Letters from Taiwan

Redirect

2011-03-09T22:51:00.003+08:00

Thanks for coming here. Sorry for the trouble but I am now posting at - Letters from Taiwan

Last Post On This Blog - Moving To Tumblr

2011-03-09T03:02:00.002+08:00

In the interests of better page loading time, accessibility and navigability for my readers this is my last post on blogger. I am now going to be blogging at my new address:
lettersfromtaiwan.tumblr.com
My new logo is:

I will still be checking into to blogger everyday to catch all my favourite posts and my old site will remain in place. Please can you amend your links to my site so they point to my new home.

A huge thanks to everyone who has followed me and reblogged my posts at this site. I hope you will be able to just as easily follow me on Tumblr.

Best wishes and Jiayo! to all.
Ben

Michael Moore Talks to the Wisconsin Protestors

2011-03-07T20:36:00.002+08:00

Glenn Beck: It's All Starting To Add Up

2011-03-07T16:23:00.004+08:00

Fun at Glenn's expense ...

Finally, has US media / right-wing America had enough ...?

Party Politics 101 - Taiwan Green Party: Practice What You Preach

2011-03-06T19:04:00.004+08:00

In Taiwan, the main opposition party is the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP). It champions democracy and independence for Taiwan as well as a host of social policies that position it as the party of the blue collar worker, socially disadvantaged and, in more recent years, sexual progressives and environmentalists. Despite this, the party has plenty of critics within its ranks at how the leadership and internal structure of the party are often less than democratic, and plenty of external critics who say its environmental and gender politics, amongst others, are PR gestures rather than being central to the party's platform.

The governing Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) also claims to be a party of democracy and human rights. It's a party that, like the DPP, is run on a leninist structure. When that is mixed with a potent brew of factionalism and guanxi, the latter (in tandem with the need to save face) of which exerts a great influence on decision making at critical times when the messy business of practicing democracy and protecting human rights is an inconvenience to the achievement of party goals (which is pretty much most of the time). Too often, the party charters of the KMT and DPP are pretty words rather than substantive and imperative rules for the behaviour of the parties and their members.

So too, the Taiwan Green Party.

On Saturday, the TGP held very important meetings to discuss the reorganisation of the party and to elect new convenors and a new supervisory committee. The last seven months have been a very busy period for TGP in which they have hosted the 2010 Asia Pacific Greens Network conference and run five candidates in the Taipei City Council elections (in which four saw their deposits returned, the TGP's best ever election results).

In the last two months the party has focussed on internal reorganisation. Party leadership are facing a new, and tougher, financial situation yet have made plans to actually increase the number of employees. However, their plans for expansion of the payroll have been proposed without presenting a clear plan of how the party will generate a corresponding increase in income to cover the extra employee costs.

This has caused some concern with some of the TGP employees. They have questioned how and whether their jobs can continue after the reorganisation takes effect. I can attest that most TGP employees are hardworking and dedicated to the issues the TGP champions. They work long hours, and often weekends, and have been the less visible backbone of TGP internal organisation, and the necessary bureaucracy that comes with running any form of organisation.

The TGP leadership's reluctance to clarify the employment status of some of these administrative members has exposed both a lack of respect for its employee's legal rights to notice of redundancy or the modification of an existing contract, and a lack of planning, and knowledge of due process, by senior executive members. In some instances, employees are working without written contracts, a practice widely prevalent in Taiwanese companies.

TGP's Charter is essentially a direct copy of the the Global Greens Charter 2001. In that document it states the following:

5.9 Will work to require corporations to abide by the environmental, labour and social laws of their own country and of the country in which they are operating, whichever are the more stringent

6.13 Uphold the right of all workers to safe, fairly remunerated employment, with the freedom to unionise.

None of the above clauses directly refer to the issues faced by TGP junior employees. The TGP Charter does not explicitly state that its own employees shall enjoy which specific rights but it does concern itself with the actions of corporations. Should not political parties also abide by the environmental, labour and social laws of their own country? Are they exempt? Is this an omission in the Global Greens Charter or was it taken for granted at the time of writing that the values expressed would automatically include the organisation and internal values of the party?

The TGP has made some elemental mistakes here:

It did not provide written contracts with specific terms for all of its employees.
Upon request, it has failed to clarify the status of employment within a reasonable period of time which would allow employees to make an informed decision about their future employment within the TGP.
It has not taken action to give 1 month's notice to employees that their status and contracts will change, and has only entered into tentative discussions only a week before the reorganisation meetings.

If you wish corporations to treat their workers well, you might start by making how you treat your workforce an example to emulate. Citing lack of time, resources or answers for why employees are being left in the dark and lack job security is not a tenable excuse for a political party which is seeking to convince others of the need to protect labour rights. The TGP is not hypocritical. It has not acted out of malicious intent nor sought to deprive its employees of their rights. It has just failed by virtue of always being too busy, and too financially weak, to take care of the smaller details. It is guilty of 'making do for the moment', and in the process has sent a message that providing workers with a clear, detailed, fair and transparent employment structure is an inconvenience unaffordable until a later date.

I hope that the TGP, post reorganisation, will take active steps to draw up written contracts for all employees, detailing time span, renumeration and responsibilities. If it continues in the same manner as it has recently, it could well continue to see talent within the ranks depart for more organised and respectful employment opportunities. Finally, speaking of respectful, the Global Greens Charter also says that ...

We promote the building of respectful, positive and responsible relationships across lines of division in the spirit of a multi-cultural society.

I like the idea of 'building of respectful, positive and responsible relationships'. I think that in any workplace managers and senior staff have the necessity to enable and facilitate an environment in which those kind of relationships flourish. If managers and senior staff verbally abuse an employee, out of frustration or because they imagine the employee to be deliberately uncooperative, they are achieving the direct opposite of the Charter's goals and are instead building an environment of fear and resentment. It is NEVER appropriate to curse someone in a working environment, especially when people not in the TGP are present. What kind of impression does that give about the values of the leadership? What does that say about a person's tolerance, patience, compassion or empathy? What does it say about that person's party?

TGP Rule No. 1: Check your ego at the door.
TGP Rule No. 2: NEVER verbally abuse the people that hold your organisation together.
TGP Rule No. 3. If you lose your temper, take a time out and then apologise to those you have offended.

This should be obvious. TGP: I support your goals and your Charter but you've got to practice what you preach.

Footnote:
No-one asked me to write this post. In fact I was specifically asked not to but I was disinclined to acquiesce to the request. I have supported and helped the TGP in the past year and will be happy to do so in the future if I can be sure that the party is able to operate and stand by its own values. I write this post as a heads up to the TGP's senior members in the hope that they can reflect on what has gone wrong and get it right in the future. Taiwan needs the TGP.

Quotes of the Week - Lessons Not Learnt

2011-03-06T17:12:00.003+08:00

When the Governor of the Bank of England stands up and says that many banks are still unhealthy institutions that extract profit at the expense of stability, you know that the problems of the 2008 financial crisis haven't gone away. These are some of the comments of Mervyn King:

Britain risks another financial crisis unless it undertakes fundamental reform of the banking sector, the governor of the Bank of England has warned. Mervyn King said "imbalances" in the banking system remained unresolved and were "beginning to grow again".
He criticised high street banks for routinely exploiting their customers and urged them to take a longer-term approach to their business rather than simply trying to "maximise profits next week".

"We allowed a [banking] system to build up which contained the seeds of its own destruction," King has told the Daily Telegraph.

"We've not yet solved the 'too big to fail' or, as I prefer to call it, the 'too important to fail' problem. The concept of being too important to fail should have no place in a market economy."

"The problem is still there. The search for yield goes on. Imbalances are beginning to grow again."

King's comments are a warning to the chancellor, George Osborne, as a government commission considers whether to force high street banks to sell off their investment banking arms. Osborne is thought to be against such a plan but King is due to become ultimately responsible for banking regulation. His remarks come weeks after Osborne signed Project Merlin under which it was agreed that in return for banks lending more money and showing restraint on bonuses, the government would not take any more action on pay and profits. King criticised the culture of short-term profits and bonuses in the banking system, suggesting that traditional manufacturing industries had a more "moral" way of operating.

"They care deeply about their workforce, about their customers and, above all, are proud of their products," he said.

"[With the banks] there isn't that sense of longer-term relationships. There's a different attitude towards customers. Small and medium firms really notice this: they miss the people they know.

"If it's possible [for financial services firms] to make money out of gullible or unsuspecting customers, particularly institutional customers, that is perfectly acceptable [to the banks]."

The governor argued that good businesses "keep a clear vision of who their customers are and are run by people who don't think they should simply maximise profits next week".

The rebuttal to Kings' comments from banking representatives appears to be more heads in the sand posturing:

Angela Knight, chief executive of the British Bankers' Association, disagreed with King's comments.

"The banking industry recognises that some of its number got it badly wrong during the crisis. Since then the industry has reformed radically," she said.

"We work closely with our customers and in doing so have created one of the largest financial centres in the world and a great contributor to the British economy. We achieved this together by doing our business well – not by doing it badly.

"This is a responsible industry which believes in working with its customers of all shapes and types."

Yeah, right.

Cartoon of the Week: Minions

2011-03-05T00:54:00.000+08:00

The only thing missing is 'plain clothed police officers' holding the men down.

China increases defence spending again

2011-03-04T23:07:00.000+08:00

According to the BBC, China has again increased its budget for defence by 12.7% to 601.1bn yuan ($91.5bn; £56.2bn). Here is a graph plotting those defence expenditure figures that the PRC is happy to publish:

Amazingly, although the article cites the fears of China's neighbours (Japan and Philippines) it never once mentions Taiwan. It records the Chinese government's insistance that they are following a path of 'peaceful development' though:

"Chinese parliamentary spokesman Li Zhaoxing said the increase was justified, and China posed no threat to anyone."

That should have been followed up immediately with "Many people in Taiwan would likely disagree with Mr Li as China has in recent years both rapidly increased the number of missiles it has pointed at the country and has encoded in its legal system a necessity to invade the island country and annex it by force if they feel that Taiwan is refusing to 'unify' with the PRC."

Review of LfT

2011-03-04T14:12:00.003+08:00

Ozsoapbox blog has posted reviews of most of the 2010 Taiwan Blog Award winners, including yours truly. Here is his take on LfT:

"I'm completely aware of my own shortcomings when it comes to political awareness in Taiwan, but reading Letters from Taiwan is like colliding headfirst into a freight train of political heavyweightedness.

Admittedly at this stage of my Taiwanese political education, much of the content found on Letters from Taiwan is way over my head. Also, being a blogspot blog the annoying 'show full posts on the main index page' option is switched on meaning the homepage is annoyingly long.

Whilst I'm sure Letters from Taiwan is of interest to those with a much keener interest in Taiwanese (and by proxy Chinese) politics, for me it was a little hard to digest.

Ben Goren definitely doesn't write for those testing the waters of Taiwanese political awareness. That's not to say his blog posts aren't well written, far from it, but just that there is a definite feeling that the content is written for political heavyweights.

If you aren't largely familiar with the political tides of China and Taiwan then there's probably a very good chance you're going to feel overwhelmed trying to engage Letters from Taiwan as a blog."

First, I'd like to thank Ozsoapbox for reviewing my blog and being honest in his comments and opinions. Its very helpful to get a fresh pair of eyes give another perspective on your work. That said:

Thanks for letting me know my index page is too long. I had been running it at my convenience in that I didn't have to use more clicks to review my posts and how they flow together. I don't really like the idea of showing truncated posts or headlines only but what I have done is set the maximum recent posts to show on the index page at 3 days worth.
I was aware that my blog was getting a bit intense and 'top heavy'. Accordingly, I have tried to vary my topics to include lots of commentary on things happening outside Taiwan such as US politics, environmental issues, death penalty, religion and atheism, sexuality and humour. When I do get into Taiwanese politics I'll admit it can be heavy going, especially for someone new to the field or not especially interested in it. It's a speciality area, one I studied and one that I am passionately invested in. That's said, I will try to keep varying the content and tone of my posts.
Thanks for the compliment about my writing style. For my part I recognise that I am sometimes wordy and verbose and sometimes prone to ranting and name calling. Improving my writing is a constant work in progress. It appears I have plenty of room for improvement!

I fully appreciate anyone taking the time to review my blog. Please leave a comment if you have any further suggestions on how I could improve LfT.

Thanks
Ben

Bike Reinvented

2011-03-04T09:18:00.000+08:00

An interesting idea. What has been sacrificed though seems to be finer and more direct interaction with the front wheel that comes from the position of traditional bike handlebars. At 6 miles a charge it won't replace the standard road bikes any time soon.

Star Trek - Boldly Going Where Few Politicians Dare To Tread

2011-03-03T17:25:00.001+08:00

Sorry, I couldn't resist. Norm at Onegoodmove.org has got a knack of finding these little pearls out there in time and space ...

...

Quick Link: Finally, the BBC has 'discovered' the plan to industrialise much of Changhua's coastline in unsustainable and polluting mega-plants.

Abuse of Power Leads to Loss of Job

2011-03-03T16:49:00.000+08:00

This tragi-funny story has been going the rounds ... (click to enlarge)

Cover Thine Eyes! Part 2

2011-03-02T16:55:00.000+08:00

Another hospital in Changhua inside a dental department is also worried about their 'David' offending the sensibilities of visitors (and again with the mysterious upturned third foot):

Links March 1st 2011

2011-03-01T20:36:00.002+08:00

(Gaomei Wetlands again - a mix of old and new technology)

What's blowing in the wind as March begins?

Mike, your links are far more interesting than mine so I'm also not going to link to your latest collection of thought provoking snippets ...

A young lady tries to connect with and relate to the Old Testament ... and fails beautifully.

Chinese Railways Minister: First sacked, now under corruption investigation. This part caught my eye ...

Last year, China publicly admitted in a report that its corruption problem was "still very serious", setting out new measures to tackle it. The report said that more than 200,000 cases - including embezzlement and bribery - had been investigated since 2003. The document was released after the introduction of new rules requiring members of the governing Communist Party to report incomes and investments. However, critics say corruption is ingrained in the system and new regulations will not solve the problem. (And in Taiwan, corruption is .... [fill with preferred answer].)

European Court of Justice (ECJ) rules differential insurance premiums for men and women are a form of gender discrimination so UK insurers have until December 21st 2012 to adjust. I agree with this in principle though I recognise that in all likelihood, insurers will now just raise female premiums to male levels rather than reduce male premiums and raise female premiums. I liked this comment below the article:

Dan131 - "Car insurance should be based PURELY on years behind the wheel and the number of claims in that time. Anything else would be prejudice. All that insurers need to know is a driver's experience and claim history to determine the risk involved in an INDIVIDUAL. Simple"

Makers of The Cove have sent free Cove DVDs to all the villagers of Taiji in Japan, the main site of their expose on dolphin 'hunting'.

Diplomats angry that China is once again clamping down on the freedom of foreign journalists to cover news stories in China. Outgoing US ambassador Jon Huntsman (and possible 2012 Republican Presidential candidate) weighs in.

Why Accommodation of China and Conceding Taiwan To Keep The Peace are naive and dangerous strategies.

Taipei 'Plain Clothed Police' manhandle students. More evidence that police are increasingly not wearing uniforms or even clear identification and maybe using their anonymity as a cover to carry out unlawful acts whilst claiming to be following the law. Or, perhaps these are not police at all but self styled 'minutemen' of public protests against visiting Chinese. Are we going to see a process to unification marked by less official police harassment of those who oppose it but more illegal and anti-democratic harassment by unofficial or unmarked groups of security forces?. That's one of the ways how a civil war begins - when people start taking the law into their own hands - it also has disturbing parallels with protest enforcement tactics in China. David has this excellent post. Here's a video of the incident:

PRC Minister of Environmental Protection looking to make his department more than a paper tiger. I fully applaud his efforts.

A Must See: Inside Job - a film about how deregulation of financial institutions led to the 'collapse' of the big banks. What I learned ...

Deregulation of any industry must be examined as to the real motives of those pushing deregulation as well as a exhaustive study on the possible contingencies doing so might have.
6 - 10 MILLION US citizens have been made homeless by a combination of their own gullibility and an inability to recognise the dangers of excessive borrowing, their lack of a mathematics PhD required to read mortgage financing documents, the mendacity of sugar tongued predatory lenders and the utter madness of ego-driven cowboy speculators making BILLIONS on what were essentially ponzi schemes.
Successive changes in Democrat and Republican leaderships since 1979 yet no changes in the composition and ideological bent of the people who have been running the US Federal Reserve, Securities and Exchange Commission or the Treasury Department.
President Obama is surrounded by the money men noted in point 3. Either he was happy to give these people jobs in charge of the US economy and money system, he was not aware of their pedigree or connections to the biggest financial institutions or it was clearly indicated to him that not choosing those money men would mean the end of any re-election campaign.
The top US university business schools are run by academics who not only share a similar ideological view as the top executives on Wall Street and in Washington but also work pro bono for the top financial institutions that they are supposed to study impartially.
Self-regulation of most industries is a sick joke. In essence it means no regulation at all and that means abuse of the system.
When it is in the interest of (supposedly neutral and expert) valuators to award a CDO or financial institution a AAA rating, they will do so. It is after all, only 'their opinion'. They are not legally required to be accurate. Yet people are making buying and selling decisions on those 'opinions' that affect the value and size of thousands of individual debts (and the very existence of banks themselves).
There was no real collapse of the financing sector, it was more of a consolidation. The same conditions that led to the crash are still in place today. US citizens have paid out over $700 Billion so far to bail out the banks. Bonuses are once again sky high. No regulation on derivative trading has been put in place.
Of the top executives in the financial institutions that collapsed or needed bailouts, almost none have been put on trial for theft and fraud. Many moved on with massive golden handshakes.
Was Elliot Spitzer caught in a honey trap?

