"As the Count saw us, a horrible sort of snarl passed over his face, showing the eye-teeth long and pointed; but the evil smile as quickly passed into a cold stare of lion-like disdain.
"Harker had ready his great Kukri knife and made a fierce and sudden cut at him. The blow was a powerful one; only the diabolical quickness of the Count's leap back saved him. As it was, the point just cut the cloth of his coat, making a wide gap whence a bundle of bank notes and a stream of gold fell out. The expression of the Count's face was so hellish that I feared for Harker.
"The Count turned and spoke to us: `You think to baffle me, you -- with your pale faces all in a row, like sheep in a butcher's. You shall be sorry yet, each one of you!'
"With a contemptuous sneer, he passed quickly through the door."
Sound like recent events at the Legislative Yuan?
The passage is actually from Bram Stoker's novel Dracula, but the two have so much in common that confusing events in Castle Dracula with events in Taiwan's legislature is understandable.
This musing on gothic events was triggered by the latest foray by legislator Lo Fu-chu (
The prosecutors and legislators trying to get rid of people like Lo face the same frustrations and difficulties that plagued the folks that wanted to kill Dracula.
Lo and Count Dracula have much in common; the only difference is that Dracula is fictional, whereas Lo unfortunately is real. When I speak of Lo I am actually speaking of a class of creatures, for Lo is hardly "one of a kind" in the Legislative Yuan -- there are many others like him; both worse and milder versions.
The first thing to understand is that legislators like Lo are simply not going to disappear over time. I often hear statements such as: "Well, Taiwan is a new democracy so we have these kinds of situations. As our democracy matures legislative corruption will disappear." That is inaccurate in my analysis.
Corrupt legislators are like vampires; they spread their corruption by infecting other people who in turn infect others. Lo gives rise to his son, and his son in turn will have a son; the foulness passing from generation to generation unless active steps are taken to end it. In that sense, they are the "undead."
The second thing to understand is that like the victims of Dracula, the victims of corrupt legislators become weak and compliant, doomed to be pale, sickly, powerless slaves of the Count. The truth of that was seen when Lo recently "commanded" the Legislative Finance Committee to allow his son to head it. The scene had much in common with the part in Dracula where the Count slowly waves his arm and his three "vampire wives" bow their heads and slowly shuffle off.
The final point to understand is that these creatures -- vampires and corrupt legislators -- do exert real power and have access to real wealth. It is hard to say which came first -- the wealth, then the evil or the evil, then the wealth. But it is clear that the two go together.
Castle Dracula was a large and ornate fortress that inspired fear and acquiescence among the people of the surrounding villages. The villagers knew of the evils committed in Castle Dracula but did nothing to stop them. There are many Castle Draculas all over Taiwan.
As for a solution; the only real solution to corruption in the Legislative Yuan is for the public to finally get fed up and decide to stop selling their votes to these creatures. Until that day comes -- if it ever does -- the Legislative Yuan will remain Dracula's lair.
Brian Kennedy is an attorney who writes and teaches on criminal justice and human rights issues.
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