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EDITORIAL: Mr Ma's 'peace for our time'

It has only been a few days since the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) promised it would be humble and respect its opponents in the legislature, yet there we were on Thursday with the party's presidential candidate, Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九), humorlessly promising to "avenge" a colleague who lost his seat.

KMT supporters claim that the campaign team for Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) candidate Yu Tien (余天) used intimidation to get him elected in Sanchong (三重), Taipei County.

Ma told the KMT candidate, Chu Chun-hsiao (朱俊曉): "I'll help avenge you" (我幫你報仇), presumably by endorsing a lawsuit seeking to annul the result. Presumably. KMT officials have said that police are investigating. Whatever the merits of the case, one intriguing question is why Ma -- riding high in the polls and with a strong chance of taking the presidency -- would want to be personally involved in a sleazy dispute like this when the KMT has acquired a powerful legislative majority.

Another curious thing is how Ma thinks that targeting Yu, a popular ethnic Taiwanese singer and actor, would help his image and achieve "reconciliation" with the party's foes. Given that Yu's electorate was one of only two that the DPP won in northern Taiwan, Ma's hardline approach can hardly impress neutral voters looking for a little less gratuitous conflict in politics.

But the strangest thing about this saga is that it comes just after Ma released his wishy-washy "three noes" policy on cross-strait affairs.

The Ma that warned of revenge in Sanchong might have been expected to promise "No compromises, no indignities and no nonsense" in dealing with Beijing. Instead, he promised no move toward unification, no move toward independence and no war.

This is, quite literally, a policy of inaction, and up to eight years of it. The "status quo" so beloved by the US State Department has become Ma's campaign hook, even if it makes no sense whatsoever in strategic terms.

"No war" is an odd thing to sign up to. Clearly, it is not in Taiwan's interests to launch an unprovoked attack on China. It is far more likely that China would be the one to start a war. Therefore Ma must want voters to believe that he, and only he, can stop a war if the Chinese start fueling their missiles.

Ma needs to explain what he would do if China continues lining its coast with weaponry. In other words, he needs to reassure voters that he is prepared to make difficult decisions if the balance of power in Beijing one day tilts to its most militant officials.

The idea that China would be willing to wait four or even eight years before any substantial move is made toward unification is inconsistent with both its rhetoric and its "Anti-Secession" Law, especially with the chance that a reanimated DPP might claim the presidency after that time.

The whole scenario is, quite simply, ridiculous. If the DPP is smart, it will go after these pie-in-the-sky promises, which seem to take no account of the efforts the military makes to protect this country.

A source in the Taiwanese military recently told Defense News of fears that KMT control of the executive would hamper the military's attempts to acquire appropriate weapons and that kickback culture would be reinvigorated as politicians look to make hay out of expensive but ineffective procurements.

Ma might be better off spending his campaign trying to convince voters that he is able to defend the professionalism of the military from such parasites -- not play silly media games sprouting macho language that borders on contempt of court.
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