Waiting For Godot At Taipei Main Station

2011-03-01T19:26:00.000+08:00

Cartoon of the Week: An Apology Too Far

2011-02-26T00:41:00.003+08:00

Links Feb 25th 2011 - Its A Weird World

2011-02-25T16:46:00.002+08:00

Here's the latest selection of craziness from around the world:

Human breast milk ice cream on sale in London at £14 a pop. This quote struck me:

A total of 15 women donated milk for the dish. "What could be more natural than fresh, free-range mother's milk in an ice cream?

Actually, if a woman has grown up in an industrialised western country eating industrially prepared food then the chances are that her 'natural, fresh and free-range' milk will already be contaminated with a whole host of metals, hormones and synthetic chemicals. Not that I am suggesting women not to breast-feed but let's not sugar coat the stark reality of how our modern lifestyles and consumption patterns affect our bodies. We are what we eat - in this case, enough preservatives to now keep cadavers in pristine condition some 25 to 40 years after burial. Food for thought indeed.

~~Taliban (AFGH)~~ Georgia (US) lawmaker has proposed a bill in effect mandating the DEATH PENALTY for MISCARRIAGES.

US Ambassador to China John Huntsman accidentally walked into a Jasmine protest in China ...

Jon Stewart and Kristin Schaal on the 'family-values' GOP's attack on budget allocations for services for women and childcare (essentially as a way to cut funding for abortion):

The Daily Show
Tags: Daily Show Full Episodes,Political Humor & Satire Blog,The Daily Show on Facebook

British are taking less drugs ... one reason posited in this article is that the main consumers (young people with more time on their hands) have educated themselves over the past 30 years and are now more discerning and less compulsively addicted. Recreational drug use is perhaps finding its own equilibrium in the absence of a mature Government policy. The war on drugs is not being won (alcohol is still the No.1 damaging drug to British society) but perhaps rather that other factors such as price, economic conditions, quality of drug etc are having an impact. Like a child with new toys, the British gorged themselves on anything going until, having grown up a little, the newness or thrill of the toys have begun to gradually wear off. If this continues, Britain should consider moving towards legalisation of all drugs and the implementation of a consistent tax, regulation and criminal code (for offenses committed under the influence).

Zimbabwe has charged 46 people with treason for watching videos of the Egyptian and Tunisian unrest.

Thai Prime Minister admits he is still a British citizen - are you watching Marky Ma?

IMF is warning of a '2-speed' economic recovery for Europe and Western countries. I would only add that we might also want to look into the possibility of a '2-speed' economic crash.

Hilarious: Nasa Completes Mission To Kill God and Republicans are Sorry for mistakenly Idolising Wrong President

A monkey which helps a paralysed man ... amazing.

Keeping Hospitals Respectable

2011-02-25T15:04:00.001+08:00

On a recent visit to a Changhua hospital for a presentation, I came across this guy with a sheet wrapped around his waist. Thinking it odd, I made a closer inspection and came across what I suppose must be the reason for the placement of the cloth - the statute had been carved replete with a full set of lifelike and proportional organs. Clearly, that was attention to detail taken a step too far for hospital administrators!.

Mingcycle's Racing Road Bike

2011-02-25T14:55:00.003+08:00

Drew, Mike - Eat yer Heart Out!

On Monday, I will be literally acting as a model in a video shoot for an advertisement for Strida and MingCycle road bicycles. This is one of the models I may have to ride for the shoot and I got a good look at it last night at my friend Jackie's awesome shop Fishbone (he doesn't make the bikes but is helping Strida shoot the video - Jackie makes mechanical aids to film and DV/HD shooting such as cranes etc). I don't know anything about bike technology so maybe someone can tell me what parts of this bike are cool, new or redundant etc However, I can say that it is made entirely from a combination of carbon fiber, stainless steel, titanium and aluminium, and weighs less than a gnat's testicle.

Al-Qaida Agree With Rising International Condemnation of Gaddafi

2011-02-25T00:03:00.001+08:00

The world is an odd place and sudden events can make bedfellows of even the most diehard enemies. In this case, a North African off-shoot of Al-Qaida has come out against Gaddafi:

1.12pm: An offshoot of al-Qaida in north Africa has called on Muslims to support the uprising against Muammar Gaddafi, according to the Associated Press news agency.
Al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb said in a statement posted on a militant website Thursday that it would do whatever it can to support the revolt, but did not give specifics.

The group, based in Algeria, may be seeking to capitalise on the revolt to gain recruits or win support among Libyans.

The statement on a website, monitored by the SITE Intelligence Group, denounced Gaddafi as a "criminal tyrant". It said support for the rebels should especially come from Libyan neighbours Egypt, Tunisia and Algeria.

This is more interesting in the light of news that:

Gaddafi has helped the US track al-Qaida and other terror suspects in the region.

Which is probably why Gaddafi said this:

What is happening now in Libya is not people's power, it's international terrorism led by al-Qaeda ... All they want is to kill your kids, that's what Bin Laden wants, he should be happy now, that's what he wants.

There are no queues, people are getting all their daily needs. Why did you have to get involved with this kind of Bin Laden organisation?

...

So the US, UK and other leading Western nations agree with this branch of Al-Qaida that Gaddafi is a tyrant but likely disagree on the appropriateness of direct intervention in the Libyan turmoil. The Western Nations agree(d) with Gaddafi that Al-Qaida is a terrorist threat that needs to be hunted down and eliminated but likely disagree that Al-Qaida is actually responsible for the current groundswell of protest against Gaddafi.

Wisconsin Budget Standoff - UPDATE

2011-02-24T23:24:00.002+08:00

The Daily Show - Crisis in Dairyland - Scott Walker Prank Call
Tags: Daily Show Full Episodes,Political Humor & Satire Blog,The Daily Show on Facebook

Picture of the Week: Taste That 'Yes We Can!' Feeling

2011-02-24T22:26:00.003+08:00

Thanks Ted!

Criminality Detectable in Infant's Brains?

2011-02-24T19:18:00.001+08:00

This is just plain scary:

Three-year-olds with a poorly functioning amygdala, a key part of the limbic system, were also more likely to commit crime 20 years later, said Dr Raine, a former Home Office scientist now at the University of Pennsylvania in the US.

No-one in this article asks whether the social conditions in which these children grow up not only amplify but also act as a multiplier for the biological conditions that might influence un-empathetic and anti-social behaviour. Also, no-one mentions how the criminal code and its prohibitions and restrictions contributes to the likelihood of a person's turn to, or unwilling (protestors = terrorists?), criminality.

These quotes at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in Washington DC sent shivers down my spine:

Dr. Raine said: "Seeds of sin are sown quite early in life. The time is going to come when we are going to be able to predict reasonably well which individuals at a modest age say eight to 10 years old are predicated to become criminal offenders."

"The point is going to come when we have to decide; are we going to intervene at an early age even though the prediction will never ever be perfect and we'll always make mistakes."

"Its very simple - bad brain, bad behaviour," said Dr Raine. "If there is a causal connection.. then the intervention has to be improve brain functioning and you will improve behaviour. That's what were attempting to do."

Obama moves on gay marriage rights

2011-02-24T18:52:00.001+08:00

President Obama has signalled that the Federal Government considers the Defence of Marriage Act (DOMA - it defines marriage as being solely between a man and a woman) to be unconstitutional and will not defend it under challenge in the courts from the public. This is three months after the administration moved to end the military policy of Don't Ask Don't Tell (DADT).

At the same time, opponents of California's Proposition 8 (banning same-sex marriage) continue to fight for the proposition to be scrapped in practice after it was found to be unconstitutional:

A Ninth Circuit judge struck down Proposition 8 in August, but left it in effect pending appeal efforts. The Supreme Court of California agreed last week to consider the issue, but will not hear oral arguments until next fall.

There are now six months before Proposition 8 can pass through the legal system and be declared still in force or completely invalid. Obama's move on DOMA is likely to spur gay rights activists in California and has been taken by some to indicate the the Obama administration is moving to federally legalise same-sex marriage. Currently eight states allow same-sex civil unions but participants are excluded from federal funds that are available to heterosexual married couples. Obama is 'grappling' with the issue of equal rights for homosexual couples (he supports civil-unions), perhaps in part because separate court rulings have already found DOMA to be unconstitutional, placing the Federal Government open to litigation. The right wing of American politics are not happy:

Obama's move drew a rebuke from conservative Republicans, who argued that he could not pick and choose the laws to defend.

Some called his decision partisan politics.

Mike Huckabee, a 2008 presidential candidate who may run again in 2012, told reporters that Obama's decision "was an absolutely boneheaded political move. I think it was a boneheaded policy move."

Republican Senator Orrin Hatch of Utah said the justice department had an obligation to defend the law in court: "It is deeply disturbing to see politics further distort the Department of Justice."

It's boneheaded and distorting the Department of Justice if the Government responds to the independent rulings of the judiciary, which finds its defence of a federal Act of congress to be unconstitutional, by respecting the rulings and declining to further defend the Act in law?

Obama on Drug Reform

2011-02-24T18:27:00.000+08:00

Article here

Good Boy Ma! Your Word Games Please Us

2011-02-24T16:34:00.001+08:00

Beijing has let it be known that they are more than happy to be called 'the mainland' or 'the other side'. To wit:

China’s Taiwan Affairs Office spokesman Yang Yi (楊毅) said that Chinese officials had seen reports of Ma’s comment on the matter and they welcomed the move wholeheartedly.

“There is only one China in the world and the mainland and Taiwan belong to China,” Yang said.

“Before the two sides are unified, the fact that the mainland and Taiwan are part of China remains unchanged.” (This is the trap set for the DPP, a trap that was set back in the early 1990s when the KMT deliberately negotiated the constitutional changes in a way that would prevent a move to de jure independence or an entirely a new constitution and set laws that would restrict the definition of Taiwan to a region of a China)

Meanwhile, Yang yesterday offered a boilerplate answer to the question by a Taiwanese reporter as to why China was pressuring Taiwan to change the name it used at the Conference of Governors of South East Asian Central Banks.

“Regarding the issue of Taiwan’s participation in international organizations or activities, our attitude and position remain clear,” Yang said. “The two sides can make perfectly logical and reasonable arrangements through pragmatic negotiations under the precondition that there are no ‘two Chinas’ or ‘one China and one Taiwan.’” (One question: why should Taiwan have to negotiate its own sovereign arrangements for international participation under duress of preconditions set by a still hostile nation? Would the UK or USA agree to this?)

Our Literal Constitutionalist Administration (or local / regional government) in Taiwan defended itself by recourse again to the law:

Presidential Office spokesman Lo Chih-chiang (羅智強) defended Ma’s call, citing Article 11 of the amendments to the Republic of China (ROC) Constitution, which he said stipulates that the rights, obligations and relationship of the people of the “free area and mainland area” must be regulated by special laws. (But no article itself in this amendment expressly states the territorial definition of the free area and mainland area. This is all smoke and mirrors to conjure the pretence of a legal requirement or foundation for Ma's absurd claim that the ROC still has legal sovereignty over territory controlled by the ROC.)

Article 2 of the Act Governing Relations Between the Peoples of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area (台灣地區與大陸地區人民關係條例) also defines the “mainland area” as ROC territory outside the “Taiwan area,” he said. (Ma and the KMT often refer to this Act as a part of the constitution but in fact it is absolutely not a constitutional statute - it is simply a common law that determines a relationship between two peoples and not even two governments. So Ma's entire China policy rests on two pillars: the mythical '1992 Consensus' and a literal interpretation of a statute whose central concept that the PRC still belongs to the ROC is farcically in contradiction with the lived reality of Taiwanese today and their exercised de facto independent governance. Ma has pressed the reverse button on Taiwan's democracy and status back to 1991, a date he no doubt feels marked when Taiwan's political change went terribly wrong. e.g. the time when unnecessary democratisation insultingly put the KMT's hegemony and their ROC project under the scrutiny and whim of a solely Taiwanese electorate.)

Ma has said that China is part of ROC territory, as stated in the Constitution. (Actually, the constitution does not directly mention any geographical area or territory - rather it makes a vague reference to territories mentioned in long defunct and void constitutional orders)

The DPP for their part released a statement accusing Ma of fulfilling Beijing's One China chimera:

Reacting to Beijing’s warm reception of Ma’s comments, the DPP yesterday accused Beijing of choosing sides, adding that this constituted political manipulation. (A bit weak here. I think everyone suspects Beijing have been manipulating events on the ground for a long time)

It also showed how Ma’s remarks have played “straight into Beijing’s hopes, interests and ways of thinking,” DPP spokesperson Cheng Wen-tsang (鄭文燦) told the Taipei Times last night. (That's a better critique)

“Inadvertently, perhaps, Ma has fulfilled China’s ‘one China’ policies through those remarks, shown by the comments from the Taiwan Affairs Office,” he said. (Why inadvertently? Why perhaps? Why the ambiguity? It's not a conspiracy, its a clear KMT method and goal)

New ET Movie!!!

2011-02-24T12:07:00.000+08:00

.... yes I know.... its not real.

A Close Call

2011-02-23T21:57:00.000+08:00

... left my keys in my front door all night last night. There they were when I opened the door this morning. Two observations. First, I'm very glad that I live in Taiwan and a location in Taichung where there are few security threats or opportunistic people capitalising on the absent mindedness of others. The second is puzzlement at why my neighbours didn't ring my bell to tell me that my keys were still in the door. Not that I think badly of them. I'm just glad I found my keys. Its a strange feeling to be inside a house when you have no recollection where you put the keys that evidently got you inside.

On Make-Up

2011-02-23T19:40:00.001+08:00

My only contention here with this video is that many norms of social behaviour from life in communities and relationships are felt by individuals to be forced upon them (e.g. the feeling that no make-up would be bad). I don't think these normas are in and of themselves 'bad' until they are imposed with force and coercion. I do think they can have a negative individual and social effect on a person's and society's mental health and behaviour. It does however necessitate a large degree of self confidence and hard work for women or men to present themselves in distinct contrast to the cultural norms of their location and retain a positive self image.

There is daily huge pressure on both sexes and people of all genders to work within social, economic, political and legal systems that are not inclusive of their nuanced identity and often actively hostile to it. People are forced to hide behind masks - make-up being one of the methods. Sub-consciously wanting to look fertile may be a matter of evolution and hormones and sexual competition but make-up is just one of the ways that competition manifests itself.

It is also not a recent phenomenon. It has, in our era, transformed into a tool for achieving the effect of what we currently regard as 'attractive' - its entirely normative. Our use of make-up today is a reflection of our interpretation of beauty. Rabbitwrite's final comment is positive and reinforced by her 'reveal' post-makeup-up removal.

Ex-VP Lu Continues to Embarrass Her Party

2011-02-23T15:10:00.003+08:00

Former Vice-President Annette Lu is not happy with the DPP. The party have just made some internal changes to the method and regulations concerning party primaries:

Underscoring an ongoing spat between Lu and DPP Chairperson Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) over the party primaries, Lu said the DPP needed to seriously address member dissatisfaction rather than provide “empty slogans.”

“The [DPP] should not just keep yelling empty phrases about ‘unity’... and not face up to [its] problems,” she said, ostensibly in reference to Tsai’s remarks to the DPP caucus on Monday.

“Hitler and Chiang Kai-shek loved yelling ‘unity.’ Should we be like [them]?” she said. Asked whether she supported Tsai as party leader, Lu said there was no need for her to do so.

“I am in the same boat with Taiwanese,” she added.

Her comments, the most serious accusation so far against the party where she serves as a central executive committee member, come amid deepening divisions within the DPP one month before it settles on a presidential nominee.

The break between Lu and Tsai comes despite calls by Lu to hundreds of party supporters on Sunday to “never give up on the DPP.”

The event, which drew about 400 party supporters, was organized by DPP Legislator Chai Trong-rong (蔡同榮) and other members of the “Kung Ma,” or “elder,” faction. A petition calling for Tsai’s resignation was circulated at the event, but did not gain serious traction.
Lu said Tsai’s absence at the event was a sign of disrespect to party members, who she said were fuming after the DPP congress decided to drop a party member vote in the legislative and presidential primaries.

“It would have been good even if she’d shown up just for a little while. Had she done this and shown respect to party members, there would have been unity,” Lu said. A deputy secretary-general was sent to the event in lieu of Tsai, who said she had prior engagements in the south.

I don't much like nor respect Annette Lu. My feelings for her changed instantly the moment she inferred that Taiwanese Aboriginals could be relocated to South America. The only thing I agree with Mrs. Lu is that Taiwan is an independent country, that it should protect its independence and that the 1996 Consensus is a far more inclusive and appropriate consensus (if we need one) than the fictional '1992 consensus'. Aside from that, Mrs. Lu has and continues to be as much a hindrance for the common cause as a help.

I do agree that political parties should try to be as internally democratic as possible, especially if they shout loudly about how that value is a core one they are defending. The recent changes to the DPP primary system are complex. I don't understand them enough to make an extensive analysis. despite this, my feeling is that Lu's comments are utterly counter-productive in the current climate. Also, saying that she doesn't need to support the Chair of the party is quite close in my books to insurrection, especially when Tsai was recently re-elected by a clear and unambiguous margin. Comparing Tsai to Chiang or Hitler earns Lu the Prize For Most Idiotic Analogy Of The Year.

Lu: Lead, follow or get out of the way. Preferably the latter. Your time came and went. It's time for a new generation to step up to the plate. If you cannot help, be loyal to, or support, the leadership then please re-evaluate why your opinions should continue to influence the party. Constructive criticism is fine. Critiquing the changes to primaries as they were being discussed is fine. Slinging mud from the sidelines and stirring up factional disunity within the party after the fact is a slap in the face to the leadership. Ever heard of collective responsibility? (You can disagree in cabinet but not in public).

Cartoon of the Week: One China Cul-de-Sac

2011-02-23T14:53:00.002+08:00

Today Is ... Lady Porn Day

2011-02-23T11:31:00.001+08:00

From RabbitWrite Blog

Apparently, February 22nd is officially Lady Porn Day, "...a day about exploring porn and masturbation."

