Even though Lai Kuo-chou's (
Chairmanship of a television company is not a VIP position; anyone from the grassroots could fill the seat. It should not have been treated as a hot potato and no breath should have been wasted debating the issue. But because the debate has involved Chen, and Lai, son-in-law of former President Lee Teng-hui (
Why is Lai a must for Chen Shui-bian? According to the Presidential Office, there is no one other than Lai capable of carrying out the role better than Cheng Fong-shih (鄭逢時), the current incumbent. If someone else were picked, in the Presidential Office's view, he or she would inevitably fail and Cheng would be bound to take up the reins once more.
But the claim is naive. How could President Chen, as head of state, fail to remove Cheng from the seat if he so wished? Is it conceivable that he couldn't? Who would believe that? It appears that Chen has underestimated himself. Besides, from one who has caved in to a former president's son-in-law, Chen's reasoning holds little water.
In a nutshell, Chen was playing a game of power-peddling. It was bad enough that he trivialized the media. Even worse, however, he manipulated the media as a means of power-peddling. This is not only disappointing, it is repugnant.
What is the aim of Chen's power-peddling? It doesn't take too much thinking about. If a journalist such as Antonio Chiang (
It is ridiculous that Lai Kuo-chou tells others to consider his professional background, instead of his personal relationships. If we are to take professionalism into account, there are numerous people in Taiwan -- whether in educational circles or in the media -- who are more professional in journalism and media than Lai. If the credentials for the TTV chairmanship were to be based on professional achievements, then Lai's opportunity for appointment may never have come. Anyone who finds such a claim unreliable may wish to hold a random sample survey in academic or media circles.
Lai is a Taiwan citizen and certainly no one is entitled to deprive him of an occupational right. Nevertheless, it is incredible that people, including Lai himself, say that all the power and titles he has gathered in the past 10 years are because of his outstanding professional accomplishments, rather than his pulling strings or personal connections.
Certainly, success tends to come easily to those born with a silver spoon in their mouths; this applies worldwide.
There are many officials in Taiwan who have managed to hold office under both the old and new governments. But they are technocrats who rely on their professional knowledge. Lai is certainly unique in Taiwan for the manner in which he has straddled the two administrations.
Back to the point: if it were not for Chen Shui-bian clinging to Lai as the candidate for the TTV chairmanship, Lai would not have come under so much criticism. As Taipei's mayor, Chen had already disappointed more than a few intellectuals by slapping a curfew on adolescents and tearing down buildings in the city's Park No. 14 (十四號公園). Now, in this matter, he has further angered intellectuals by ignoring their protests against Lai's appointment.
But the question remains: has Chen ever held any intellectual in high regard? Chen wasn't scared of them when he was Taipei mayor, much less now that he has become president. Besides, now that Lai has taken office as the new TTV chairman, the voices of dissent will soon die out. So why should he fear? But at least, through the appointment of the TTV chairman, we've come to know a bit more about Chen Shui-bian.
Wang Chien-chuang is president of The Journalist magazine.
Translated by Gatian Wang.
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