Last year was a bad one for national leaders around the world, most of whom were unable to hold their heads high. Although it is difficult to satisfy the public at a time of economic downturn, high unemployment, global warming and complex domestic political, economic and social problems, this is a test of our leaders.
Like US President Barack Obama, President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) started off with high approval ratings and has since seen his popularity drop. But these two leaders have responded very differently to the situation.
In an interview with ABC anchor Diane Sawyer last Monday, Obama made a memorable statement that many leaders — world or otherwise — could stand to learn from: “I’d rather be a really good one-term president than a mediocre two-term president.”
Ma, meanwhile, has responded to his party’s losses in local elections and legislative by-elections by bringing in King Pu-tsung (金溥聰) to orchestrate election campaigns as the Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) secretary-general and woo back voters.
He is also working to improve communications with pan-blue legislators and is reportedly trying to restore the funeral subsidy for veteran soldiers to win back deep-blue voters and consolidate grassroots support.
Since the first day of his presidency, Ma’s hopes for a second term in office have been obvious. His actions and words are guided by this agenda.
The government’s policies are aimed at ingratiating itself with the public with the next presidential election in mind, while true reform has stopped for fear of displeasing voters. The government’s rescue and reconstruction efforts in the wake of Typhoon Morakot inspired Ma’s critics in the media to quip that “a corrupt president” had been replaced by “a stupid president.”
Taiwan and the US have their own challenges to face in terms of healthcare. Although liberals and conservatives alike have attacked Obama on the issue of a national healthcare program, he remains as determined as ever to see through a reform that he believes is imperative. Though the Democrats lost the recent senatorial by-election in Massachusetts — a sign of public uncertainty about the healthcare system and other matters — Obama is not looking ahead to the next election. He might even be burning bridges by insisting on tackling a major problem rather than ingratiating himself with voters and Congress.
By comparison, Department of Health (DOH) Minister Yaung Chih-liang (楊志良), who wants to raise premiums to cover funding shortages, is being accused of taking the public’s hard-earned money without so much as calling in debts owed by Taipei and Kaohsiung cities. Taipei’s debt to the national healthcare system stands at more than NT$34 billion (US$1.06 billion), while Kaohsiung’s is NT$16 billion. These debts have taken an undeniable toll on the health insurance system. Significantly, Ma is partly responsible for Taipei’s role in this conundrum.
Ma should look to Obama, who acknowledges public anger, and ask himself whether he is listening to the public — and whether he understands its point of view. Government reform will remain at a standstill until Ma stops making re-election his top priority. And if the government starts delivering a quality administration, maybe then the public will reward Ma by re-electing him.
The gutting of Voice of America (VOA) and Radio Free Asia (RFA) by US President Donald Trump’s administration poses a serious threat to the global voice of freedom, particularly for those living under authoritarian regimes such as China. The US — hailed as the model of liberal democracy — has the moral responsibility to uphold the values it champions. In undermining these institutions, the US risks diminishing its “soft power,” a pivotal pillar of its global influence. VOA Tibetan and RFA Tibetan played an enormous role in promoting the strong image of the US in and outside Tibet. On VOA Tibetan,
Former minister of culture Lung Ying-tai (龍應台) has long wielded influence through the power of words. Her articles once served as a moral compass for a society in transition. However, as her April 1 guest article in the New York Times, “The Clock Is Ticking for Taiwan,” makes all too clear, even celebrated prose can mislead when romanticism clouds political judgement. Lung crafts a narrative that is less an analysis of Taiwan’s geopolitical reality than an exercise in wistful nostalgia. As political scientists and international relations academics, we believe it is crucial to correct the misconceptions embedded in her article,
Sung Chien-liang (宋建樑), the leader of the Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) efforts to recall Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Lee Kun-cheng (李坤城), caused a national outrage and drew diplomatic condemnation on Tuesday after he arrived at the New Taipei City District Prosecutors’ Office dressed in a Nazi uniform. Sung performed a Nazi salute and carried a copy of Adolf Hitler’s Mein Kampf as he arrived to be questioned over allegations of signature forgery in the recall petition. The KMT’s response to the incident has shown a striking lack of contrition and decency. Rather than apologizing and distancing itself from Sung’s actions,
US President Trump weighed into the state of America’s semiconductor manufacturing when he declared, “They [Taiwan] stole it from us. They took it from us, and I don’t blame them. I give them credit.” At a prior White House event President Trump hosted TSMC chairman C.C. Wei (魏哲家), head of the world’s largest and most advanced chip manufacturer, to announce a commitment to invest US$100 billion in America. The president then shifted his previously critical rhetoric on Taiwan and put off tariffs on its chips. Now we learn that the Trump Administration is conducting a “trade investigation” on semiconductors which
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