"At it’s heart, this is about celebrating pornography and masturbation. It is an opportunity for ladies of all genders (or however you identify) to open up a dialog: What is feminist porn? What is your history with porn? What do you find hot?"

Kristina Lloyd in The Guardian on Porn & Prurience

Educational: Make Love Not Porn Myth Busting

Australian Greens Reject Chinese Dictating Control Over Cultural Activites

2011-02-22T21:05:00.001+08:00

Between Heaven and Earth has posted on this story of the PRC Consulate in Sydney pressuring dignitaries and schools not to attend a performance that has Falun Dafa content:

SYDNEY—An Australian promoter of a Chinese cultural performance has confirmed that the Consulate General of the People’s Republic of China had sent letters to Sydney dignitaries in an effort to stop them seeing the performance.

Universal Cultural Communications, the co-presenter of the New York-based Shen Yun Performing Arts International Company, said the notice slandered the show and the spiritual discipline of Falun Dafa, which is presented in contemporary scenes in the show.

Letters were also sent in an attempt to discourage schools from bringing school groups to see Shen Yun.

Ian Cohen, New South Wales MLC for the Greens, said he had seen Shen Yun a number of times.

“In fact, I have been somewhat uplifted every time by the grandeur. It’s an experience that should be shared by all people, particularly young people.”

“We don’t accept any country dictating control over cultural activities under any circumstances.”

If China feels bold enough to directly interfere with Australian's freedom to host and witness cultural activities imagine what it feels about Taiwan. Perhaps all those calls it has made recently for a cultural agreement make more sense now ...

An Interesting take on Conservatives

2011-02-22T20:39:00.001+08:00

George Lakoff at the Huffington Post:

Conservatives believe in individual responsibility alone, not social responsibility. They don't think government should help its citizens. That is, they don't think citizens should help each other. The part of government they want to cut is not the military (we have 174 bases around the world), not government subsidies to corporations, not the aspect of government that fits their worldview. They want to cut the part that helps people. Why? Because that violates individual responsibility.

And Ed Schult Vs Rush Limbaugh

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Middle East Revolutions: Taiex Falls On Oil Price Surge

2011-02-22T09:28:00.002+08:00

A snapshot of the TWSE at 9:28am on Tuesday the 22nd of February:

Automatically updating graph showing current Taiex levels

Within 30 minutes of trading this morning the Taiex lost 2% of its value, dropping 177 points. It will likely regain many of those lost points by the end of the day but the drop does illustrate the highly fragile and reactive nature of international stock markets, especially to news of instability in oil producing regions.

The Guardian reported this last night:

10.39pm: While we're waiting for Gaddafi to turn up (or not) on our screens, here's a taste of how the ripples from Libya are being felt on other continents, principally on the markets.

Reuters reports
Latin American stocks fell off a two-week high on Monday as an increasingly bloody power struggle in Libya stoked concerns a spike in oil prices could weigh on economies around the world.

Analysts were hesitant to read too much into Monday's drop, since a U.S. market holiday crimped volume.

The spiraling violence in Libya sent Brent crude oil prices to $108 a barrel for the first time since 2008, reviving concerns that unrest in the Middle East could produce a spike in oil prices that might weigh on economic growth around the world.

"We could see markets trading this week in function of what happens in the Middle East," said Juan Jose Resendiz, an analyst at brokerage Arka in Mexico City.

Further turmoil on the markets is also forecast for tomorrow:
Asian stocks look set to come under pressure on Tuesday, as turmoil across the Middle East sends oil prices sharply higher and investors shied away from riskier assets such as equities. Investors were following reports of escalating violence in Libya with protests sweeping the capital Tripoli and anti-government forces reportedly taking control of the city of Benghazi. Brent crude futures hit $108 a barrel for the first time since 2008 on fears the violence might lead to supply disruptions.

Asian markets will have no U.S. lead, as Wall Street was closed on Monday for a public holiday.

British shares fell 1.1 percent while European shares dropped 1.3 percent as the Libyan violence made markets skittish, with volumes thinned by the U.S. holiday.

The euro slipped on risk aversion, but hawkish comments on inflation from euro zone officials limited losses, while the U.S. dollar and yen gained on safe-haven buying.
Japanese markets will likely fall, with Nikkei futures last trading in Osaka at 10,830, a 27.5 point discount to the index close on Monday.

Australian stocks may make a flat start, with share price index futures up 3 points to 4,898, unchanged from the close of the underlying S&P/ASX 200 index.

Links Feb 21st 2011

2011-02-21T19:22:00.002+08:00

(Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi's son, Saif al-Islam Gaddafi vowing to eradicate all his enemies)

Republicans slash federal funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund to 1/3rd.

BP's Gulf of Mexico Spill likely to have massive environmental repercussions - to wit:

Professor Joye noted that after the Exxon Valdez spill, it took several years before it became clear that the herring industry had been destroyed. (Ed. this is interesting. Did the herring all die off or only recovered to a level that was unsustainable for industrial extraction?)

Texas to pass a bill allowing handguns on campus - supposedly students will feel safer and can defend themselves in time rather than wait for security to arrive and get killed. On the other hand, some professors must have wondered that if this bill passes perhaps they will self-censor in order to avoid angering gun toting students with strong opinions?.

On the family name 'Washington' in the US.

Germany's Merkel and her CDU party suffers resounding defeat in regional Hamburg election.

New Zealand calls for greater protection of fish stocks in the Pacific. Whether we like it or not, either all the nations step up together to patrol and end illegal and overfishing in international waters or we get to have to rely on Sea Shepherd and their affiliates to do it for us. Where are the fleets of armoured UN frigates patrolling all the key known fisheries and inspecting boats and their equipment?

Old World Monkeys, in this case Macaques, appear to show self doubt - meaning they are aware of themselves and their thoughts. In a situation where they are not sure, and given the option to choose 'not sure', they will exercise that option. Now, why can't we have 'Not Sure' or 'None of the Above' on our voting slips?

CIA agent in Lahore killed two Pakistanis (A third killed by the car rushing to rescue him). He says he thought he was being robbed by armed men. Pakistan says he was spying and shot in cold blood. Obama has pressed for his release, calling him 'our diplomat', and his administration has tried to bury the news. Since this case involves the CIA, the likely 'truth' will be as slippery as an eel. Still, this is not good for Obama or the US' international reputation. At the end of the day, three people died because of this agent, one of which was entirely innocent. The CIA continues to waltz around the world like an elephant on skates in a china shop. Team America, F*&k Yeah!

Now Libyans respond: But Gaddafi has vowed to fight to the last and cops / troops are already firing live rounds and grenades at protestors. Where the Egyptian toll from their revolution has been relatively light, other executive leaderships in the region are not giving up lightly - resulting in mounting tragedy. Over 230 dead in Libya so far. One must ask, how far would Taiwanese go to defend, in their case, their democracy and independence? I don't know the answer to that question. (I am still unsure about the nature of events in that country, and the region. I welcome the end of autocratic, theocratic or monarchial rule everywhere with the caveat that revolutions can happen quickly but get to be fully understood much much more slowly. Speculation at this point won't help those caught in huge transitions. We need to listen and build a picture of the what, where, when, why, who and how before we jump to conclusions. The only problem is that the world rarely waits for analysis.)

Quotes of the Week: Great Injustice

2011-02-21T18:51:00.001+08:00

Ian McEwan, in a speech given in Jerusalem upon receiving the 2011 Jerusalem Prize for Literature:

"Hamas has embraced the nihilism of the suicide bomber, of rockets fired blindly into towns, and the nihilism of the extinctionist policy towards Israel."

"But it was also nihilism that fired a rocket at the home of the Gazan doctor, Izzeldin Abuelaish, killing three of his daughters and a niece during the Gazan war. And it is nihilism to make a long-term prison camp of the Gaza Strip. Nihilism has unleashed a tsunami of concrete across the occupied territories."

"... continued evictions and relentless purchases of Palestinian homes in East Jerusalem, the process of the right of return granted to Jews but not to Arabs, the so-called facts on the ground of hardening concrete over the future, over future generations of Palestinian and Israeli children who will inherit the conflict and find it even more difficult to resolve than it is today."

"... deeply, deeply touched to be awarded this honour that recognises writing which promotes the idea of the freedom of the individual in society". "Here, for both Israeli and Palestinian novelists, 'the situation' is always there ... It's a creative struggle to address it and a creative struggle to ignore it." He referred to the Shoah, or Holocaust, as "... that industrialised cruelty which will remain always the ultimate measure of human depravity, of how far we can fall, and acknowledged "the precious tradition of the democracy of ideas in Israel".

He singled out three celebrated Israeli authors – Amos Oz, AB Yehoshua and David Grossman – as "writers who love their country, and made sacrifices for it and have been troubled by the directions it has taken". They had opposed the settlements, he said, and had become the country's "conscience, memory and above all hope". In recent years these three writers had felt "the times turning against their hopes", he said.

The question, said McEwan, was Lenin's: what is to be done? Israel, he said, needed to harness the creativity of its writers, artists and scientists, and not "retreat to a bunker mentality".

"The opposite of nihilism is creativity. The mood for change, the hunger for individual freedom that is spreading through the Middle East is an opportunity more than it is a threat."

The author said he was donating his $10,000 (£6,155) prize to Combatants for Peace, an organisation of former Israeli soldiers and former Palestinian fighters.

How Some on the US Right Wing View Obama

2011-02-21T15:31:00.001+08:00

This wonderful comment was left at Fox Nation under a newspiece criticising Obama's support for the Wisconsin state workers striking against Gov. Walker's new 'austerity budget':

TeaPartyPatriot4ever

Obama is just an Indoctrinated Anti-American Liberal Socialist Marxist, Islmic Muslm Kenyan, who believes that America is the cause of ALL he worlds problems, and he is on a crusade to personally destroy America, and Free Market Capitalism, and the US Constitution, from the inside out.!!!

Wisconsin Budget Standoff - Tea Party Gov. Vs 50 Years of Collective Bargaining

2011-02-20T19:46:00.002+08:00

Catastrophe Watch: Endtimes a comin'

2011-02-18T19:54:00.000+08:00

... seriously though, 'raw socialism'??? From what I can see Obama has passed a health care bill and a recent budget that was certainly not a wealth re-distributor but rather cut many back on Federal services. He's even selling off hundreds of Federal properties and buildings. How is that expanding the state. This is why the American Right is now a laughing stock - there's a moderate Democrat in the White House under siege by a Republican House of Representatives and they've gone and called him 'socialist' because they've been watching too much Beck, Hannity, Coulter, O'Reilly and Palin. Now they've got nowhere to go but more extreme - Hitler anyone?

Obama is not a socialist by any stretch of the imagination or convenient redefinition of the term. The Right Wing, including the fantasist Libertarians, imagine that the whole world would just work better if business was left alone and prices were free of interference by the State. But what has trying to reach that goal reaped since 1945, and particularly since the rise if the New Right in the 70s and 80s? It has reaped a military industrial complex that has become both the largest sector of the economy and a profiteer from conflict and war (as if the 20th century hadn't seen enough). It has seen privatisation at the cost of communities and even whole countries. It has seen the value of real wages plummet, mortgage bankruptcy skyrocket and the transfer of vast amounts of wealth into fewer hands, the rise of politicised media conglomerates and ever increasing pressure on States from businesses all seeking to put their profits before the mandate of elected officials. It has seen an even more comprehensive and rapid trashing of the environment, not to mention emerging democracies in central and southern america (can't have a socialist legitimately in power in Chile so lets replace him with a junta whilst supplying more arms and support to Indonesia, Iraq, Libya amongst others.

The American Right and conservative politics, bloated with hubris at their perceived ideological victory of 'free market' 'liberty' would be the subject of hilarious jokes ... if they weren't so dangerous.

Links Feb 17th 2011

2011-02-17T15:22:00.000+08:00

Sea Shepherd Conservation Society forces Japanese to suspend whaling. Last year they managed to reduce the total catch by half. In the absence of a authority able to draw up and enforce fair and sustainable commons use, I applaud and thank Sea Shepherd for the efforts.

Dalai Llama's nephew killed in road accident in USA.

Energy firms infiltrated environmental movements in the UK by hiring private firms for espionage.

Interesting article on Obama's latest budget - the revenge of trickle down economics.

Go to Sark for real dark night skies. Love this quote below the contextual paragraph:

Sark joins a select group of dark sky regions around the world, including Galloway forest park in southern Scotland, which became Europe's first dark sky park in 2009. Keith Muir, head of tourism at the park, said the award prompted an upsurge in interest in astronomy and the night sky. Local hotels and B&Bs have started running stargazing nights and neighbouring councils have brought in dark sky policies to reduce their own light pollution. A new observatory is planned for the edge of Galloway Forest Park that will hold lectures and house a public telescope.

"The interest has grown and grown. We've even had requests from people to come up and renew their marriage vows under the stars. A lot of people don't realise how dark it is and go home early because they get scared shitless"

Super Megalopolis: China's planning to combine 9 cities into 1. 42 million people in one city the size of Switzerland.

LARD. This is hard to find in Taiwan but it turns out it even beats butter, health-wise and in terms of cooking (especially for baking). My mum taught me the golden rule for pastry (pies etc) - half fat to flour. I've bought some and will be using it next time I make pastry. Interestingly I recently made dumplings - the pastry for the skins is only flour and water, butter having not been a widely available product for much of the Asian continent's history. It's a lot harder work kneading the dough without fat ...

Funny Cartoon sites: The Oatmeal on Valentines Day / 6 Crappiest Interview Questions / and 10 Types of Crappy Interviewees. XKCD on an alternative energy revolution.

Alibhai-Brown on the radicalisation of children in Gaza and UK.

66 rules of The Fundamentalist Rulebook.

Green day's American Idiot music video. Lyrics are interesting. Pity the form of delivery is uninspired soft-rock ala Avril Lavigne. Anybody remember the Dead Kennedys?

Colin Powell is angry at the CIA for being duped, and duping him, into escalating the Gulf War into a full invasion. Turns out the WMD thing was a complete fabrication.

North London football doing well in the Champion's League. What was that you were saying about English football Mr. Blatter (aka Blatherer)? Yes, the England national team is notoriously inconsistent and we don't raise enough new younger talent and there aren't enough english players in the top leagues but Milan 0 - 1 Spurs and Gunners 2 - 1 Barca are great results.

Democratic Senate extends Patriot Act powers.

New study: Global warming made year 2000 UK floods 2 or 3 times more likely. I have in the past switched from using the words 'Global Warming' to 'Climate Change' which I thought to be a safer description given the complexity of the Earth's climate and meteorological phenomena. I do not regard individual weather events to be on their own indicative of warming or cooling - the real picture is far more complex and stretched out over eons of time. I do however agree that there has been on average a rise in the Earth's atmospheric temperature and I do believe that human activity has, if not caused this, certainly contributed a great deal to that change.

The Guardian reviews the most recent Neo-Con / Tea Party / Libertarian / Nimby / Anti-State Spending / Fend-For-Yerself yadda yadda .

Pet Peeve ...

2011-02-16T22:45:00.000+08:00

... people who almost literally do their entire annual accounting on 7-11 ATM machines. Tonight was a beauty - the woman had a clipboard for all the account sheets and details she needed to work on. 10 minutes later and still at it ...

20 Memes for 2012

2011-02-15T21:23:00.001+08:00

Critique of incumbent administration:

Cross-Strait Relations: Where's the goodwill?
Cross-Strait Relations: Too Far Too Fast
International Standing: From the Heart of Asia to the Curb-side of Asia?
International Standing: No Change in PRC Policy. Why?
Culture and Ideology: Ma / KMT Sino-Mania
Culture and Identity: Who wants Chinese Taipei?
Economy: ECFA Benefits who? how? when? where?
Economy: Where's the FTAs?
Defence: Who's Giving Up?
Environment: Taiwan is Dying to Support Traditional Industries

Constructive Positions:

International Standing: Sovereignty With Dignity
Environment: Organic Self Sufficiency
Economy: SME Revival
Economy: Low Carbon Future
Economy: The Business of Cleaning The Nation *
Education: Taiwan & The World
Education: Digital Investment in School Infrastructure
Defence: Discourage Attack
Cross-Strait Relations: Slow and Sovereign
Culture and Ideology: Cosmopolitan Pacific Taiwan

* (physically, as in pollution- not people, cultures, attitudes, media, ability to oppose etc)

Video of the Week: Chomsky on Climate Change Denial

2011-02-11T18:53:00.002+08:00

2011: YFOR - The Year of Food & Oil Revolutions?

2011-02-11T17:08:00.001+08:00

These countries' populations have already been hit by higher food and oil prices coupled with a relatively stagnant economy - large scale civil unrest has been growing, or has begun to grow, in all of them except Taiwan :

Bolivia, Greece, Tunisia, Yemen, Egypt, Taiwan

These countries are desperately worried that events in Egypt and Tunisia will spread to their nations:

Iran, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Libya, Algeria, Jordan, China

The often despotic and autocratic states of the Middle East and North Africa are one of the major blood supply lines for the body of global industry. If these states were to seek transition to democracy (a messy, complicated and often uneven process that may not in the short to medium term actually deliver the public's desired results - see Taiwan) that would likely undermine stability in global oil and commodity prices. When the King of Saudi Arabia died in 2005, oil prices spiked on the news.

What is interesting is that it seems Mubarak is playing from the Beijing rule book: cut off internet access, send paramilitary and military units out to pick up, detain and torture individual protestors as a warning to others, blame foreign media for causing domestic trouble and finally, an Egyptian twist but one the hardline KMT leadership will no doubt recognise from the 1990s, refuse to resign but instead oversee a transition that would no doubt leave Mubarak and his dwindling bunch of allies much influence over the resulting state structures.

Why YFOR?

