An offal conspiracy
Dear Johnny,
I have a (conspiracy) theory.
With all of the commentary about the lifting of the US beef ban by President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) and his A Team too numerous to mention here, I feel that there is another side of the double-headed coin that you’re all missing.
What do we know?
The ban has been lifted without so much as a by-your-leave from the government to the public.
The public and — surprise, surprise — the Taipei City KMT-controlled government and the legislative speaker (also KMT) oppose the lifting of the ban, along with many more public figures around the country.
China opposes any and all purchases of military weapons from the US to Taiwan (this is a clue).
What do we not know?
What has the purchase of these weapons to do with the purchase of US beef? Well, my theory goes something like this (it’s a work in progress):
An envoy from China relays a message through the head of the National Security Council to President Ma that he should instigate a protocol with the US government that US beef is now acceptable.
The following uproar, as now being witnessed, will show the president to be on the side of the US government and hoping to curry favor with them to purchase anything and everything — but in reality focusing on arms.
However, what is actually happening is that as public protests become stronger, with dissatisfaction against the US instead of Taiwan, the US president will recommend, in retaliation, that no weapons be sold to Taiwan in the foreseeable future, thereby making China extremely happy — and without any obvious involvement.
I have no doubt that somewhere down the line the president will be well rewarded, as former US president Bill Clinton was, for stating his own version of the “three noes,” and trying to change Washington’s Taiwan policy forever.
Take good care of yourself during this fluable time.
MICHAEL WISE
Johnny replies: Conspiracy theories are all well and good, but it’s difficult to point fingers at the Chicoms when you have so many ordinary Taiwanese shutting down their critical faculties and swallowing this campaign of dumb-ass panic hook, line and sinker.
Hmmm. Fish and beef imagery? Sounds like mixing metaphors. Let’s call this tactical maneuver “Surfing and Turfing the Rabble.”
Not that I want to appear elitist, but sometimes democracies are only as smart as the dumbest Americabovinophobe.
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