinese even if the morons down south don't get it") and about President Chen's manners ("he's low class"). I was also told that "Ma needed [their] support." I am positive that I did not talk to a single pan-Green voter. <BR/>Saying that the media has a bias or that they are just ignorant or lazy is an understatement. Their reports are a shameful farce.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com