1. We're past peak oil now. Prices can only rise on average over the medium to long term. That means ...
2. Food importing countries costs for basic commodities like bread will continue to rise. Making this worse will be ...
3. Climate change effects producing more severe weather patterns such as flooding, droughts and extreme measures all of which negatively affect food production. This will ...
4. Push prices of ordinary goods higher, from utility bills to food to transport costs. That hurts ...
5. Industry, which is still hurting from the 2008-2010 financial collapse and depression, the largest sectors of which are stubbornly holding on to old forms of industry at the expense of the dwindling time available to transform economies into energy and food sustainable entities. (see Hon Hai etc and construction-led economic growth in Taiwan - change threatens the bottom line of the big industries even though their contribution to GDP is a fraction of the resources they consume to operate - short term fixes for the economy (ECFA) do little to ease the burden of ordinary people, most of which work in the chimerical service sector.)

Overreaction? Under-reaction?

UPDATE: Now World Bank also warning about food prices.

Some Numbers

2011-02-11T15:54:00.000+08:00

10,000 - 20,000 - the estimated number of children kidnapped, traded or sold each year in China.

US$10 billion - current expected going price for Twitter: worth it? Vote Here.

20% - the target in emissions reductions by 2020 set by Günther Oettinger, the EU's energy commissioner that is 10% less than the 30% target opposed by some European States, large industry lobbying groups and the CBI. Their reasons? A higher target would mean losing industrial jobs to Asia.

18 - number of days Egyptian reform groups and protestors have been applying intense pressure on President Hosni Mubarak to resign. Last night he said he wouldn't leave until September.

66 - number people executed by Iran in January 2011 alone. Including this case.

14 (40-50) - the age of Bangladeshi Hena Akhter (the number of lashes from a wet cloth twisted into a rope that she suffered before dying of her injuries)

團圓 Stalls

2011-02-10T15:04:00.022+08:00

(Tuan Tuan & Yuan Yuan at Taipei Zoo. Image from the Telegraph)

It appears that the unification pandas from China 中國 are having trouble unifying. Turns out that male Tuan Tuan is not showing any interest in Yuan Yuan despite the latter having reached the time for getting jiggy and being all in the mood. Zoo keepers at Taipei Zoo have had to take sperm from Tuan Tuan in case he fails to get unifying within the window of time best suited for it.

I mean no ill to the magnificent a-political creatures themselves - they don't know what China and Taiwan are or understand the way they have been carted away from their natural habitats to be used as political pawns - but I couldn't help but smile when I read the news since I am the kind of person who takes perverse joy in seeing how nature blows apart our plans to use it for symbolic and political purposes. What do they say? "Never work with children or animals".

So ... on that note ... let's run with the analogy:

Yuan Yuan (China 中國) wants to get with the unification plan. She feels it as a natural urge and is getting all hot and bothered that Tuan Tuan (Taiwan 台灣國) isn't playing ball. There's limited time available to make this work (1-2 presidential election terms) so the zoo keepers (Ma administration) are taking Tuan Tuan's sperm (economic and political sovereignty) so they can artificially inseminate Yuan Yuan and get her pregnant (synthetically lock Taiwan into a pathway to gradual annexation 團圓). The zoo keepers imagine that artificially inseminating Yuan Yuan (democratise China through reunion) will ensure that a baby panda (autonomous ROC within Greater China 'Federation') will be born in Yuan Yuan's current oestrus cycle (before Taiwan's 2016 Presidential Election). But Yuan Yuan's offspring is going to have half her genes and be raised (controlled) by her and Tuan Tuan won't get much say (do as China 中國 say or face PRC displeasure and economic retaliation).

Here's the Wiki for some background and context to my post:

Tuan Tuan was born on September 1, 2004, and was assigned as no. 19 in the Wolong National Nature Reserve in Sichuan Province. He is a male panda. Yuan Yuan was born on August 31, 2004, and was assigned as no. 16 in the Wolong National Nature Reserve as well. She is a female panda. Their names, "Tuan Tuan" and "Yuan Yuan", were chosen in an unofficial public poll in mainland China the results of which were revealed live on national television during the 2006 CCTV New Year's Gala. Approximately 130 million mainland Chinese viewers cast their votes. Together, the names produce the Chinese phrase tuan yuan (simplified Chinese: 团圆; traditional Chinese: 團圓; pinyin: tuán yuán), meaning "reunion".

The gift of the pandas was first proposed during the 2005 Pan-Blue visits to China, when politicians from the then-Opposition Pan-Blue coalition, which is comparatively pro-unification in stance, visited China. Chen Yunlin, then the head of the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, announced on May 3, 2005, that Beijing would present two giant pandas to Taipei as a gift.

The two pandas to be sent to Taiwan were chosen after 218 days of observation and discussion by experts from both China and Taiwan, and were officially announced on January 6, 2006. The Chinese Wildlife Protection Society then began seeking nominations for the names to be given to the pair of pandas. These were announced on the eve of Chinese New Year, 2006 on the CCTV New Year's Gala live on national television. An opinion survey in Taiwan conducted by United Daily News in response to the gift proposal found 50% of respondents in favour of accepting the pandas, and 34% opposed.
However, the gift proposal soon met political resistance in Taiwan.

On March 31, 2006, the Agricultural Committee of the Executive Yuan in Taiwan decided not to issue permits for the importation, ostensibly on the grounds that the zoos in Taiwan applying for the importation did not meet facility and resource requirements for the proper care and rearing of the pandas, and that importation would not be in the best interest of protecting pandas. However, commentators generally observed that political considerations underlay the technical decision, with the independence-leaning President Chen Shui-bian being opposed to what he saw as a propaganda move by Beijing.

In 2008, Ma Ying-jeou, of the Kuomintang, was elected President, and over the next few months has forged stronger economic and political relations with China under his presidency, and was willing to accept them (3 months after becoming President). The offering of pandas a gift from China is often known as "panda diplomacy", and Taipei Zoo expects to draw around 30,000 visitors a day as a result of their arrival. The move was criticized by supporters of Taiwan's independence and the opposition Democratic Progressive Party, who said that "Tuan Tuan and Yuan Yuan means a reunion, which perfectly matches Beijing's goal of bringing Taiwan into its fold."

Although Taiwan is not a CITES signatory and is therefore not obligated to report to the CITES Secretariat, the Secretariat of CITES said in response to the transfer that it viewed the transfer as an intra-state matter, and thus would be governed by whatever procedures and documentary requirements that are agreed upon by the Beijing and Taipei authorities. Both sides adopted procedures similar to standard CITES procedures for international transfers. On the import-export permits, the origin was listed as the Wolong Nature Reserve Management Office, while the destination was listed as the Taipei City Zoo.

And In Other News:

A ROC loyalist woman in Kaohsiung accidentally exposes how Nationalist propaganda led her to conflate her nation with her party:

Merchandise featuring the Republic of China (ROC) flag is becoming increasingly popular as the ROC celebrates its 100th anniversary this year — and so is the owner of an ROC flag merchandise shop in Greater Kaohsiung, Yang Yu-mei (楊玉梅). A decade ago, she began to collect anything with the ROC flag on it, starting with a watch featuring the national symbol. So far, she has collected hundreds of items. When Yang worked in the campaign headquarters for KMT candidate Huang Chun-ying (黃俊英) in the 2006 Kaohsiung mayoral election, her “ROC flag” outfit — including clothes, small accessories and a backpack — caught the attention of other volunteers, earning her the nickname “the national flag girl.”
As a descendant of a veteran soldier, Yang said she was taught to be “patriotic and loyal to the [Chinese Nationalist] Party [KMT]” since she was a kid.

Side Note: Here is a definition of 'patriotic':

patriotic |ˌpātrēˈätik|

adjective

having or expressing devotion to and vigorous support for one's country

My question: Can one be patriotic to a political party if that party is truly and appropriately separate from the State and makes no claim against or upon it? By the definition above, I don't think so. So Yang's patriotism for her party makes no sense unless one understands how the ROC nationality has been constructed and maintained on China and then on Taiwan.

Yang was taught to be patriotic to her nation through her party. Her loyalty was to the party because that's where the nation originated and lay. Outside of that party (the KMT) the ROC had less ideological appeal mostly owing to the catastrophic way it mismanaged China and colonised Taiwan.

In Yang's mind her nation was all of China 中國 and Taiwan but in her lived reality, she perhaps has felt like an immigrant to a foreign and strange land - the KMT and its ROC are the substantive physical and symbolic ties she has to her ancestral home as she re-imagines it - a large element of the matrix of her political identity. Filial piety has likely meant that the veteran soldier descendant's loyalty and patriotism to party and nation have been carried down to Yang's generation where it has found, in Yang, its most overt expression.

The Importance of Being 中國

2011-02-09T23:17:00.005+08:00

Ma: (to minion) Our ROC centenary has fallen flat. The population don't seem to understand their cultural heritage or appreciate their country's glorious history. Any suggestions?

Lo: I propose we make a new rule sir! One that would clarify our position on our nation's title and culture and reinvigorate the public's trust and belief in our national identity.

Ma: ... and that would be?

Lo: We ... [pause for effect] ... effectively, for all Government officials, ban the word 中國 when used to refer to our PRC friends. From now on, 中國 refers to our conception of One China, namely 中華民國. We can use the word 'Mainland' or 'China Mainland' for PRC administered regions.

Ma: Brilliant! I will leave right away to test out the idea.

[pause ...

... Ma returns]

Lo: Well Sir? What happened? Did they cheer you?

Ma: No.

Lo: Did they express how they felt a swell of national pride rise within their breasts?

Ma: No.

Lo: Are they even going to stop using the word 中國 to refer to the PRC?

Ma: No.

Lo: Well what the hell happened? Did you carefully read the speech I wrote?

Ma: Yes. Apparently, that was the root of the problem. They didn't smile or laugh and cheer. They just sat there open mouthed. Then they told me what they thought of your speech.

Lo: ... and? Let me guess. They said it was difficult to appreciate all the beauty of it?

Ma: Not quite. They asked me what made me think I could indoctrinate the Taiwanese to believe they were all politically Chinese where both Chiang's, even protected by their dictatorships, failed.

Lo: [gasp] Local unpatriotic low class separatist scum!

Ma: Then they asked me if I was trying to induce Taiwanese to self-censorship in the hope of reifying the ROC on Taiwan through language policy.

Lo: How dare they!

Ma: There's more. They told me how utterly unnecessary my speech was and how it was clearly a transparent ploy to press the 'REVERT' button on Taiwanese identity back to 1949. They said that Taiwanese national identity had only grown in recent years so my ideas were sailing against the wind. They pointed out that all this arse-kissing about Chinese identity and culture in Taiwan and the ROC centenary was for Beijing's consumption, it wasn't making any friends and looked pretty silly when the PRC continued to marginalise the ROC abroad and diplomatically isolate it. So much for modus vivendi they said. So much for how being the ROC would bring cross-strait mutual respect for Taiwanese sovereignty they said. They'd choose whatever words they wanted to use to refer to China thank you very much, something about King Canute and tides and then they turned their backs on me and walked away.

Lo: Those squat dark skinned Japanese pirates in the South will pay dearly for this insult!

Ma: oh um, actually I haven't gone public yet. I just gave my speech to the KMT Central Standing Committee.

Lo: [in a squeaky trembling voice] oh shit.

Ma: By the way, think I'll get the nomination from the KMT to run for re-election?

[wind blows, tumbleweed rolls across the screen]

Ma: Lo? Lo?

Further Reading:

Taipei Times report
A-gu
Taiwan newswire Yam reports the President's comment (tip to A-gu)
Fapa joins in the condemnation.
Taipei Times editorial.
Mike Turton's angle on events - Ma's announcement was aimed at Taiwanese, not especially government workers - chimes beautifully with my 'quote' above that the new rules was intended to "induce Taiwanese to self-censorship in the hope of reifying the ROC on Taiwan through language policy." In that respect, Ma is a one man time machine capable of emulating both Japanese assimilationist policy and post-war ROC occupation, colonisation and indoctrination of Taiwanese through education and Martial Law. Scary.

Pictures of the Week: Gaomei Wetlands

2011-02-09T21:03:00.000+08:00

Cartoon of the Week: Diplomacy Fail?

2011-02-09T17:45:00.002+08:00

Paypal Fail

2011-02-04T21:37:00.001+08:00

Dear Paypal,

I'll put to one side the suppositional impetuousness of your clarion call for me to correctly select an appropriate set of arrangements for the forthcoming 'romance holiday' and instead ask you if you have also sent out an equally patronising email to your female customers beginning with the sentence "Men can be complicated creatures ..."?

Thank you for your offer of titillating tips and great gift ideas. If they do not help me get it right for valentines day is there a number I can call to lodge a formal complaint? If my partner is not happy with a specific ~~tit~~ tip or idea, can I get a refund on that particular item and do I have to return it with the receipt?

Finally, I thought about your questions and found some possible solutions which are as follows:

1. When is lingerie a bad idea? - When its either too small or too big for her.

2. What if you don't know her size? - Don't buy lingerie, buy chocolates or flowers.

3. How can you make chocolates and flowers personal? - Buy them yourself.

4. What about something really special? - That's what she said last year.

Yours sincerely
Ben Goren

Video of the Week: It doesn't get much more eloquently put than this

2011-02-04T17:58:00.002+08:00

BBC Fail

2011-02-04T17:51:00.002+08:00

UPDATE 06 02 11:

Steve Coogan makes the case against Top Gear presenters ...

To quote:

the BBC said it was sorry if it had offended some people, but said jokes based on national stereotyping were part of British national humour.

I'm British but I'm also ashamed and depressed at this statement. The BBC might be trying to 'tell it as it is' but if anything it has, rather than provided an apology or decent explanation (the presenters are racist, we'll sack them, sorry.), given tremendous justification to other media outlets to run with racist or stereotyping copy.

Jokes based on national stereotyping are found worldwide so Britain can't claim them solely as their own. Every other broadcaster in every other country can also say "jokes based on national stereotyping were part of [insert country name] national humour". Except not all countries populations are equally introspective, racist and quick to stereotype people they don't know. I feel sorry for the many hundreds of British comedians who work hard and please audiences night in night out without ever having to resort to the Bernard Manning School of Insult. But then, they are comedians who have developed a fine appreciation of the art and nature of comedy and what makes something funny and why. The comments in question (below) were made by TV presenters unschooled in the art of comedy but schooled in the art of shooting off their mouths and upsetting people with their ' devil-may-care stuff your PC nonsense up your arse and deal with it school of real life and hard knockings'.

I enjoy jokes based on national stereotyping on rare occasions and only if they are not delivered in the spirit of factuality, anger, seriousness, meanness or spite. My American friends might curse me for being a Brit but being good friends, and knowing the game, I respond as expected with some retort about Yanks. Both of us have travelled far enough and know enough history to deliver our lines with a wink and irony. The comments are not meant to hurt or insult but gently jibe. The end conclusion of most exchanges is an open admittance by all parties that no country or individual can claim any moral high ground or throw stones. The underlying agreement is that all nations and nationalisms are to a large extent 'houses of glass' - they are different colours and shapes but they all break the same way. Throwing water balloons is not the same as rocks. That's a fine level of communication possible between good friends from different countries. Now look at the comments of the BBC presenters that upset the Mexicans:

Jeremy Clarkson had said he was confident he would not receive any complaints about their comments because the Mexican ambassador would be asleep. The Top Gear team's comments about Mexicans were made when they were discussing Mexican sports car. Richard Hammond said vehicles reflected national characteristics so "Mexican cars are just going to be lazy". Reviewing the Mastretta on Sunday's show, Hammond said: "Mexican cars are just going to be lazy, feckless, flatulent, overweight, leaning against a fence asleep looking at a cactus with a blanket with a hole in the middle on as a coat." The presenters, known for their edgy jibes, then described Mexican food as "refried sick".

Try this then: British cars (TV presenters) are just going to be fat, racist, sexist, bigots spewing their guts into everyone's living room whilst hiding their vile and vicious ideologies behind a veneer or humour. British food is nothing more than the crippled, psychotic, bastard child of far superior French cuisine.

I'm sure a few Mexicans right now are formulating their own responses along those lines - and Britain and British people just got a bad rap abroad because the BBC gave air time to two knuckle-draggers. Not content with letting them drag down my country's image abroad it then deigns to provide possibly the worst excuse and non-apology it could find.

If that wasn't bad enough, it seems the BBC have also pissed off the Japanese to boot.

BBC FAIL.

Five arguments for the existence of a substantive Taiwanese culture

2011-02-03T18:56:00.000+08:00

You Said It ...

2011-02-03T18:33:00.002+08:00

This promise made yesterday:

"In the next 10 years, we will create a ‘golden decade’ that will lay a solid foundation for another 100 years of the Republic of China,” he said. “We have a 100-year plan for education, the environment and social justice, as well as peace across the Taiwan Strait."

LOL. We'll see.

Ma's 'Golden Decade' meme first emerged on the 19th of May 2010 on the eve the anniversary of his inauguration. A critique published by the TT followed the next day. The 'Golden Decade' is based on the 'Six Country Statement' and comprises:

First - build a strong country based on innovation so Taiwan’s competitiveness will be upgraded.

Second - revive the country with culture, in the hope of using culture to promote Taiwan’s advantage.

Third - save the country with an environmental protection initiative and build a low-carbon homeland using green energy.

Fourth - consolidate the country with constitutional politics and strengthen government management with honesty.

Fifth - make the country more secure in terms of social welfare by establishing a social safety net.

Sixth - protect the country with peace, namely using peace to construct a new order in the Taiwan Strait.

Most of these goals on the surface seem quite laudable. I agree that innovation is a key to competitiveness. I like the fluffy sounding words like 'low carbon' and 'green energy' and 'social safety net'. What worry me are the references to 'new order in the Taiwan Strait' (does not suggest keep the 'status-quo' that a majority want), 'strengthen government management with honesty' (means?) and 'revive the country with culture' (whose?) .

