For some unknown reason, voters in Taiwan have a thing for politicians who present themselves as oppressed martyrs. The more a politician portrays himself as a victim, the more popular he becomes. No one has perfected this art better than the People First Party Chairman James Soong (
No one expected Ma to be overjoyed by the cut. But the level of rage in Ma's histrionics seems disproportionately high. After all, Taipei's share was reduced by a mere 3 percent -- NT$1.3 billion. It will still receive 71 percent of the entire tax redistribution fund. That is more than double the 29 percent that Kaohsiung City receives.
In addition, Executive Yuan Minister Hu Sheng-cheng (
The fight over the tax redistribution fund has become an annual ritual. The difference this year is that Taipei City had always been the winner in the past. Arguments that efforts must be made to equalize resources between north and south Taiwan are not without merits. It is time to narrow the development gap between the two.
Nevertheless, Ma's sense of grievance is immense. When asked if he feels the central government is "using every chance to attack him," Ma said "I am the `victim,' I am not at liberty to answer the question."
While the mayor may feign coyness, his friends have no hesitation in saying what he isn't "at liberty" to say. KMT lawmaker Mu Ming-chu (
Evidently, the KMT is seizing the opportunity to escalate what should have been a petty disagreement into an all-out battle to make the DPP administration look bad, thereby polishing Ma's image as a victim. Not coincidentally, Ma has recently replaced Soong as the most likely presidential hopeful for the opposition alliance in the next presidential election.
If the KMT truly has its heart set on sending Ma to the Presidential Office, it has its work cut out for it -- and Ma must take care as well. His perceived inability to win support outside of Taipei City, especially in southern Taiwan, is a big obstacle. He can't over-react every time he thinks Taipei is losing out to its southern rival to the point of provoking the resentment of voters in the south.
On the other hand, the Chen Shui-bian (
Many local news media over the past week have reported on Internet personality Holger Chen’s (陳之漢) first visit to China between Tuesday last week and yesterday, as remarks he made during a live stream have sparked wide discussions and strong criticism across the Taiwan Strait. Chen, better known as Kuan Chang (館長), is a former gang member turned fitness celebrity and businessman. He is known for his live streams, which are full of foul-mouthed and hypermasculine commentary. He had previously spoken out against the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and criticized Taiwanese who “enjoy the freedom in Taiwan, but want China’s money”
A high-school student surnamed Yang (楊) gained admissions to several prestigious medical schools recently. However, when Yang shared his “learning portfolio” on social media, he was caught exaggerating and even falsifying content, and his admissions were revoked. Now he has to take the “advanced subjects test” scheduled for next month. With his outstanding performance in the general scholastic ability test (GSAT), Yang successfully gained admissions to five prestigious medical schools. However, his university dreams have now been frustrated by the “flaws” in his learning portfolio. This is a wake-up call not only for students, but also teachers. Yang did make a big
As former president Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) concludes his fourth visit to China since leaving office, Taiwan finds itself once again trapped in a familiar cycle of political theater. The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) has criticized Ma’s participation in the Straits Forum as “dancing with Beijing,” while the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) defends it as an act of constitutional diplomacy. Both sides miss a crucial point: The real question is not whether Ma’s visit helps or hurts Taiwan — it is why Taiwan lacks a sophisticated, multi-track approach to one of the most complex geopolitical relationships in the world. The disagreement reduces Taiwan’s
Former president Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) is visiting China, where he is addressed in a few ways, but never as a former president. On Sunday, he attended the Straits Forum in Xiamen, not as a former president of Taiwan, but as a former Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) chairman. There, he met with Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference Chairman Wang Huning (王滬寧). Presumably, Wang at least would have been aware that Ma had once been president, and yet he did not mention that fact, referring to him only as “Mr Ma Ying-jeou.” Perhaps the apparent oversight was not intended to convey a lack of
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