Please, vote for your future
The nine-in-one local elections are right around the corner and as candidates prepared for the final sprint of the race, we saw a lot of tit-for-tat disputes.
Former premier Hau Pei-tsun (郝柏村) said the election would be a battle to defend the Republic of China (ROC) against Taiwanese independence. Apparently, he forgot that he sang March of the Volunteers when he visited China in July and that he was totally ignoring the ROC and surrendering it to the People’s Republic of China (PRC).
Former vice president Lien Chan (連戰) called his son’s [main] opponent in the Taipei mayoral race, independent Ko Wen-je (柯文哲), a bastard.
Lien also said Ko was the descendant of a Japanese official, but apparently forgot that his own grandfather, Lien Heng (連橫), famously wrote about the health benefits of smoking opium to endorse Japanese conditional permits for opium smokers.
President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) said the Taipei mayoral election is a fight between a lion and demons. Although Ma did not say who the lion is while he was campaigning for Chinese Nationalist Party (KNT) Taipei mayoral candidate Sean Lien (連勝文), it was obvious that he meant Ko is a demon.
Ko has rebutted his opponent at every step, showing Sean Lien to be a liar that has been playing the fake and employing a strategy of shame throughout the campaign.
First, Sean Lien accused Ko of fraud in the MG149 account case, but an audit proved no wrongdoing.
Then Sean Lien accused Ko of hiding his pan-green leanings and pretending white is dark green. The reality is that Ko is a physician — always in white.
This was followed up by accusations that Ko’s father and grandfather were Japanese officials instead of public school teachers.
Now, KMT legislators Su Ching-chuan (蘇清泉), Liao Kuo-tung (廖國棟) and Alex Fai (費鴻泰) have openly accused Ko of being involved in live organ harvesting. This is not only insulting to Ko, but also to the entire National Taiwan University Hospital, because it is not true.
Ko said this election is a choice between right and wrong, true or false, justice or injustice, commoner or privileged.
The KMT has always abused taxpayers’ money to benefit its own interests. For example, the 18 percent retirement deposit interest rate: Where else in the world is an option like that available? It is simply not fair.
The upcoming elections are a critical moment in which to examine public opinion. Since the last election there have been so many crises in Taiwan: the death of army corporal Hung Chung-chiu (洪仲丘); the Citizens Action Coalition 1985 leading 250,000 people to protest the White Terror era; the 500,000 protesters involved in the Sunflower movement; food safety scandals. One after the other, the crises never stop. It is about time for people to go crazy.
On Saturday, the public hold the key to decide their own future. It is time for all voters to cast their ballots. The whole world is watching to see what Taiwan will decide.
Are you better off than before? Are you happy? Do you accept what you have today? Do you agree with the KMT colluding with Ting Hsin International Group (頂新國際集團) to feed everyone adulterated oil? Do you want four generations of Liens representing you in negotiations with the PRC? Please open your eyes and identify those who worked tirelessly to rescue the pipeline explosion victims in Kaohsiung.
Who is consistent and stuck to his campaign policies? Who is open-minded to working with people across party lines? Cast your vote to decide your future.
John Hsieh
Hayward, California
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