Finally, I admit I chuckled when I read of the '100 year plan for education, the environment and social justice, as well as peace across the Taiwan Strait.' This seems to be a mimicking of the DPP's earlier announced '10 Year Plan'. How? The DPP came out with their 10 year plan in March 2010, some 2 months before Ma's speech. Links here and here. This chimes with my theory of a key KMT strategy in recent years which I call 'Duplicate & Negate'. Other examples include the infamous 2008 "Million People High Five, Come-back Win" hat scandal and 2004/2008 referendums.

Now look again at three of the four areas covered in the 100 year plan. Education, environment and social justice are all traditional DPP themes. Ma is seeking the middle ground, trying to gain light greens and independents. Unfortunately, invoking another 100 (bloody?) years of the ROC and expanding from a 10 to a 100 year plan more likely came across to many Taiwan voters as unnecessarily and wildly optimistic if not a little boastful, perhaps even sinister.

Taichu Penitentiary & Kendo Hall - Reconstructed October 2010

2011-02-03T17:34:00.000+08:00

(Shots taken with a Samsung Galaxy S hand-held smart phone.)

Location of Taichu Penitentiary and Kendo Hall:

Yesterday, David Reid, Nathan Barham and I visited the Taichu Penitentiary and Kendo Hall on Lin Sen Road. Built by the Japanese and then also pulled down by them, it had been rebuilt and re-imagined a few times. This latest restoration came after a huge fire in 2005 that essentially gutted the previous incarnation (as can be seen on Google Maps). Here are the pics I took of what now stands as one of Taichung's last remaining Japanese buildings. Another major site of Japanese architecture is to be found at the site of Taichung's soon to be redundant City Government Hall and offices on nearby Minchuan Road.

Destroying the Commons for Culture

2011-02-03T16:25:00.004+08:00

This was the first dish at Fuji Mountain restaurant in Changhua last Sunday. What it contained was the embodiment of the destruction of the commons to satisfy one particular culture's desire to demonstrate high social status and generosity. The consumption of this soup, considered an expensive delicacy, is not accompanied by cries of surprise, joy and communal satisfaction but instead ladled out unceremoniously and slurped down without so much as cursory recognition of the terrible cost this privilege has afforded them, or silent prayer for the great animals that died so that some person could earn face. It is, at best, destruction for the production of nothing more concrete than a psycho-social construct derived from a desire to emulate a re-imagined aristocracy from a pre-industrial age.

I present: Shark Fin Soup:

... and no I didn't partake, and neither did my boss. No-one seemed to care.

An Independent Judiciary?

2011-02-03T16:06:00.000+08:00

This quote below highlights, to me, how the current KMT administration under President Ma fails to understand the concept of rule of law and separation of the organs of State:

“The public must realize that my visit today clearly indicates that Chiang is innocent,” Ma said. “This fact has been confirmed by the investigations of the Control Yuan and Taipei District Court.”

The family’s wish that Chiang’s conviction and death penalty be revoked has to proceed in accordance with the law, but he promised the process would not take five or 10 years, Ma said.

“A retrial is probably the least time-consuming, but we will do our best to shorten the process,” he said.

However, he declined to specify how long it would take, saying he would ask the justice ministry to provide an estimate.

Ma said the new evidence discovered could be used against Hsu at a retrial and clearing Chiang’s name should be dealt with separately from proving Hsu guilty.

First, Ma's visit does not signify that Chiang is innocent. The rulings of Taiwan's judicial system alone determine who is regarded in the official record as innocent or guilty, not the President or even the Minister of Justice. The President is not the embodiment of the law since under the rule of law the President is equally subject to the laws of the nation as any other citizen. The arrest, detention and jailing of former President Chen illustrated that a President is not above the law. Unfortunately it also illustrated that Taiwan's Judiciary is far from impervious to influence from the Executive, Legislature or the media.

Ma's promise above to 'shorten the process' can be regarded as the actions of a populist seeking to build approval, authority and legitimacy amongst the electorate by making appeals to popular justice rather than showing respect to the independence of Taiwan's judiciary, due process and rule of law. I would like Chiang's family to also receive a full pardon for their executed son as soon as possible but the process towards that goal must be carried out independent of public / media pressure or political influence.

Finally, is it appropriate for the President to state how the judiciary should go about handling the process of clearing Chiang's name and finding another suspect guilty?. Is that not the preserve of the Judiciary who should have far more expertise in the rules of the process than the President? Does the President now determine how cases are to be handled? Is this the judicial reform that Taiwanese have been promised for so long?

Let's not all forget one more point. Supposing that Hsu admits his guilt will he too be executed? Will his execution salve the pain of the Chiang family? Will another death salve the pain of the dead girl's family? A murder of one individual happened, yet two innocent people have died. How many have to die before we can sit back and feel our morally justified thirst for revenge has been appeased? Does revenge bring closure to grief?

Wasn't it Confucius who said:

"Before setting out on a journey of revenge, dig two graves".

UK 101

2011-02-03T15:24:00.001+08:00

First Charity, then Secret Projects

2011-02-03T14:15:00.015+08:00

Chinese ~~agentofannexation~~ philanthropist Chen Guangbiao (陳光標) has now left Taiwan following his ~~impromptu and distasteful handing out of cash to Taiwanese~~ charity tour of Taiwan. On his way out the door he had this to say:

Chen said he would take good memories back to China and that he would return to Taiwan for a groundbreaking ceremony for a secret project in Hualien County in May after raising more funds.

Chen added that he would keep a lower profile when he visits next time.

I bet he will. Mission accomplished. In May he will no doubt reinforce the guanxi he just bought and Hualien gets to be the lucky county!!

Look at that photo. I just love the expression on the face of the (presumably) Chinese security guard as the woman hands over the ROC 100 Year Centenary Scarf to Chen.

Cartoon of the Week: Generosity

2011-02-01T13:59:00.002+08:00

Kuokuang Gets Orange Light At EPA

2011-01-28T14:21:00.000+08:00

Plans by the Kuokuang Petrochemical Technology Co (國光石化) to spray concrete not far off the coast of Dacheng Township (大城), Changhua County destroying most of a wetland area (one of the last remaining untouched wetlands on the west coast) has been delayed by an EPA panel:

The panel, made up of members of the environmental impact assessment (EIA) committee at the Environmental Protection Administration (EPA), university professors and government representatives, was holding its fourth review.

Prior to the meeting, media reports were speculating that the panel was likely to give the case a conditional approval and allow it to be reviewed by the EIA Committee, which has the final say on whether the proposal should be approved or rejected. Some reports said the chances of such a conclusion being reached were high, because the EPA was seeking to settle the controversial project before the Lunar New Year holiday next week.

While the panel did not approve the plan, its ruling still fell short of the expectations of the project’s opponents, who asked that Kuokuang drop it altogether.

Although Kuokuang has proposed reducing the scale of the planned petrochemical complex, critics said the watered-down project still poses a threat to the environment.

Those media reports were borne out to some extent when, and this is from an eyewitness at the meeting, the Chair of the meeting Chiang Pen-chi (蔣本基) announced before the meeting began that this would be the last meeting on this issue - leading to the accusation that a conclusion had already been reached, one that would settle the matter before the Lunar New Year.

Some nice quotes from activists against the development:

“Decades ago, when the Formosa Plastics Group [台塑集團] announced it would build a petrochemical industrial park in Mailiao Township [麥寮], Yunlin County, people welcomed it, but now they regret it,” said Lin Ching-tuo (林清拖), an elderly farmer from Wanggong Township (王功), Changhua County, which is close to Mailiao and Dacheng.

“The large quantities of smoke produced by oil refineries in Mailiao not only pollute the air, but also damage the health and the quality of life of people in neighboring areas,” Lin said. “Consequently, we should stop the project before it becomes a reality.”

Activist Yang Ru-men (楊儒門), who also runs an organic farm and a farmers’ market, told the crowd that although residents could receive cash compensation for the project, “however much cash you receive, it cannot make up for the loss of your health.”

“Of course economic development could help us live longer, but what good does it do if it means just staying in a hospital bed longer?” he said.

Shark Killers - Taiwan is World's 4th Largest

2011-01-28T14:03:00.001+08:00

This graph from "The Future of Sharks - A Review of Action and Inaction," a report released, as featured in the TT today, by the wildlife trade monitoring group TRAFFIC and the Pew Environment Group and scheduled to be reviewed by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization’s (FAO) Committee on Fisheries next week.

NOTES FROM THE REPORT

The Top 20 for the period 2000 to 2008 are listed in Table 1 (See also Figure 1). The Top 20 is an arbitrary construct and in considering this report, it is important to bear in mind that:

Although the Top 20 account for nearly 80% of total reported shark catch, the top four shark catchers (Indonesia, India, Spain and Taiwan) account for more than 35%.

Five of the Top 20 (Portugal, Nigeria, Iran, the United Kingdom and South Korea) each account for less than 2% of the global reported shark catch.

The 20th-ranked catcher accounts for 1.4% of global reported shark catch, and six that are not in the Top 20 account for 1% or more of the catch:
Canada (1.39%),
Peru (1.21%),
Yemen (1.17%),
Australia (1.15%),
Senegal (1.06%)
Venezuela (1.00%).

BEN'S NOTES

The figures used for the report do not seem to include China or North Korea, both of which are likely to also engage in shark fishing. Furthermore, the figures are estimates based on what countries self-report - those self-reported figures are likely lower than actual numbers fished. What this report does well is illustrate the extent of the problem - a problem that is likely already affecting biological food chains in all our oceans. Anyone got good ideas of how to demotivate people from engaging in shark fishing or eating shark-fin soup?

Further information:
My post on shark-finning
My post on finning in Taiwan
Greenpeace East Asian Tour
Greenpeace and their action in Kaohsiung

Chinese Year of The Rabbit Cartoon

2011-01-28T11:03:00.000+08:00

* This cartoon has been banned in China. It makes an explicit warning to the Government of the PRC that Chinese people could well revolt en masse over what are perceived to be escalating incidents of injustice or lack of rule of law. I publish it here with the caveat that I do not endorse nor wish to encourage any individual or collective acts of revolt in the PRC by Chinese or foreign citizens. A translation of the Chinese and some analysis of the content can be found here.*

Handouts

2011-01-25T23:54:00.003+08:00

UPDATE 28th Jan 2011: Chen has arrived and absurdity has ensued. Chen has cancelled has now cancelled his business activities - the reason he was granted a visa - to focus on his original goal of handing out ~~election bribes for the KMT~~ money to Taiwan's poorest. More info in this TT article here and this letter to the TT here on why Chen's envelopes are racist.

-----

Two news stories today, both about handouts. The first concerns Chinese billionaire Chen Guangbiao (陳光標). He wants to hand out cash in person in red envelopes to Taiwan's poorest on a 'gratitude tour' in response to the NT$2 billion given by Taiwanese following the Sichuan earthquake.

The second concerns President Ma's intention to hand out special coins in red envelopes during the new year - kids won't be able to eat them because they will not be made of chocolate but, more excitingly, be real and will commemorate the centennial of the ROC.

What's the difference? Chen's envelopes (and the money inside) are the message:

Chen has prepared about 50,000 red envelopes embossed with the inscription “The day is cold, the ground freezing but the peoples’ hearts are warm. The Chinese race is one family and a fire in the winter,” (中華民族一家親,冬天裡的一把火)
.

Touching sentiment, and a nice bit of blatantly racist annexationist rhetoric. Mike Fagan has the critique. By comparison Ma's ROC 100th Anniversary coins are a much cruder, and cheaper, tool.

Here then are two handouts that might symbolise the modus operandi of PRC Chinese and ROC Chinese. The former spending large to build trust and win hearts whilst the latter tries to wrap itself in a cloak of constitutionality and white-washed history to mask the nudity of its intent for unification.

... and how about this from New Taipei City Mayor:

“We don’t want to see [the recipients] rounded up and have the [donations] take place in a high-profile manner,” New Taipei City (新北市) Mayor Eric Chu (朱立倫) said. “We still need to have some respect for the people that need our help.”

Translation: Low-profile, high impact good. High-profile bad. Oops, did i say 'rounded up'? I meant 'corralled'. We have so little respect left for the people that need our help that this hand out activity might just make us lose it all.

In other news:

Greenpeace hits trawler they suspect of illegal fishing. Captain denies the allegations. One arrested.

Taking hot showers with no ventilation bad for your health - steamed chlorinated water is not good for you apparently. Keep a fan or window / door open and don't go over 10-15 mins.

Quote of the Week: Nixed Under Pressure

2011-01-25T20:41:00.003+08:00

Recently covered in the blogs was the decision of Missouri Governor Jay Nixon to cancel a planned trip to Taiwan under pressure either of the Chinese government or a zealous local official. This has finally (1.5 months after the story broke) raised the ire of AIT Chairman Ray Burghardt. He had this to say:

"My impression is that most American politicians, American governors, they don't like to be pushed around that way."

Burghardt said China's actions appeared to be at odds with the rapid improvement in relations across the 100-mile- (160-kilometer-) wide Taiwan Strait that have taken place since Taiwanese President Ma Ying-jeou jettisoned his predecessor's support for formal independence upon taking office 2 1/2 years ago.

"It's ... inconsistent with all their professions of desire to improve cross-strait relations to treat Taiwan that way. I think it's a serious matter."

Nixon's aborted visit to Taiwan focused on selling $600 million worth of Missouri agricultural products to Taiwanese consumers. He originally said the trip's cancellation was due to "travel challenges," but later acknowledged that Chinese pressure had played a role.

This is where Burghardt and other China Doves in the State Department are, I think, going wrong.

First, American politicians are constantly being pushed around in many different ways as they seek continual reelection but also pressure within the beltway to vote strategically for the party or a clique within their party. Being pushed around by Chinese officials dangling the carrot of local investment may be a new experience for US politicians but not for most of the world's countries.

Second, pushing US politicians around is not inconsistent with CCP-KMT professions to improve cross-strait relations. That 'improvement' has been carried out through excluding not only the US but also absenting most Taiwanese opinion from oversight or involvement in the process. Cross-strait relations appear 'just fine' despite China squeezing US politicians not to come to Taiwan. China seeks to demotivate US politician visits because it wants to reduce the links between Taiwan and the US not see them expand. The Ma administration will not complain too much about not getting international recognition or participation in return for concessions from China because those complaints are mostly for domestic consumption by the electorate before elections so as to paint the KMT as 'pro-Taiwan' when the reality is the leadership are actually 'pro-China'. Hence the objection coming from AIT and not MOFA (can anyone contradict me here? please post a comment with a link to a news article about MOFA or any other Government agency or spokesperson expressing anger over this move by the PRC)

This being said, Burghardt is right in one sense though. Despite Ma's continued claims that his approach and policies such as ECFA would lead to greater international space for Taiwan, this has not materialised. No FTA's with new large national economies (the US FTA talks were not, and now again are, affected by the beef dispute and even Singapore is dragging its feet). Instead Taiwan has experienced disgraceful treatment by the PRC toward Taiwanese film industry notables in Japan just a few months ago not to mention the ever expanding problem of China's unofficial navy - fishing trawlers and their violent crews - now starting to give the Taiwanese Coast Guard a hard time too.

Mike Turton has some background to this issue here on December 13th.

Also, despite some great work recently, AP has slipped again into the old mantra ... intone after me:

Taiwan and China split amid civil war in 1949.

Beijing still claims the democratic island as part of its territory and attempts to limit any activity that might appear to give it the appearance of a sovereign state.

First sentence is historical revisionism as per standard for most AP reporters. The second sentence is more interesting for taking account of China's agency in Taiwan's international relations and participation.

Also, note above that AP cites the 'rapid improvement in relations across the 100-mile- (160-kilometer-) wide Taiwan Strait' as having happened because 'Taiwanese President Ma Ying-jeou jettisoned his predecessor's support for formal independence upon taking office 2 1/2 years ago'.

There's a simplification reductio ad absurdum for you. See how straw man Chen Shui-bian is still held up as the contrast and the reason for both tension and peace? Without 'The Chen Clause', it becomes immediately obvious that the PRC was and still is the main obstacle to cross-strait peace, not any particular Taiwanese President or administration. But no, the new uncritically regurgitated line is that China would not work officially with the DPP and that's Chen's fault because he ~~bent over backwards to meet them half way with dignity~~ deliberately sabotaged relations with talk of independence that he knew would be unacceptable and a breech of the US and PRC One China policy....... ommm

An Excellent Response

2011-01-24T13:53:00.000+08:00

Piers Morgan tries to get Ricky Gervais into a corner on his beliefs and Ricky handles it with aplomb ...

Video of the Week - Gordon Ramsay & Shark Fin

2011-01-22T12:50:00.004+08:00

More information here

Video Part 1, Part 3 and Part 4.

Bill Maher: Founding Fathers Vs Tea Party

2011-01-22T12:36:00.000+08:00

Jan. 14, 2011 Clip - New Rule: Founding Fathers

... um ... not always a good idea to be led by a so-called 'educated elite' - really depends upon the kind and content of education received. If anything, Parliaments and law are maybe not so effective as they can be because they, for the most part, are filled with, and made, by lawyers.

Education is a very important quality for anyone considering entering office but not the only qualification. I feel the best leaders of any society are also just, humane, courageous, charismatic (though not too much), long-sighted, genuinely humble and have at their core a desire to serve people and communities, not just nations and states.

Cartoon of The Week: Preference

2011-01-19T09:18:00.000+08:00

Sorry for the lack of posts the last few days - like many people in Taiwan right now, I have been down with a bad cold. I expect I'll be posting more over the next week and the Taiwanese New Year. Thanks for all your comments.

DPP Presidential Possibilities

2011-01-13T14:48:00.004+08:00

Unless President Ma makes some huge mistake between now and the time when the KMT come to choose their candidate for the 2012 Presidential Elections, I think its fairly certain that he will stand for re-election. That leaves the question of who will stand for the DPP. Here are a line up of who I think might be possible contenders. I am also going to suggest possible running combinations below and I'd like to ask all my readers a 2 part question: 1) Which ticket would you most like to see? and 2) Which ticket do you think might have the best chance of winning?

