On Sunday, Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲), chairman of the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP), wrote on Facebook that his party was committed to creating a fresh political culture, but that its lack of experience had led to some improper behavior.
The improper behavior in question was a remark he had made during a meeting of the party’s central review committee on Friday last week about Lin Shu-hui (林恕暉), who was chairing the committee. After Lin had recommended withdrawing the nomination of the TPP’s Miaoli County councilor candidate due to concerns over procedural irregularities, Ko shot back: “Whose dog is that? Get it under control.”
Lin also heads the office of TPP Legislator Lai Hsiang-ling (賴香伶), who called on Ko to apologize, which he did, albeit reluctantly and without mentioning Lin by name.
The incident raises several questions, and despite Ko’s attempt in his “apology” to attribute blame to his party’s “lack of experience,” the blame lies firmly at his own feet.
First, there is his choice of word in referring to Lin as a dog. The dog in his remark was not a reference to the lovable or loyal pet or the intelligent “best friend” of humankind; it was clearly a word of contempt, in the way that one would refer to a “mutt” or a “cur.” Neither was it the first time Ko had used this word in referring to people.
As an expression of contempt, or dismissal of Lin’s worth, it betrayed a certain presumption of his own superiority, a worrying suggestion of an “emperor complex.”
This complex was also evident in his handling of the point of order. It appears that Ko was uninterested in the committee’s concerns over serious procedural flaws in the nomination, as if only his opinion on the matter counts.
There have been comments that the TPP is popular because it basks in the light Ko’s personal political star casts upon it. Perhaps Ko has let this go to his head.
According to a report in Chinese-language media, Ko was displeased about how Lai and other senior party figures had forced him into making the public apology, saying that this has never happened to the chairpersons of other political parties. He said he often used unsavory language when criticizing people, but that the latest incident had been leaked to the media, manipulated politically and blown out of proportion. He added that if he pretended to be a saint, he would be nothing but an effigy, not a real person.
In other words, he was saying: “Take me as I am, warts and all.”
There is something to be said for this sentiment, but the conversation cannot stop there: People also have to think about whether those particular warts are desirable to have around.
It is also politically naive. It might work for a populist, but it would not work for long.
While Ko was complaining about the unfairness of the situation, he was taking up time that could have been better spent dealing with the matter at hand. His dismissive, derisive comment about Lin cannot be seen as an isolated incident, it should be interpreted as an indication of Ko’s consistent approach, of his mindset revealed in an unguarded moment, especially given the insincerity of his apology and how it showed he does not really understand what he did wrong. It betrays his emperor complex.
Taiwan could certainly benefit from the creation of a fresh political culture. However, is Ko really the person to lead the TPP in its mission to achieve this?
TPP members and supporters need to decide whether it is time for them to part ways with their founding chairman. After all, you cannot teach an old dog new tricks.
A series of strong earthquakes in Hualien County not only caused severe damage in Taiwan, but also revealed that China’s power has permeated everywhere. A Taiwanese woman posted on the Internet that she found clips of the earthquake — which were recorded by the security camera in her home — on the Chinese social media platform Xiaohongshu. It is spine-chilling that the problem might be because the security camera was manufactured in China. China has widely collected information, infringed upon public privacy and raised information security threats through various social media platforms, as well as telecommunication and security equipment. Several former TikTok employees revealed
For the incoming Administration of President-elect William Lai (賴清德), successfully deterring a Chinese Communist Party (CCP) attack or invasion of democratic Taiwan over his four-year term would be a clear victory. But it could also be a curse, because during those four years the CCP’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) will grow far stronger. As such, increased vigilance in Washington and Taipei will be needed to ensure that already multiplying CCP threat trends don’t overwhelm Taiwan, the United States, and their democratic allies. One CCP attempt to overwhelm was announced on April 19, 2024, namely that the PLA had erred in combining major missions
At the same time as more than 30 military aircraft were detected near Taiwan — one of the highest daily incursions this year — with some flying as close as 37 nautical miles (69kms) from the northern city of Keelung, China announced a limited and selected relaxation of restrictions on Taiwanese agricultural exports and tourism, upon receiving a Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) delegation led by KMT legislative caucus whip Fu Kun-chi (傅崑萁). This demonstrates the two-faced gimmick of China’s “united front” strategy. Despite the strongest earthquake to hit the nation in 25 years striking Hualien on April 3, which caused
The Constitutional Court on Tuesday last week held a debate over the constitutionality of the death penalty. The issue of the retention or abolition of the death penalty often involves the conceptual aspects of social values and even religious philosophies. As it is written in The Federalist Papers by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison and John Jay, the government’s policy is often a choice between the lesser of two evils or the greater of two goods, and it is impossible to be perfect. Today’s controversy over the retention or abolition of the death penalty can be viewed in the same way. UNACCEPTABLE Viewing the