More power to the nude
Dear Johnny,
What's up with independent Legislator Li Ao (
How in the world is this supposed to block weapons purchases? Now if someone like KMT Taipei City Council candidate Chin Li-fang (
I can just imagine someone like US Democratic Senator Ted Kennedy showing up in the Senate with a life-size nude of himself, thinking it might have some effect on administration policy (other than scaring the hell out of everyone).
One thing you can say for Taiwanese politics: It certainly is entertaining.
Sam Small
Johnny replies: It gets better. Many of my readers may not be too familiar with the carnal past (and presumably present) of everybody's favorite scholar-cum-headkicker, the inestimable Li Ao. But if you check out his autobiography you can read about his sex life in rattling detail. He even includes pictures for your reference: his same nude pose, as well as some Western ladies who would look up at him from the pages of a magazine when he only had himself to play with.
But more credit to him. I've always been a sucker for the "horny scholar" sub-genre of the formerly vibrant Hong Kong film industry. It moves me deeply to think that Li Ao is keeping his end up on behalf of all those sorrowful students pining for a fox demon in the guise of a human seductress.
Platform-free zone
Dear Johnny,
Got this line out of the Taipei Times this week for KMT Taipei mayoral candidate Hau Lung-bin's (郝龍斌) election blog aimed at hoodwinking anyone who's dumb enough to log on in the first place:
"`Voters are not that attracted by campaign platforms, so we first posted Hau's personal stories and experiences on the [first] blog to give voters a better understanding of his character,' said [Web site director] Tso, who declined to give his Chinese name" ("Mayoral candidates seek votes in the blogosphere," Nov. 14, page 4).
Yeah, true, voters aren't attracted to the campaign platforms, but then again, it's hard to be attracted to a woman you've never seen. When do you think these guys will release their platforms? About a month after the election?
Unfortunately on this rock, "election" and "platform" only refer to people on stages with horns yelling "Dim di-you-ah!!!" and not to a set of coherent plans they might adopt after buying the election with the help of their gangster patrons.
Lastly, why would the guy be afraid to give his Chinese name? What's he hiding? Rotting KMT money hidden underneath the floorboards?
Michael Faass
Johnny replies: Try not to get carried away, Michael. Taiwanese are traditionally reticent about giving their names to media organizations. With all the wankers who work for them, wouldn't you be?
But rest easy, my friend, because at least Mr Tso had the courtesy of offering his English name (Tony). So now you can ask for him personally and put it to him that the foundations of KMT headquarters in Bade Road are filled with NT$1,000 bills. But I'm telling you, you won't find any floorboards. Tiles, maybe.
The gutting of Voice of America (VOA) and Radio Free Asia (RFA) by US President Donald Trump’s administration poses a serious threat to the global voice of freedom, particularly for those living under authoritarian regimes such as China. The US — hailed as the model of liberal democracy — has the moral responsibility to uphold the values it champions. In undermining these institutions, the US risks diminishing its “soft power,” a pivotal pillar of its global influence. VOA Tibetan and RFA Tibetan played an enormous role in promoting the strong image of the US in and outside Tibet. On VOA Tibetan,
Sung Chien-liang (宋建樑), the leader of the Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) efforts to recall Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Lee Kun-cheng (李坤城), caused a national outrage and drew diplomatic condemnation on Tuesday after he arrived at the New Taipei City District Prosecutors’ Office dressed in a Nazi uniform. Sung performed a Nazi salute and carried a copy of Adolf Hitler’s Mein Kampf as he arrived to be questioned over allegations of signature forgery in the recall petition. The KMT’s response to the incident has shown a striking lack of contrition and decency. Rather than apologizing and distancing itself from Sung’s actions,
US President Trump weighed into the state of America’s semiconductor manufacturing when he declared, “They [Taiwan] stole it from us. They took it from us, and I don’t blame them. I give them credit.” At a prior White House event President Trump hosted TSMC chairman C.C. Wei (魏哲家), head of the world’s largest and most advanced chip manufacturer, to announce a commitment to invest US$100 billion in America. The president then shifted his previously critical rhetoric on Taiwan and put off tariffs on its chips. Now we learn that the Trump Administration is conducting a “trade investigation” on semiconductors which
By now, most of Taiwan has heard Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an’s (蔣萬安) threats to initiate a vote of no confidence against the Cabinet. His rationale is that the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP)-led government’s investigation into alleged signature forgery in the Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) recall campaign constitutes “political persecution.” I sincerely hope he goes through with it. The opposition currently holds a majority in the Legislative Yuan, so the initiation of a no-confidence motion and its passage should be entirely within reach. If Chiang truly believes that the government is overreaching, abusing its power and targeting political opponents — then