POSSIBLE DPP PRESIDENTIAL (& VP) CONTENDERS (not in any particular order):

Lin I-hsiung (林義雄)

Tsai Ying-wen (蔡英文)

Hsieh Chang-ting (謝長廷)

Yu Shyi-kun (游錫堃)

Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌)

Chen-chu (陳菊)

Su Chia-chuan (蘇嘉全)

POSSIBLE DPP PRESIDENTIAL TICKETS: (I don't think Hsieh will run for President again)

Ticket No.	President	Vice-President
1	Tsai Ying-wen (蔡英文)	Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌)
2	Tsai Ying-wen (蔡英文)	Hsieh Chang-ting (謝長廷)
3	Tsai Ying-wen (蔡英文)	Lin I-hsiung (林義雄)
4	Tsai Ying-wen (蔡英文)	Su Chia-chuan (蘇嘉全)
5	Lin I-hsiung (林義雄)	Tsai Ying-wen (蔡英文) Ben's Preference
6	Lin I-hsiung (林義雄)	Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌)
7	Lin I-hsiung (林義雄)	Su Chia-chuan (蘇嘉全)
8	Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌)	Tsai Ying-wen (蔡英文)
9	Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌)	Lin I-hsiung (林義雄)
10	Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌)	Su Chia-chuan (蘇嘉全)
11	Chen-chu (陳菊)	Tsai Ying-wen (蔡英文)
12	Chen-chu (陳菊)	Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌)
13	Chen-chu (陳菊)	Lin I-hsiung (林義雄)
14	Su Chia-chuan (蘇嘉全)	Tsai Ying-wen (蔡英文)
15	Su Chia-chuan (蘇嘉全)	Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌)
16	Su Chia-chuan (蘇嘉全)	Hsieh Chang-ting (謝長廷)

Have I missed any? 1) Which ticket would you most like to see? and 2) Which ticket do you think might have the best chance of winning?

Quote of the Week: Bamboo Politics

2011-01-12T13:02:00.001+08:00

“I want more Taiwanese to understand that the only way to maintain the ‘status quo’ across the Taiwan Strait is to complete negotiations on the ‘one country, two systems’ [principle] with the CCP. I hope I can do something to push peaceful unification as long as I am alive.”

“If I committed any crime, it might have been my involvement with a crime syndicate. However, what matters is whether a person is involved in the crime the syndicate commits rather than whether that person is in the crime organization.”

Chang An-le (張安樂), also known as “White Wolf” and a fugitive former leader of the Bamboo Union gang, established the China Unification Promotion Party in September 2005. Chang currently lives in China and could be arrested if he returned to Taiwan (though personally I believe the police will be ordered to give him a free pass pending an 'investigation' into any 'irregularities' Chang may have committed)

Subtext of Chang's comments: A crime syndicate is a normal business organisation whose member's are not criminals by virtue of their membership but only on account of specific actions taken by them that might constitute crime.

Video of the Week: Tide Goes In ....

2011-01-11T02:20:00.001+08:00

The Colbert Report

Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c

Bill O'Reilly Proves God's Existence - Neil deGrasse Tyson

www.colbertnation.com

Colbert Report Full Episodes

Political Humor & Satire Blog</a>

Video Archive

Links:

* Michael Fagan's letter to the Taipei Times. Some interesting points though the emphasis on property rights for me is problematic when taken to it's ultimate conclusion: what human can rationally claim to own any land? Surely we are all at best temporary tenants of the land and / or stewards who should seek to maintain sustainable level of bio-diversity and bio-integrity? Still, his argument that the Dapu land seizure was first and foremost theft is right - as I remember, it was protested primarily as such and secondarily as a destruction of crops / environment issue.

* Torch Pratt nails the ROC centenary.

* New form of Advertorials: Government is buying bloggers (at NT$5000 per head) to write pro-industrialist propaganda. Premier Wu sees no problem with it (as usual).

Guidelines For Debate of Contentious Subjects

2011-01-07T15:47:00.000+08:00

From Pharyngula

BREAKING NEWS: WTO confirms that ECFA was NOT SUBMITTED to WTO

2011-01-06T02:01:00.006+08:00

On the 28th of December 2010, I wrote a short blog letter to the Taiwan Government advising them to submit the ECFA agreement to the WTO before it comes into effect on January 1st. I then wrote a short email to the WTO to ask the following:

From: Ben Goren

Sent: 03 January 2011 04:59

To: Enquiries, WTO

Subject: Economic Framework Cooperation Agreement (ECFA) submission to WTO

Dear WTO,

Please could you advise me whether the WTO member nations and custom territories the Peoples Republic of China (PRC) and the Separate Customs Territory of Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu (Taiwan, ROC) have submitted, or have announced intent to submit, a full English language version of their 2010 Economic Framework Cooperation Agreement (ECFA) Agreement to the WTO?

Yours sincerely

Ben Goren, Taichung City, Taiwan (ROC)

It wasn't just me keeping a eye out for whether ECFA would be submitted:

The US government has expressed serious concern over the fact that the Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement (ECFA) documents signed by Taiwan and China in June have yet to be submitted to the WTO as promised, Taiwan’s envoy to Washington said yesterday.

“Sending a notification about the ECFA to the WTO is the right thing to do,” Taiwan’s Representative to the US Jason Yuan (袁健生) told Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Huang Wei-cher (黃偉哲) at the legislature’s Foreign and National Defense Committee.

Huang had asked Yuan how he had explained to the US government that Taiwan had yet to notify the WTO of the EFCA, as promised by President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九). Ma made the promise during a July 1 press conference at the Presidential Office.

Tonight I received this email from the WTO explaining that the ECFA agreement has NOT been submitted to the WTO as per President Ma's promise to do so. The WTO email response today reads as follows:

From: Enquiries, WTO

Subject: RE: Economic Framework Cooperation Agreement (ECFA) submission to WTO

Date: 5 January 2011 23:45:10 GMT+08:00

To: Ben Goren

Hello,

Thank you for your recent enquiry.

This agreement has not been notified yet. See the regional trade agreements database: http://rtais.wto.org.

Members would normally be expected to notify their agreements under a 2006 General Council decision, once they have details: http://www.wto.org/english/tratop_e/region_e/trans_mecha_e.htm

We hope you find this information helpful

WTO Enquiries

ECFA entered info force on January 1st 2011. Today is January 6th. No notification of the agreement has yet been sent to the WTO. A number of academics and commentators provided ample analysis of the process of notification and how doing so, or not, might impact economic and political conditions between Taiwan and China. Key points are below:

June 1st 2009

Cho Hui-wan is an associate professor in the Graduate Institute of International Politics at National Chung Hsing University.

Recent remarks made by an academic close to the Ma administration seem to reveal why the government has kept the nature of ECFA ambiguous.

This academic maintains that an ECFA ought not to be an FTA. He says that Taiwan’s import prohibition on some Chinese goods violates FTA rules, and China is concerned that other WTO members may invoke the most favored nation clause and request similar preferential treatment to what Beijing would offer Taipei. Because of this, an ECFA should not be an FTA and the WTO in this case, would not need to be notified. He further says that none of the Republic of China’s FTA agreements with its Central American diplomatic allies have been reported to the WTO; nor does the WTO require notification for regional trade agreements.

The argument that an ECFA is irrelevant to the WTO is false. Taiwan’s import restriction on some Chinese products is a violation of the most favored nation clause. On the other hand, provided that the agreement covers substantially all trade, an FTA agreement is precisely the legal cover needed for preferential treatment among specified members. Other WTO members have no right to such preferential treatment. So if China is to offer Taiwan preferential treatment in some areas, an FTA provides the legal cover. Even though it is true that Taiwan has not reported its four FTA agreements to the WTO, the fact has no bearing on the WTO rule on notification for all regional trade agreements

If the ECFA were not reported to the WTO, one genuine reason would be that Beijing wanted it this way. The Ma administration understands Chinese President Hu Jintao’s (胡錦濤) statement of “an economic cooperation mechanism with cross-strait characteristics” to mean “between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait, and not between WTO members.” Signing an ECFA and not reporting it to the WTO would be to internalize a WTO-related agreement.

An ECFA should be an FTA interim agreement and has to be reported to the WTO. If the government is not planning to do so, then the ECFA needs to include a clause stipulating that China is glad to see Taiwan, as a WTO member, signing FTAs with other members. The clause’s potential in bringing further internationalization for Taiwan may mitigate the negative impact brought by internalization of the ECFA.

Dec 21st 2010

Michael J Cole

What is more immediately apparent is that the individuals behind this hasty achievement have been far less efficient in submitting the ECFA documents to the WTO, which two entities signing trade pacts are expected to do — and which Ma promised would be done. The ECFA came into effect on Sept. 12, while the “early harvest” list of items that will receive preferential tariff treatment is set to come into force on Jan. 1. In other words, more time has elapsed since the ECFA was signed than it took to negotiate the pact and still the WTO has not been notified.

Taipei and Beijing still have a little more than two weeks to make good on their promise to notify the global trade body on the content of the ECFA.

Dec 16th 2010

Shih Hsiu-chuan / Staff Reporter

The US government has expressed serious concern over the fact that the Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement (ECFA) documents signed by Taiwan and China in June have yet to be submitted to the WTO as promised, Taiwan’s envoy to Washington said yesterday.

“Sending a notification about the ECFA to the WTO is the right thing to do,” Taiwan’s Representative to the US Jason Yuan (袁健生) told Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Huang Wei-cher (黃偉哲) at the legislature’s Foreign and National Defense Committee.

Huang had asked Yuan how he had explained to the US government that Taiwan had yet to notify the WTO of the EFCA, as promised by President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九). Ma made the promise during a July 1 press conference at the Presidential Office.

A Ministry of Economic Affairs official said in August that the ministry would handle the translation into English of the ECFA documents to be submitted to the WTO. Taipei would then notify Beijing of its English version to ensure there are no discrepancies between the translations before each side submitted its English version to the WTO, the official said.

Honigmann Hong (洪財隆), an adjunct assistant professor of economics at National Tsing Hua University’s Center for Contemporary China, said the WTO Secretariat must be notified of the ECFA before Jan. 1, the date on which the “early harvest” program on tariff cuts contained in the deal comes into force.

WTO regulations require that members entering regional or bilateral trade agreements fulfill the “obligation of transparency” before commencement of the deals, Hong said.

To ensure compliance with WTO standards, once the WTO is notified of such agreements, signatories are required to take questions on the agreement from other WTO members, while the WTO Secretariat will present a detailed analysis of the agreement or factual presentation within a year, he said.

If the WTO were not notified of the ECFA, it would give substance to the fears held by some that trade between Taiwan and China is regarded as an “internal Chinese affair,” Hong said.

July 22nd 2010

Lai I-chung 賴怡忠

First of all, in its current incarnation, it is unlikely to get past the WTO, which has the power to veto the agreement, as both signatories are member states.

The free-trade agreements (FTA) Taiwan has signed with Panama and Nicaragua, and the Framework Agreement on Comprehensive Economic Cooperation between ASEAN countries and China, all specified from the outset which countries or regions were the signatories.

The individuals signing the agreements, too, were officials authorized by the governments of these signatory nations.

This was also the case for the Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement (CEPA) signed by China and Hong Kong.

The ECFA, on the other hand, was signed by representatives of the Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF) and the Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Strait (ARATS), two semi-official organizations not recognized, obviously, as WTO members in their own right.

As a result, the ECFA is little more than a signed agreement between two private organizations from two different countries and as such does not comply with WTO regulations.

The same applies to the individuals who signed it. The ECFA was signed by the respective chairmen of the SEF and the ARATS, but it fails to specify who exactly the individuals signing it represent, or which government authorized them to do so.

Compare this with the FTAs signed by Taiwan. The agreement with Panama was signed by former president Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) and the one with Nicaragua by former minister of economic affairs Morgan Hwang (黃營杉).

It was specified at the time that they represented the Republic of China on Taiwan.

However, on the ECFA documentation there is absolutely no mention of the fact that SEF Chairman Chiang Pin-kung (江丙坤) represents Taiwan.

Consequently, in the eyes of the law, the ECFA is an agreement that solely exists between the SEF and ARATS, and is applicable only to the members and staff of those specific institutions.

It makes it easier for Taiwan to bypass the WTO when signing future agreements and for agreements to be made by other institutions without the government’s involvement — effectively bypassing the government itself.

July 6th 2010

Vincent Y. Chao

Vice Minister of Economic Affairs Francis Liang (梁國新) yesterday said that the Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement (ECFA) signed last week would be reported to the WTO as per the world trade body’s regulations.

Liang’s remarks came in the wake of WTO Director-General Pascal Lamy’s comments in a recent interview that regional trade agreements must be reported to the WTO according to WTO regulations and standards.

However, Liang said the WTO did not have specific regulations on whether the ECFA should be reported to it under the name Taiwan, used when it joined the WTO, or under the name of the Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF), adding that the government would handle the matter in an appropriate manner.

Taiwan joined the WTO in 2002 under the name of “Separate Customs Territory of Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen, and Matsu.”

Sun, Jul 11, 2010

Shih Hsiu-chuan / STAFF REPORTER

Pessimistic about the chance of China sending a notification about the ECFA to the WTO, Chou Hui-wan (卓慧菀), an associate professor at the Graduate Institute of International Politics at National Chung Hsing University, said the government “must deliver on its promise to notify the WTO.”

“The move at least showed that we [Taiwan] viewed the ECFA as a deal signed by [Taiwan and China as] WTO members, and not as two sides of the [Taiwan] Strait, even though it is not for [Taiwan] to say the ECFA is under the WTO framework,” Chou said.

Citing the Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement (CEPA) signed in 2003 between China and Hong Kong, both WTO members, Chou said the CEPA was never considered a treaty between two countries, even if it met the WTO notification requirement.

On July 1st 2010, President Ma Ying-jeou made a public and noted promise, at a press conference at the Presidential Office, to submit the ECFA to the WTO. Five days past the deadline, Ma's promise has turned to ashes. I will be kind and rational here. At the very minimum, Ma did not lie, he just failed to deliver, again. ECFA is now for all intents and purposes an 'internal agreement' between ARATS and SEF and their personel. By association, it also means it is a personal agreement between the KMT and the CCP. It is not an agreement between the PRC and the Separate Customs Territory of Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu. It will not be subject to the oversight of any international trade body and all trade disputes will not be able to be resolved through the WTO's DSM.

Taiwan's ECFA trade agreement thus leaves it now entirely exposed to the 'goodwill' of the PRC in settling disputes fairly or avoiding the use of economic leverage to gain concessions from Taiwan, economic first and then political. DPP looking like they might win in 2012? - PRC will pull a 'Rare Earth' move threatening to cut off investment / tourists thereby blackmailing Taiwanese into voting Ma and the KMT back into the Presidential Office. This impacts Taiwan's economic and political sovereignty directly.

As MT pointed out, "It is also worth noting that ECFA was unable to obtain majority support in Taiwan despite the propaganda barrage and the self-censorship."

Now the third and probably final ECFA Referendum request has fallen at the hands of the KMT dominated Referendum Review Committee (“In the end, they put it to a vote and the proposal was turned down by a 10-to-four vote,” Central Election Commission secretary-general Teng Tien-yu (鄧天祐) (who doubles as executive secretary of the Referendum Review Committee) said. According to the Referendum Act, a referendum proposal cannot be made again within three years after it is rejected."), and with Ma proclaiming the beginning of the ECFA Era, Taiwan has been shoved rudely through the ECFA door by patriarchs claiming that it will be in Taiwan's interest like a quack doctor applying leeches to a cold sufferer claiming that they will ease nasal congestion, sore throats, tight chests and even improve the recipient's IQ.

The Taiwanese must now demand that ECFA is submitted to the WTO asap ... but wait ... both the PRC and Taiwan (Or ARATS and SEF) must do so and all signs indicate that the PRC has no intention of doing so thus scuppering the whole process at the first step. Taiwan has been bamboozled, by President Ma and his KMT administration on behalf of President Hu and his authoritarian regime.

That many of us saw this coming as predictably as cold weather in winter doesn't make the outcome any less palatable. It makes us sad frustrated, angry, disenfranchised, and a little wiser still to the utter disingenuousness and mendacity of Ma and his KMT administration and their far from transparent dealings with the PRC.

Time for Taiwanese to open their windows and shout in unison, "We're mad as hell and we're not going to take it any longer!".

Anyone up for a million person pink shirt rally / sit in around the Presidential Office until they submit ECFA to the WTO as an agreement between the PRC and the Separate Customs Territory of Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu?

Taiwanese: who of you will stand up to this Government you elected of false promises, operating in blithe disregard of their broken pledges and guided by a pathway to unification that President Ma himself claims will not happen on his watch?.

This 100 year ROC celebration and 10 Golden Years is fast revealing itself to very possibly become a 1000 Years of Subservience and Capitulation. Well done Ma voters. I hope you lose your money and freedoms first.

Breakfast Club - Frank Dikotter

2011-01-03T11:50:00.000+08:00

Jerome has sent out this invite for the next meet:

Saturday January 8th we will have our regular meeting at 10 am.

Speaker: Frank Dikotter Professor of Univ. of Hong Kong, on leave from Univ. of London (SOAS).

Topic: His latest book Mao's Great Famine, a History of China's Most Devastating Catastrophe.

The venue is the same as it has been for the past months. Time is 10 am.

The meeting location is the restaurant 婷婷翠玉 at 174 AnHe Road, Section Two. (rough translation of name is Tender, Pretty Green Jade.) You will be able to tell the restaurant by the lace curtains on the window--it was used in a TV commercial a while back. (We will have the downstairs room--breakfast cost will range between NT$100 and NT$150. Everyone buys their own) Phone if lost 2736-8510.

Location:

Restaurant is between Far Eastern Plaza Mall/Hotel and HePing East Road--about a half a block north of the corner of HePing East Road Sec. 3 and AnHe Road. or a half a block south of Far Eastern Plaza on the AnHe Road side.

