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JOHNNY NEIHU'S MAILBAG

Non-American gangsters

Dear Johnny,

Could you please enlighten me? I watched the amazing film American Gangster, starring Russell Crowe and Denzel Washington, recently in England. It is a true story about the heroin trade in the US in the 1960s and 1970s.

The suppliers of the drug were named as the defeated Chiang Kai-Shek's (蔣介石) KMT. Which leads me to ask a few questions.

Is this the same group who invaded Taiwan? If so, is this common knowledge in Taiwan?

Were any of them ever brought to justice for helping to flood the US with narcotics during the Vietnam War?

What happened to the surely substantial profits? Is the money used for political funding?

Is it a coincidence that, as my friends inform me, this movie has not been released in Taiwan? If it is, will it be censored?

John Bull

Bilston, UK

PS: I can understand if you cannot publish this. Even if you live in a "democracy."

Johnny replies: Hey, John, it's been a little while since we weren't allowed to watch movies because someone said something disparaging about Peanut. The film opens here at the end of the month, and as far as I know it is uncensored.

To answer your numerous questions: the source of the heroin was the so-called Golden Triangle, the bosses of which had some connections to former soldiers of the Nationalist government who were stranded along the southern Chinese border when the communists won the civil war.

But you can't really say that this was the same group as the KMT that reinvented itself in Taiwan, though there are many here who feel tremendous sadness at the so-called "orphan army" and their often destitute descendants. There are even charities that funnel Chinese-language textbooks and the like to the kids over there.

Brought to justice? Well, the Americans tried to have kingpin Khun Sa extradited, but that came to nought.

And it's news to me if any of the profits from that drug empire helped finance the KMT here in Taiwan. It wouldn't make sense, anyway. The KMT didn't need drug money.

Gloom and doom or bust

Dear Johnny,

I never seem to see business articles extolling the virtues of investing in China. Of course, some know better than that.

However, I am wondering if the Taiwanese government is able to stem the flow of capital from Taiwanese corporations to the mainland.

Is the prevalent economic atmosphere one of gloom and doom? It can't be that bad, can it? Can the people of Taiwan fight it as well?

I wonder if the media and corporations are colluding to create this general perception of "China or bust."

Who would be the most guilty party in the flight of investment to China? After all, a diverse economy is the safest one.

Aaron Cheong

Vancouver

Johnny replies: Sorry, Aaron, but for this debate may I refer you to columnists who have been saying the same thing over and over again for years?
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