Taiwan is a highly politicized society where a simple issue can be spun into an entangled mass of threads. One good example is the ongoing dispute over whether to resume or scrap construction of the Fourth Nuclear Power Plant
The nuclear plant is a public policy issue, and the debate over it should be focusing on the safety of nuclear power, the handling of nuclear waste, the plant's environmental impact assessment, past patterns in the growth of electricity consumption and evaluations of potential future energy resources. There should be an open, transparent process through which the public can participate in debate and decision-making regarding such public policies. Unfortunately, politicians engaging in the plant tussle are only thinking about themselves and their parties, and what they can gain from the debate. The parties are trying to overcome each other by size alone, rather than by trying to win a debate -- a return to the old playground dictum that if you can't win fairly, just squash your opponent. Whether construction is resumed or scrapped, the question of whether Taiwan should continue to develop nuclear power will remain unanswered.
Many people believe that the results of last year's presidential election could have been very different if the Chung Hsing scandal had not broken out. The scandal ruined Soong's image as a clean official and exposed a side of him that had been hidden from the public view. The scandal allowed the KMT to whip him relentlessly on both ethical and legal grounds, sending Soong's popularity ratings plummeting. Soong lost the election as his questionable and illegal actions lost him vital votes, allowing Chen Shui-bian
Now re-evaluation of Soong is under way in Taipei's political circles as both Chen of the DPP and KMT Chairman Lien Chan (連戰) vie to woo their erstwhile rival -- now chairman of the People's First Party and a man of considerable political value -- despite their vehement criticism of him during the campaign. Chen even spoke to Soong by phone before announcing his new, important cross-strait policies on New Year's Eve. Lien and Soong have even become political allies and good friends, something they found difficult when Soong was still in the KMT and the two men were rivals to succeed Lee Teng-hui
Some deplore this. For example, yesterday lawyers representing the KMT in the Chung Hsing case said the reasons cited by prosecutors for not indicting Soong were questionable. They suggested that the KMT file another lawsuit. But the KMT is apparently more interested in the political -- rather than legal -- considerations of this case. A lawyer who filed a reconsideration of the case on behalf of the KMT was criticized as a busybody. The party also declared the new lawsuit void, saying it was a personal action and did not represent the party. Apparently, the KMT's interest in the money Soong has deposited with the court far exceeds its interest in justice. The gaping difference between the KMT's pre- and post-election attitudes is one of the clearest indicators of just how low the once-mighty party is willing to go.
It is nauseating to watch the DPP government's flip-flopping policy on the nuclear plant and the KMT's contradictory handling of the Chung Hsing case. To those who expected better behavior, the best way to sum up the situation is say, in the spirit of Bill Clinton's famous line: "It's politics, stupid!"
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As former president Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) wrapped up his visit to the People’s Republic of China, he received his share of attention. Certainly, the trip must be seen within the full context of Ma’s life, that is, his eight-year presidency, the Sunflower movement and his failed Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement, as well as his eight years as Taipei mayor with its posturing, accusations of money laundering, and ups and downs. Through all that, basic questions stand out: “What drives Ma? What is his end game?” Having observed and commented on Ma for decades, it is all ironically reminiscent of former US president Harry