Directions:

Take the MRT Mucha Line to the Liuchangli Station exit there, and walk west on HePing East Road 3/4 of a block till you reach where AnHe Road dead-ends into it.Then go north on AnHe Road; it is a half a block up on the west side of that street.

Or take any bus down HePing East Road and get off at the first stop that is east of Tun Hua South Road. That will put you at the corner of HePing and AnHe.

You can also take a bus down Tun Hua South Road to the stop right across from Far Eastern Plaza and walk over to AnHe Road.

Or if you take the 235 bus east, it turns off of HePing onto AnHe Road and the first stop is right across from the restaurant.

Letter in the Taipei Times

2011-01-03T10:30:00.002+08:00

This got printed today on page 8 of the Taipei Times. It references Bill Mcgregor's earlier letter:

[ LETTER ]

Mon, Jan 03, 2011 - Page 8

KMT remains delusional

Bill Mcgregor asks a very pertinent question (Letters, Dec. 31, page 8). To the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT), “one China” means the Republic of China (ROC) and all the territory that is claimed to be within that polity as stated in the 1946 ROC Constitution. This Constitution does not explicitly mention Taiwan or any other geographical area. Instead, it makes a vague reference to territories previously considered to be part of the ROC before World War II — as detailed in the failed 1936 Constitution, rejected at the time by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Neither the original 1912 ROC Constitution nor the 1923 Constitution included Taiwan as a part of the ROC for the simple reason that the framers accepted at the time that Taiwan was Japanese territory — something they did not envisage would change in the near future.

This administration uses the so-called “1992 consensus” to maintain the myth that the ROC equates to China, a definition utilized to meet the People’s Republic of China’s (PRC) demand that Taiwan is a part of China, whether ROC or PRC. It is essentially a political convenience that is critical to facilitating negotiations with Beijing. Indeed, shortly after coming to power, President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) took great care to turn back the clock and posit Taiwan as nothing more than a region or area of the ROC.

This KMT administration will not directly define their interpretation of the so-called “1992 consensus,” since to do so would highlight the fact that the Taiwanese government is still making an absurd claim upon the territories of the PRC, 32 years after the rest of the world firmly rejected such a claim.

Under this retrograde KMT administration, the ROC is an independent sovereign nation, not Taiwan. The word Taiwan, as a synonym for the nation’s title, is used by the KMT mostly before elections to beguile voters because they know that most people in Taiwan regard “Taiwan” and the “ROC” as mutually equivalent terms, both sharing the same sovereignty and de facto independence. The KMT charter and leadership do not share this perception. To them the ROC is literally their nation, including all of the PRC; and Taiwan is but a small part of it.

The celebration of the ROC centennial is evidence of their desperation to reignite the identification of Taiwanese as Chinese, whose nation is China, whatever the -interpretation. The key objective of the KMT remains the defense of their ROC project, regardless of Taiwanese democracy or the wishes of Taiwanese. To this end, the greatest threat to the KMT is not the PRC or CCP, but the vast majority of Taiwanese who, to the KMT, insultingly deign to believe that Taiwan is a nation separate from China as the rest of the world perceives it.

Bill will be waiting a long time if he wishes the KMT to explicitly state their interpretation of “one China” under the so-called“1992 consensus.” For the KMT, the definition of “one China” under the fictional “1992 consensus” is unimportant — what is critical is that it facilitates the retention of Taiwan as Chinese territory in any form and at any cost.

Ben Goren

Cartoon of The Week: 1992 Consensus

2011-01-01T10:04:00.001+08:00

(From the Taipei Times)

A Short Statement of Support For Taiwan

2010-12-29T15:27:00.006+08:00

I produced this video to show my support for Taiwan. I hope others can make their own using the same text and post to their blogs / Facebook etc, in English, Mandarin, Hoklo, Hakka and Austronesian languages.

Text Here:

My name is ______________ and I love this country, Taiwan. I recognise that Taiwan is a sovereign and independent democratic country. I do not recognise the existence of the 1992 Consensus and I do not accept any interpretation of the 'One China Principle' that includes Taiwan. I will not be celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Republic of China. I support any party that wishes Taiwanese to solely determine their own future free of any form of coercion.

我的名字是 ______________，我愛這個國家，台灣。我承認台灣是一個主權獨立的民主國家。我不承認九二共識的存在，我不接受任何包含台灣在內的'一個中國原則'解釋。我不會慶祝中華民國的第一百週年。我支持任何政黨--其同意台灣人民在不受任何形式的脅迫下獨立決定自己的未來。

Quote of the Week: Impractical

2010-12-29T15:02:00.001+08:00

“The DPP can oppose the ‘1992 consensus,’ but it cannot deny its existence because it is impractical and removed from the facts”

President Ma Ying-jeou, December 28th 2010

What appears to be 'removed from the facts' is Ma's entire China policy, based as it is on the strict constitutional interpretation that the territory of PRC remains under the authority of the ROC.

What is disturbing is not only Ma's attempt to hoodwink the Taiwanese into believing something untrue to actually be true but more so his invocation of practicality when dealing with the PRC.

If it is 'impractical' to deny the existence of a fictional consensus that, backtracking from the obviously unsubstantiable claim the the US acknowledged it, only the CCP and KMT share, will it later also be impractical for Taiwanese to demand to maintain their political sovereignty and independence?

The logic is thus: China wishes to annex Taiwan into itself. China is willing to use massive overwhelming force to ensure that this eventually happens if Taiwanese themselves refuse to take this step. In the context of this threat, it will become 'impractical' that Taiwan continues to 'isolate' itself and put itself in danger by refusing to voluntarily annex itself into the PRC as an SAR or whatever.

In short, Ma and his KMT (ROC) will eventually have to argue that it is impractical for Taiwanese to continue to believe that they can solely determine their own future and/or sovereignty. In a way, Ma has already conceded this point by arguing that both sides of the strait should determine the direction of Taiwan's political development thus negating the sovereign right of Taiwanese to solely choose their own path / political system.

Ma and the KMT are deliberately and inexorably boxing Taiwan into a corner, where the Taiwanese will be handed a fait accompli before the next Presidential election and told that any option other than voting for Ma again and his drive towards annexing Taiwan into the PRC is impractical, infeasible, a return to the 'bad old days' (read 2000 to 2008), the destruction of Taiwan's (entirely China-dependent) economy and a provocation that will lead to war.

Ma is serving Taiwanese notice of his complicity with Beijing to blackmail the citizens of this country, writ large. That his entire China policy is a farce and a chimera built upon a lie (and partly facilitated by the very country that is threatening to attack Taiwan) needs to be exposed as often as possible in the run up to the next election, lest Taiwanese be beguiled into voting again for this sycophantic, dishonest, stuck-in-the-past and utterly anti-democratic KMT administration. Ma talks about moving forward whilst actually going full speed in reverse. Taiwanese would be best served by taking everything he says, understanding the reverse to be true and voting this charlatan out of office.

ECFA Watch

2010-12-28T21:59:00.001+08:00

Dear ROC Presidential Office, MAC & SEF,

Only three more days left to file a full and accurate translation of the ECFA agreement in English with the WTO.

I fear that failure to do so will inexorably lead people to come to the very reasonable conclusion that ECFA is a 'domestic' and not international agreement, dispute resolution for which will be handled 'internally'.

What will that then say about your claim to protect the ROC's sovereignty and independence and put Taiwan's interests first in all discussions with the PRC?

Just a reminder.

Yours Sincerely
A Taiwan Environment Loyalist

Mascot Fail - There's Nothing Cute About the ROC (KMT)

2010-12-28T18:23:00.000+08:00

(cROCk of sh*!t - the official mascot for the celebration of 38 years of corrupt and murderous governance in China followed by 62 years of murderous and corrupt occupation of Taiwan by the failed state of the R.O.C in exile)

Selective Chinese Anger & Wanton Commercial Destruction of the Oceans

2010-12-27T19:17:00.001+08:00

Remember when China reacted furiously to the detention of a Chinese fishing trawler captain after he RAMMED a Japanese Coast Guard vessel? The arrest of one fisherman led to a full on diplomatic spat that saw Rare Earth exports to Japan suspended by supposedly patriotic Chinese harbour workers. The 'little Japanese' had added insult to all the injuries of the last 150 years in a most despicable manner that would not be lightly forgiven and never forgotten.

Fast forward a few months and then this happened a few weeks back (not got round to posting on it at the time - Foreigner in Formosa has a great post on this including video):

South Korean officials questioned three Chinese fishermen rescued from a boat that capsized during a maritime scuffle with the coast guard in which one fisherman died and another was missing, an official said yesterday.

About 50 Chinese fishing boats were illegally fishing in western South Korean waters off Gunsan, about 270km south of Seoul, on Saturday when a South Korean coast guard ship approached them to try to curb illegal fishing activities, according to the coast guard.

The boat that capsized had intentionally hit the larger coast guard ship, apparently to help its compatriots sail back to Chinese waters, coast guard official Roh Sang-gue said.

Five people from the capsized boat were rescued by Chinese fishing boats, while four others were plucked from the sea by the coast guard ship, Roh said. However, one of four sailors rescued by South Korea later died at a Gunsan hospital, Roh said.

“Questioning is under way for the three Chinese why their ship hit the coast guard vessel,” Roh said, without giving further details.

Coast guard officers fought with fishermen on other Chinese boats, who wielded steel pipes, shovels and clubs, and four of the officers suffered broken arms and other injuries, the coast guard said in a statement on Saturday. None of the injuries was life-threatening.

Not that this is new ....

More than 300 Chinese fishing boats are captured for fishing illegally in South Korean waters every year, according to South Korea’s coast guard. In 2008, one South Korean coast guard officer was killed and six others injured in a maritime scuffle with Chinese fishermen fishing in South Korean waters.

The reaction of netizens in China? ....

China’s Internet chatrooms were brimming with anger yesterday after a Chinese fishing boat captain died and another went missing following a collision with a South Korean coast guard ship on Saturday.

Beijing has so far refrained from official comment about the incident.

Using an obscenity to describe South Koreans, one micro-blogger named Qiu Yang from Hunan Province accused Seoul of “flaunting powerful friends to bully others”.

“We must help the North Koreans to destroy the US-South Korean alliance,” Qiu wrote on popular Web portal sina.com.

Another Web user identified as Cai Xia from the northeast wrote: “The little Japanese didn’t dare to kill any of us in the ship collision near the Diaoyutai Islands (釣魚台); how can the number two devil be so brash to do such a thing!”

“South Korea, the running dog of America, is seeking to provoke China — what are they thinking,” said another irate Internet user from Anhui Province.

“South Korea, again it is you bastards and this was not even in your fishing waters. You should mind your own ways. One day you will disappear from Asia,” a Chinese Web user from Sichuan Province said on sina.com.

Note that Beijing had no reaction whatsoever. In the incident with Japan, no-one was hurt but China threw a massive hissy fit that had everyone wondering if China and Japan were moving towards a cold war. In this incident one Chinese sailor died, and no reaction. But also note the vehemence of some of the Chinese bloggers that equals the hatred earlier expressed towards Japan, including threats to wipe them off the map, collude with the dictatorship to the north and arbitrary claims upon territory that doesn't belong to them.

Following both these incidents, China has threatened to send large and numerous ships to both areas to press its claim over seas in which it previously exercised no authority whatsoever.

My question is "Why the selective and disproportionate response?". Answer? The obvious conclusion is a combination geo-strategic manoeuvring and nationalism - China wants domain over all the waters within the first island chain to protect fuel supplies and its shipping. It has after all been using fishing trawlers as proxy PLAN boats to literally test the waters and resolve of its neighbours. But then again, maybe its not entirely a political issue but rather because China also has rising demand coupled with a food shortage and needs more fish than ever before so it can do this:

(From China Daily Website)

Here's their description:
Live hairy crabs are displayed in a vending machine at a main subway station in Nanjing, Jiangsu province Dec 17, 2010. The crab dispenser was designed by Shi Tuanjie, Chairman of the Nanjing Shuanghu Crab Industrial Company, who came out with the idea of a crab dispenser 3 years ago. This is the first live crab vending machine in China, and was installed on October 1 this year. The crabs cost from 10 yuan ($1.50) to 50 yuan ($7.50), depending on size and gender, and customers are promised a compensation of 3 live crabs if their purchase is dead. The machine sells an average of 200 live crabs daily. Shi plans to popularize the machines on a larger scale to airports, residential areas and supermarkets, according to local media. [Photo/Agencies]

Doonesbury Nails It Again

2010-12-27T18:54:00.002+08:00

Best American Comic Strip Ever:

"Brutal consequences beyond imagination."

—North Korean threat over planned South Korean military exercise

"Not worth reacting."
—North Korean response following the exercise

The Insidious Effect of Eco-Propaganda

2010-12-27T18:44:00.000+08:00

Back in the day (early 1980's), when I was a kid, one of the highlights of coming home from school was to turn on the tele and watch a delightful little animation that subliminally called my attention to the need to keep my shit clean and to recycle everything. It was the days when the BBC was filled with right-on politically correct gone mad commie pinko faggot soviet subversives* who brought us the delights of the Magic Roundabout, Jamie and His Magic Torch and Rainbow. The progandista programme in question was THE WOMBLES, created by Elizabeth Beresford who sadly passed away today at the age of 84. I still remember getting the board game and delighting in its shiny new colours and pathway through the commons. Indeed, in the first chorus, I used to take great joy in adding a significant pause between the words 'The Wombles of Wimbledon' and 'common are we' to the emphasis of the predicate. Maybe that (and the literally towering influence of my Welsh chemistry teacher Mr. Allen who was the first person who introduced to me the concept that the earth's climate was changing as a result of anthropological intervention) is the reason why I am so concerned about AGW today.

Oh ... and the song was a classic too ... RIP Elizabeth and THANK YOU.

Underground, Overground, Wombling Free
The Wombles Of Wimbledon Common Are We
Making Good Use Of The Things That We Find
Things That The Everyday Folks Leave Behind

Uncle Bulgaria
He Can Remember The Days When He Wasn't Behind The Times
With His Map Of The World
Pick Up The Papers And Take 'Em To Tobermory

Wombles Are Organised, Work As A Team
Wombles Are Tidy And Wombles Are Clean
Underground, Overground, Wombling Free
The Wombles Of Wimbledon Common Are We

People Don't Notice Us, They Never See
Under Their Noses A Womble May Be
We Womble By Night And We Womble By Day
Looking For Litter To Trundle Away

We're So Incredibly Utterly Devious
Making The Most Of Everything
Even Bottles And Tins
Pick Up The Pieces And Make 'Em Into Something New
Is What We Do

Underground, Overground, Wombling Free
The Wombles Of Wimbledon Common Are We
Making Good Use Of The Things That We Find
Things That The Everyday Folks Leave Behind

* For our overly earnest North American cousins, I am utilising this description in sarcastic mockery of the right wingers who, back in those days of Thatcher Milk Snatcher / Union Smasher, pretty much labelled everyone slightly left of center in such a manner.

DPP is NOT part of ROC (WTF?)

2010-12-24T19:42:00.002+08:00

(~~Taiwan Region Chief Executive Officer~~ ROC President Ma Ying-jeou demonstrating the size of his mendacity)

Despite every attempt to bluff and pretend that its not the end goal, political talks are coming as surely as rain in a British summer. Taiwan Today carried a piece today with some insightful comments:

“There are a great many issues outside of the economic sphere that can be addressed,” Ma said in an exclusive interview with the Chinese-language United Daily Evening News. “These will keep Taiwan and mainland China occupied for many years to come.”

On the subject of political talks with Beijing, the president is open to the idea but said “there is no timetable for such discussions.”

This is not new. Ma has consistently said there is no timetable for such talks but how long he can stall under pressure from the CCP and Hard Blues within his party is anyone's guess. My suspicion is that they have tentatively already begun between cabals in the CCP and KMT in anticipation of his reelection in 2012, the electoral campaign for which will begin in about 6 months time. Its just when they do come they won't be called political talks but rather dressed in the Emperor's clothes as a 'peace treaty'. One positive ... Ma seems not interested in a cross-strait cultural pact yet:

The possibility of signing a cross-strait cultural pact as suggested by Cai Wu—mainland China’s top culture official—during a September visit to Taiwan, similarly elicited a low-key response from Ma.

“The ROC government has no stance on this issue,” he said. “If there is a need, we will look at it, but this would have to be demonstrated first.”

What such a pact would facilitate is beyond me. Can anyone out there think of a similar pact between two countries and what purpose it served?

Ma said in contrast, areas Taiwan and mainland China need to make further progress on the economic cooperation committee and the proposed investment protection pact.

“Now that we are in the era of the cross-strait economic cooperation framework agreement (the non-reversible 'ECFA Era'), it is important for both sides to make headway on dispute resolution ('Internal' resolution and not through international arbitration bodies) and investment safeguards in the goods and services industry.”

The president also reaffirmed that the (imaginary) “1992 consensus” is the foundation for progress made in cross-strait relations since he took office in May 2008.

“Three out of the four sides involved in cross-strait relations, the ROC, mainland China and the U.S., have acknowledged this consensus, Ma said. “It plays an important role in maintaining the right direction.”

“But if the fourth side, the opposition Democratic Progressive Party, does not accept the consensus, uncertainty may arise,” he said. “Without the consensus, peaceful development across the strait could be called into question.”

First, the US has never acknowledged the so-called '1992 Consensus'. To my knowledge it has never made comment on it directly so here Ma is again being disingenuous and making stuff up on the fly.

Second, Ma interestingly posits the DPP as one of four sides of cross-strait relations, separate to the ROC. Perhaps Ma would like to explain how the DPP is outside the ROC. This comment seeks to alienate the DPP as not belonging to the same nation that will 'celebrate' its 100th anniversary. It is an unbelievably cynical and divisive comment to make. If the DPP is not a party of the ROC then what is it? How is it possible that the DPP is an integral component of Taiwanese politics but is not included in the ROC framework under which those politics are played out? True, many in the DPP would like to eventually replace the ROC with an indigenous Taiwanese national polity but the party itself has long acknowledged that it works within the existing ROC framework pending the completion of Taiwan's transition from ROC colonial outpost to full self-determining country under its own name. Nevertheless, Ma's comment is both absurd and deliberatively provocative.

