Religion in the Service of Politics

We found these in our mailbox this week. The red poster has the traditional New Year's phrases and the name of the KMT politician who passed them out. More interesting is the pink sheet, which advertises a trip next month to visit temples in Hsinchu and Taipei, as well as the Shenkeng Old Street. With KTV on the bus too! The first six rows are $850, the next 6, just $750. But if you see who to contact, two of the numbers are local neighborhood captains, both KMT. The trip is a form of service/advertisement for the KMT. The KMT's tight links with local temples are an important factor in its ability to win votes at the local level, especially here in hotly contested Taichung.
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