One could almost smell the irony last Friday when several members of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT), smarting at confirmation of the party's defeat in last December's Kaohsiung mayoral election, accused the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and its candidate, Chen Chu (
After all, it was supporters of KMT candidate Huang Chun-ying (
Those with short memories may also have forgotten that the KMT profited from making identical accusations during the 2005 campaign that saw Chou Hsi-wei (
Yet the KMT continued to cast Chen as the villain in this particular drama, even going so far as to accuse her of interfering with the judiciary. One could put the accusations down to sour grapes, except that this ridiculous behavior has gone on for seven years, ever since the KMT lost the reins of executive power.
During this period -- if one is to believe its propaganda campaign -- the KMT has gone from being the richest political party in the world to a poverty-stricken organization that is struggling to make ends meet.
Party members who became ridiculously wealthy from a career in politics during the KMT's five decades of authoritarian rule can now apparently stand up guilt-free and proclaim the government "corrupt."
Of course, the endless stream of government officials indicted for filling their pockets has given credence to the KMT's claims, but do people seriously believe a party that has continuously blocked the corruption-busting "sunshine laws" in the legislature will reform a political system that runs on bribes and backhanders if it is returned to power?
The KMT has worked extremely hard to drag the DPP government down to its level in the public eye, labeling it with all the unwelcome titles it earned over the years in the hope this will help it come back into power.
This endless campaign has seemingly borne fruit. Despite broken promises of party reform, next year could well see the KMT win both legislative and executive power.
But peer through the veneer of respectability that presidential candidate Ma Ying-jeou (
Voters must not forget that a vote for the KMT is a vote for a party that continues to tolerate illegal and thuggish behavior -- as evidenced by the "hero's welcome" given to legislator and convicted vandal Chiu Yi (
A vote for the KMT is a vote for a party that according to the Taiwan News plans to employ 50,000 "election monitors" on Jan. 12 to intimidate voters into "forgetting about" the referendum on its stolen assets.
It is a vote for a party that during the last seven years has unreasonably blocked the government from passing countless laws advocating reform and has implemented a shady deal with the Chinese Communist Party that has harmed the nation's defenses and subverted its hard-won democracy.
Voters must keep the bigger picture in mind as they walk to the polling stations next spring, otherwise they may one day look back and realize they fell for one of the biggest "dirty trick" campaigns in history.
As strategic tensions escalate across the vast Indo-Pacific region, Taiwan has emerged as more than a potential flashpoint. It is the fulcrum upon which the credibility of the evolving American-led strategy of integrated deterrence now rests. How the US and regional powers like Japan respond to Taiwan’s defense, and how credible the deterrent against Chinese aggression proves to be, will profoundly shape the Indo-Pacific security architecture for years to come. A successful defense of Taiwan through strengthened deterrence in the Indo-Pacific would enhance the credibility of the US-led alliance system and underpin America’s global preeminence, while a failure of integrated deterrence would
It is being said every second day: The ongoing recall campaign in Taiwan — where citizens are trying to collect enough signatures to trigger re-elections for a number of Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) legislators — is orchestrated by the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), or even President William Lai (賴清德) himself. The KMT makes the claim, and foreign media and analysts repeat it. However, they never show any proof — because there is not any. It is alarming how easily academics, journalists and experts toss around claims that amount to accusing a democratic government of conspiracy — without a shred of evidence. These
Taiwan is confronting escalating threats from its behemoth neighbor. Last month, the Chinese People’s Liberation Army conducted live-fire drills in the East China Sea, practicing blockades and precision strikes on simulated targets, while its escalating cyberattacks targeting government, financial and telecommunication systems threaten to disrupt Taiwan’s digital infrastructure. The mounting geopolitical pressure underscores Taiwan’s need to strengthen its defense capabilities to deter possible aggression and improve civilian preparedness. The consequences of inadequate preparation have been made all too clear by the tragic situation in Ukraine. Taiwan can build on its successful COVID-19 response, marked by effective planning and execution, to enhance
Since taking office, US President Donald Trump has upheld the core goals of “making America safer, stronger, and more prosperous,” fully implementing an “America first” policy. Countries have responded cautiously to the fresh style and rapid pace of the new Trump administration. The US has prioritized reindustrialization, building a stronger US role in the Indo-Pacific, and countering China’s malicious influence. This has created a high degree of alignment between the interests of Taiwan and the US in security, economics, technology and other spheres. Taiwan must properly understand the Trump administration’s intentions and coordinate, connect and correspond with US strategic goals.
RSS