After the recent fanfare in the electronic media over Mayor Ma Ying-jeou's (
In many cases, the clear outline of the social environment in any period only emerges many years later. Similarly, a historical evaluation of politicians can only be had after many years as their good and bad sides gradually become clear. History is now beginning to re-evaluate Huang after Taipei's experience with Ma and Chen Shui-bian (
More and more Taipei residents are finding out that Huang actually might not have been such a good-for-nothing after all, even though during those days the public sympathized with the media's harsh treatment of him.
Looking back at those days, Huang's low 20 percent satisfaction rating at opinion polls might reflect public disaffection over irregularities at major projects like the construction of the mass rapid transit system and over his dreary personality. However, in a disgruntled atmosphere, people failed to appreciate Huang's courage in pulling down the Chunghua market and his work in straightening the Keelung River. In fact, Huang was even lambasted for these projects.
The unfair treatment of Huang becomes even more obvious when we compare the interaction between Taipei's various mayors and the media. Of course, the media put Chen under the microscope for any possible aberrations in his administration. But on the other hand, the situation also had a magnifying effect on anything he did to curry favor with Taipei residents.
Now in Ma's tenure, officials from his administrative team have been taking all the blame for things gone wrong, while Ma alone remains a pampered media sweetheart.
Take, for example, the endless breakdowns in the MRT system. They would have caused a major political storm during Huang's mayorship. In Ma's time, however, people's impression of the city government has pegged on "the mayor-is-good-but-his-officials-are-lousy" image. Looking at this "Ma Ying-jeou complex," perhaps Huang can only sigh in despair.
Ho Jung-hsing is chief of the city desk at the Liberty Times.
When I visited Taiwan last summer, I called on the nation to use its status as a technology superpower to build superweapons. It is obvious to me as I return a year later that Taiwan is now answering that call. By 2030, Taiwan envisions a domestic drone hub, capable of producing large quantities of drones per year. The nation continues to tighten cooperation across the private sector, scientific researchers and the elected government, on creating new and innovative production avenues for defense, while efforts to become central to the “democratic supply chain” are only increasing. Anduril is seeing all of these positive
Singaporean former Prime Minister and current senior minister Lee Hsien- Loong(李顯龍) last month stood on Chinese soil and told Beijing that Singapore cooperates because of “shared interests”, not because of common “ethnic descent,” a significant statement that has upended China’s cognitive warfare tactics of “ethnic nationalism.” Along with using its military buildup and economic growth to expand its international dominance, China has long deployed ethnic politics to promote the idea that all ethnic Chinese around the world, regardless of citizenship, share a tight bond with the Chinese motherland, by which it means the regime of the People’s Republic of China (PRC)
A recent report concerning a student who is suing his teacher posed the question in its headline: Does failing a student in two subjects constitute bullying? The college student in Chiayi County apparently sought NT$2 million (US$63,603) in state compensation, but a court dismissed the case. The first reaction of many might have been to ask: What has happened to students nowadays? Some say that teachers have lost their authority, while others say students are overindulged. Some even start reminiscing over the days when “whatever the teacher says goes.” However, the real issue might be overlooked if emotional reactions like that are the
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun (鄭麗文) in San Francisco on Tuesday last week said if she had not met with Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平), she would have been “just a plain” and “even negligible” KMT chairperson, bluntly signaling the role she is playing in her visit to the US — Beijing’s messenger from Taiwan. Cheng and her delegation arrived in the US on Monday last week for a two-week visit across five major cities. Her party said the group is scheduled to meet with US lawmakers, officials, policy experts and businesspeople. Before departing, Cheng said her trip
RSS