Dissecting the `Black Gold' phenomenon

It is a shame that Lien has so far failed to provide further details on how his reforms might be implemented. It is, therefore, natural that the public treat Lien's reforming zeal as little more than an election ploy.

As for James Soong, an old guard who is a master of the art of"black gold," what can we expect from him? When Soong led the Taiwan Provincial Government, he often boasted that he traveled extensively around the Taiwan. The real story is that the most of the money he promised to grant to KMT-led local factions turned out to be personal favors to "local bosses." Have you heard Soong say how he would end "black gold," especially after he suffered from the financial scandal?

Spiritual renewal

Lee Yuan-tseh (李遠哲), the president of the Academia Sinica, once said that "organized crime is terrible, but corrupt officials are a lot worse" (黑道很可怕白道比黑道更可怕). The prescription to cure "black gold," therefore, involves not only institutional reform but also spiritual reform. To eradicate "black gold" politics, tremendous effort must be made to transform the relationship between the state, the market and civil society. Only when we establish an independent bureaucratic structure and judiciary, a free market and a fair political environment, an autonomous sense of community and a healthy civil society can a real democracy be brought into Taiwan.

Liu Shih-chung (劉世忠) is deputy director of the DPP's Department of International Affairs.