Against a backdrop of corruption rumors attacking virtually everyone there is to attack in President Chen Shui-bian's (
If KMT Legislator Chiu Yi (
The behavior of Chiu and Lee seems to be reminiscent of a fishing expedition -- they are poking around for evidence of foul play. They make the allegations in the hope that just talking about it will bring real evidence to the surface. If this is the case, it should come as no surprise. This behavior has a long history among the nation's politicians, who have a refined nose for scuttlebutt and little else.
The risks are minimal for those who make outlandish accusations. Political accountability is sadly an empty concept here. The voters are forgetful and are so divided by political ideology, particularly on the independence-unification question, that they will believe anything about representatives from the other side. Further, if no real evidence comes up -- as it invariably doesn't -- the rumor-mongers can always cry "cover up" and use the resulting media "investigation" to improve their electoral support and election chances. It's a reliable strategy.
Punishments for those rumor-mongers who turn out to have been wrong are of little concern. The victims have to file a lawsuit, and for people such as President Chen and his family, they are rarely in a position to go down this route. In the hallowed court of public opinion, the president doesn't want to give the appearance of being intolerant of criticism from opponents. If the victims do file lawsuits, it will often take years before a final verdict is brought down. This is especially the case if the accuser is a lawmaker -- he or she can claim legal immunity for things uttered on the legislative floor.
The fact that the prosecutor's office has formally filed charges against former Presidential Office deputy secretary-general Chen Che-nan (
Under the circumstances, it is very important for political parties to implement internal controls on the behavior of their members. This is true for not just the KMT, but all parties. Ma has indicated that if prosecutors find that the substance of KMT legislators' accusations is untrue, those lawmakers would be punished. What kind of punishment does he have in mind? He should be more specific. Ma must also remember to keep his word and hand out the punishment when the time comes.
Could Asia be on the verge of a new wave of nuclear proliferation? A look back at the early history of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), which recently celebrated its 75th anniversary, illuminates some reasons for concern in the Indo-Pacific today. US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin recently described NATO as “the most powerful and successful alliance in history,” but the organization’s early years were not without challenges. At its inception, the signing of the North Atlantic Treaty marked a sea change in American strategic thinking. The United States had been intent on withdrawing from Europe in the years following
My wife and I spent the week in the interior of Taiwan where Shuyuan spent her childhood. In that town there is a street that functions as an open farmer’s market. Walk along that street, as Shuyuan did yesterday, and it is next to impossible to come home empty-handed. Some mangoes that looked vaguely like others we had seen around here ended up on our table. Shuyuan told how she had bought them from a little old farmer woman from the countryside who said the mangoes were from a very old tree she had on her property. The big surprise
The issue of China’s overcapacity has drawn greater global attention recently, with US Secretary of the Treasury Janet Yellen urging Beijing to address its excess production in key industries during her visit to China last week. Meanwhile in Brussels, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen last week said that Europe must have a tough talk with China on its perceived overcapacity and unfair trade practices. The remarks by Yellen and Von der Leyen come as China’s economy is undergoing a painful transition. Beijing is trying to steer the world’s second-largest economy out of a COVID-19 slump, the property crisis and
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