Finally, I wonder if Ma could elaborate on 'the right direction' ... towards eventual annexation perchance as per his late father and mentor CCK's wishes? Finally, he openly infers that if the DPP rejects the 1992 consensus it will eventually lead to war - this seems to be his opening salvo in his reelection campaign. It is a non too cleverly veiled threat to Taiwanese. Expect more of this over the next 12 months.

For those Taiwanese who regard themselves as Taiwanese and not 'ethnic Chinese', the next year of 'celebrations' are going to be a very painful reminder that the KMT has not changed its core goals of a) sinosizing Taiwan to be 'China' and b) eventually annexing the country and its faltering democracy and independence into a fictional Greater China. Taiwan voted for this President in 2008 but little did they suspect they weren't voting for the future but actually a 'reboot' of the colonisation of Taiwan aka 1950's.

I wonder if they will wake up in time for the 2012 elections.

I wonder if they will be too cowed and / or bribed to stand up for their identity and independence.

I wonder if they will adopt the 'ostrich position' of heads in the fatalism / mei ban fa resignation.

I hope not, for the sake of their freedoms and their environment.

Name and Shame This Police Officer

2010-12-23T16:01:00.000+08:00

This police officer broke the law yesterday. Can someone out there name her? Does anyone know the name of her superior officer who ordered her to muzzle a member of the public?

Chilling: Freedom Of Speech in Taiwan, The Reality

2010-12-23T15:04:00.002+08:00

This image from the Taipei Times. Their caption:

A woman, identified by Taipei Times photojournalist Lu Chun-wei as a plainclothes police officer, covers the mouth of Northern Taiwan Society director Lin Kuan-miao, center, during a visit by Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Strait Chairman Chen Yunlin to the National Palace Museum on Monday.

UPDATE: A police officer friend of mine has advised me that Lin Kuan-miao (林冠妙) is entirely within her rights to sue the police officer above because she does not appear to be clearly displaying her identity badge as a police officer. It thus constitutes breach of protocol and law. Furthermore, he told me that it is illegal for a police officer to muzzle a member of the public in such a manner but that even if it does go to court, the senior officer that ordered her to do so will be exonerated by simply claiming that the woman officer above acted alone (The Rogue Officer Get Out Of Jail Card). Finally, only a select number of very senior politicians are allowed by protocol to enjoy police protection that impedes public right of way - Chen Yunlin is not such a person so again the utter overkill on clearing all areas for Chen Yunlin to freely move whilst hampering the public's freedom of movement is against the law.

This picture tells a thousand words and puts paid to the lie that the Ma Government is concerned with protecting Taiwanese freedoms of speech as are supposed to be enshrined in the ROC Constitution:

Chapter 2: Rights and Duties of The People

Article 8. Personal freedoms shall be guaranteed to the people. Except in case of flagrante delicto as provided by law, no person shall be arrested or detained otherwise than by a judicial or a police organ in accordance with the procedure prescribed by law.

Article 11. The people shall have freedom of speech, teaching, writing and publication.

Article 14. The people shall have freedom of assembly and association.

Article 22. All other freedoms and rights of the people that are not detrimental to social order * or public welfare shall be guaranteed under the Constitution.

Article 23. All the freedoms and rights enumerated in the preceding Article shall not be restricted by law except by such as may be necessary to prevent infringement upon the freedoms of other persons, to avert an imminent crisis, to maintain social order or to advance public welfare *.

Article 24. Any public functionary who, in violation of law, infringes upon the freedom or right of any person shall, in addition to be subject to disciplinary measures in accordance with the law, be held responsible under criminal and civil laws. The injured person may, in accordance with law, claim compensation from the State for damage sustained.

* These caveats have been used and will be used again to excuse actions of officials and public servants that infringe the people's rights. Want to hold a protest against a visiting Chinese official? Nope, sorry. Your banners and slogans are likely to cause a crisis or negatively impact social order. In fact, just one banner in the wrong place could so severely threaten China-ROC relations that a war might break out so take your protest where it doesn't matter and will have zero impact.

Here is the report about the picture above:

Northern Taiwan Society director Lin Kuan-miao (林冠妙) said plainclothes police manhandled her during a scuffle outside the museum, adding that the organisation’s secretary-general, Lee Chuan-hsin (李川信), heard one admit to being a former gangster.

A large number of police officers wore civilian clothes to maintain a low profile, but several allegedly got involved in scuffles with protesters.

Lin said after entering the museum at about 4pm, she soon found herself surrounded by five or six plainclothes police. When Chen and his entourage emerged from the museum, Lin shouted at the Chinese envoy to go back to China. At that point, she said, one tall, burly police officer instructed others to silence her.

A policewoman covered Lin’s mouth to prevent her from continuing her protest, she said.

Lin said this same burly policeman used his weight to shove her, before calling on his colleagues to grab her. The group then manhandled her, dragging her 20m to 30m in the direction of the main gates, she said. They only released her when a volunteer working for the society, who recognised one of the police officers, approached them.

Lin said she had not been holding any banner or poster when the police accosted her, adding that their behaviour during the incident, including the physical force used and the attempt to silence her, amounted to restricting a member of the public’s right to express their opinion.

Here are some questions for the Police and Government:

1. Why is the Government increasingly using plainclothes police officers? Does this not infringe upon the people's right to be able to know the identity and occupation / rank of the person detaining / silencing them? What if I am expressing my freedom of speech and someone tries to muzzle me and I push him / her away because I don't know he/she is a police officer. Will I be prosecuted for assault on an officer?

2. As asked in the TT today, why are hecklers allowed to question the President to his face but are silenced in front of foreign visiting dignitaries from China?

3. Why is it acceptable that a Taiwanese Minister of the Semi-official Government body be addressed by her first name or as 'you' by Chinese visiting dignitaries? And ... feel sorry but that's ok because Chen has his own considerations? Would President Ma accept the Japanese PM addressing him as 'you'?

Chen referred to Lai as “you” during their meeting on Tuesday, Lai said yesterday, but she added it was clear that she had met Chen in her capacity as the head of the council.

“I called him Chairman Chen, but the ARATS is not an official government agency,” she said. “He sometimes addressed me as ‘you’ or ‘Shin-yuan’ or both ... I personally feel very sorry that he could not call me by my official title, but he must have his own considerations.”

4. Why hasn't an English version of ECFA been submitted to the WTO and why did Taiwan agree that dispute arbitration on trade not be sent to international bodies but 'handled internally'?

5. Why is it ok to enter into negotiations and sign agreements with a Government that does not recognise our nation, has the annexation of our nation enshrined into its law, is maintaining a real military threat against our nation and whose officials cannot greet our officials using their formal titles or accept being taken to places where our official national flag is flown? Do any other nations on Earth enter into negotiations and agreements with nations that both don't recognise it and seek to annex it?

The mind boggles. Most transparent is not the talks or negotiations or the text of agreements made but the way this KMT government is constantly trying to pull a huge Jedi Mind Trick on the entire Taiwanese people about the identity of the nation and it's continued sovereignty: "You don't feel threatened by China. You are Chinese. You live in China. The public all want this. You didn't see us forging towards unification. You believe us when we say we will protect your sovereignty. Your sovereignty is Chinese not Taiwanese. We never cheat at elections and we are not the party of gangsters and violence. Chinese fishing boats are also our fishing boats. Your freedoms are not infringed. The police always act in accordance with the law. It is impossible for us to have made a mistake. Move along now. Nothing to see here."

... and finally, hows this for toadying and affecting an utterly false consciousness for political expediency:

"While denying having given Chen special treatment, Hau described him as a “national leader” who received the same VIP treatment as other foreign guests. The city government later issued a text message correcting Hau’s remarks, saying that “the mayor said Chairman Chen received the same treatment as other guests.”

Ooops .. Hau messed up and called Chen a 'foreign' guest. Can't have that so lets all pretend he didn't say it. After all he is Chinese and to the KMT Taiwan is China so people from China are not foreigners. But they are also not citizens of the ROC. Go to the local NIA and see the separate and special counter for 'compatriots' from PRC, Hong Kong and Macau and you see this false consciousness in action - the maintenance of the illusion of Taiwan as the state of China at the expense of Taiwanese who in practice exercise actual independence from the real China but have yet to formalise that independence outside of the colonial and occupationist ROC polity on Taiwan.

Because Animals Are Naturally Cold Blooded Atavists In A Dog Eat Dog World ...

2010-12-22T16:51:00.000+08:00

... NOT.

(Thanks to everyone who voted for my blog. I am honoured to have jointly won the 2010 Taiwanderful Best Taiwan Blog and Best Politics Blog. Special thanks to David and Fili for running the awards.)

Cartoon of the Week: Wrong Lists & Word Games

2010-12-17T20:14:00.000+08:00

For context and background, read this report from the Taipei Times. Legislator Lo's comments at the end are priceless and hit the nail on the head.

Video of the Week: Leave Them Kids Alone

2010-12-17T07:11:00.000+08:00

Quote of the Week: Soft Power

2010-12-16T12:05:00.001+08:00

President Ma on the Shanghai World Expo (and Taiwan's pavilion at the event, which he claims has helped reduced tensions in the Taiwan Strait and prevent war):

“Nobody would want to start a war after visiting the Shanghai World Expo — that’s very clear. The exercise of Taiwan’s soft power has definitely had a positive effect on the world.”

Good job Taiwan pavilion!. I had no idea it's soft power would lead to the scrapping of the Anti-Succession Law, the renunciation of the PRC claim over Taiwan and the dismantling of hundreds of Chinese missiles pointed at Taiwan .... oh wait ...

Conversation

2010-12-15T23:38:00.000+08:00

Tonight, myself and EVA went shopping behind the Taipei Main Station building for winter bits and bobs. As is pedantically customary for me when buying seemingly well made but cheap products, I enquired as to the location of production of the items we wished to purchase. I was told Taiwan. Being a bit more of a prat I unnecessarily reinforced the acceptability of that answer with a declaration that I don't want to buy something from China. I am happy now to accept the charge that I was being provocative, and perhaps rude also considering the cultural imperative to avoid confrontation, which often entails not discussing any potentially 'sensitive' subject (and boy are there a lot of them).

Contrary to what has often happened in this situation (laughter, proud denials any origin in China or a thumbs up and 'Jiayo!') the youngish lady (mid 30s?) running the 'till' looked at me queerly as if I had rubbed myself not quite accidentally in front of her and then asked me why I didn't like Chinese things, capping her question with the statement:

"I'm from Da-lu"

Me: "Ok. um ... how is it that you are working in Taiwan?"

Her: *looking confused*

Me: "Oh .. do you have a Taiwan Guo passport? Are you Taiwan Guo Ren?"

Her: *nods uncertainly*

Me: "So do you mean that your parents and grandparents come from China?"

Her: "Yes"

I didn't have the heart at this point to continue so we politely paid for the products and left.

What I guess shocked me about this incident and why I'm blogging it is because the woman came straight out with the "I'm from Da-lu." There was no indication that she meant in the past or present. Although many people might automatically assume she meant in the past, it came in the context of her defending China from the negative inference of my insistance that the products not come from China and the declaration that I don't buy Chinese products.

It's been a chilly wet miserable night in Taipei, physically and metaphorically. Thank goodness for EVA, whose patience, stoicism and rational practicality are a soothing balm. Thank goodness also for a southbound HSR.

Why Dictatorships Fail ...

2010-12-14T23:13:00.000+08:00

.... and the answer is at about the 3 sec. mark. Watch the Stormtrooper on the right of the first three through the door.

NTHU Thinkers Club Hosts Green Party Candidates Li Ying-hsuan and Song Jia-lun

2010-12-13T23:44:00.005+08:00

Last night, I travelled to Tsing Hua University (NTHU) in Hsinchu for a presentation by Green Party City Council candidates Li Ying-hsuan (李盈萱) and Song Jia-lun (宋佳倫) to the NTHU Thinkers Club. Vice Chairman of the Council of Labor Affairs Pan Shiwei was billed to attend but was a no-show. The theme of the presentation was, broadly, "Youth: Looking at our world, focusing on our future". The event was held in the Socrates Cafe, an eclectic and atmospheric cafe in the heart of the campus (a blogger's review here).

Li and Song spoke for about one hour about their campaigns and the issues facing young people in Taiwan and around the world. After their presentation, all members of the audience were 'invited' to give their comments - all volunteered except the first chap asked who declined. Highlights of this part of the evening included a 15 year old student who was very concerned about his future and already thinking ahead about the possible problems he would face after finishing his education, a middle aged gentleman who urged students to study hard and they will succeed and not to worry about debt (Ms. Li later explained to me that his views were representative of conservative or stereotypical opinion) and a handsome NTHU university professor who claimed to be a 'friend of the green party' and who, as he rose to speak, elicited from student members of the audience excited whispers of 'Laoshr', much like he was a movie star. Above all, the comments were overwhelmingly well thought and expressed and the atmosphere of the session friendly and relaxed. Club students were on hand to help with video and projectors. Here are some pics (Captions under the pics):

Behind the bar at the cafe - gloriously cluttered ....

Lots of books to peruse and some to buy ... apparently also stocking a number of French language items.

The club listens ....

... while the recorder videos Ms. Li speaking.

Ms. Li: The Verdict. A careful, thoughtful and warm speaker.

The candidates answer questions. Ms. Song is to the right.

I was told that there are four cats that roam the cafe. This is one of tens of cat themed items dotted around the place.

And this is the real deal. An insanely friendly cat who strolled up to me on the bar then jumped down to sit on my lap before returning to the bar to rest its head on my arm to watch the proceedings and snooze. For a cat to be that chilled with a stranger it has either taken a heavy dose of catnip or it's being treated like a cow in India and knows no-one is going to mess with it. Either way .. utterly adorable.

Hard to see but top right in the cake array is a kind of chocolate moose that is delectable. The cafe is known for its cakes.

Summary: A very interesting an enjoyable meeting. See the NTHU Thinkers website for more info / follow up.

Amazing Animals

2010-12-13T22:41:00.000+08:00

We humans aint all that really ....

The barreleye fish, already known as a species but filmed in the deep for the first time by the Monterey Bay aquarium research institute. The green orbs are its eyes, directed upwards to detect its prey in silhouette through its transparent head. Photo from BBC featured on The Guardian.

The ibex goats on the Cingino dam in Italy. Photograph: Adriano Migliorati

These newly released pictures of Alpine ibex goats scaling the 160ft face of the Cingino Dam in northern Italy are fascinating, but not unusual. It's a classic illustration of how well this species has adapted to its environment. From The Guardian.

Anniversary Coin ... But What's the Celebration?

2010-12-13T21:52:00.002+08:00

The cashier at my local seven-eleven specially picked out this coin for my change knowing that I would geek out on it. It is apparently a 50 year commemorative coin but I don't know what for. My best guess is 50 years of the Taiwan Provincial Government or 50 years of the ROC on Taiwan ... anyone out there able to help?

UPDATE: Thanks to David Reid who comments to let me know its a coin to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of the 'restoration' (retrocession?) of Taiwan.

The Devil You Know

2010-12-13T16:20:00.001+08:00

A friend of mine remarked today:

"... I am really really tired of people who say the Taiwanese are crying against corruption. If that's true why do they vote for it overwhelmingly at the local level?"

I think that he has posed an excellent and awkward question. I often see politicians on the news, most notably President Ma, claiming to wish to clean up Taiwanese politics and cut out corruption. Yet, I don't know anyone who BELIEVES that he can and, even if he could, that he would do so.

Instead, I think most people accept corruption, large and small, because it facilitates relationships and business. It's the 'way things are done'. My current boss is an honorable exception to this rule which is why I like working for him.

Conclusions: Taiwanese don't want to clean up politics, they want it to serve their individual needs, whatever they happen to be at a specific time. Calls for clean politics are much like condemnation of Love Motels and Bing Lang Girls - it's politically correct and 'safe' to bash them publicly to project oneself as morally superior but no-one is really interested in doing away with them, partly because that means stepping on gangster's toes and no-one wants to get involved with their business or get in the way of their operations.

Same for corruption in Taiwan - its too ubiquitous and too many benefit for it to be logical or rational for a majority to rise up against it.

Also, since we all knew on election day that the Lien shooting was a 'blue on blue' case of not so friendly fire within the KMT, why then did Taiwanese go out and vote the KMT into power in three municipalities? Has the party political system in Taiwan produced a phenomenon of 10-20% swing voters who are so prone to Doublethink that they happily vote for one of the most consistently violent and corrupt political parties in the world whilst holding, with sickening sincerity, the view that the DPP are the 'party of violence', election 'dirty tricks' and raising 'ethnic tensions'?

Stockholm syndrome indeed.

Religion and the Parent-Child Relationship

2010-12-09T16:01:00.002+08:00

China's Reach

2010-12-08T14:36:00.001+08:00

The following countries have decided not to send a representative to the forthcoming Nobel Peace Prize award in Oslo, Norway. This list is a good reflection of the scope and reach of China's diplomatic and economic influence:

China, Pakistan, Iran, Sudan, Russia, Kazakhstan, Colombia, Tunisia, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, Iraq, Vietnam, Afghanistan, Venezuela, the Philippines, Egypt, Ukraine, Cuba and Morocco.

Algeria and Sri Lanka yet to reply.

44 of a total of 65 (or 68%) nations have confirmed their attendance.

Some interesting quotes:

Li Datong, a Beijing-based writer who recently signed a petition calling for Liu's release, said it was "absolute rubbish" to say the international community opposed the award. "The foreign ministry has no shame. It's a lie, pure and simple, told without the slightest hint of embarrassment," he said.

Sam Zarifi, Amnesty International's director for the Asia-Pacific region, said: "There are a couple of disappointments, but it's effectively a club of countries with relatively bad human rights records." He said China had persuaded only a small minority to snub the event despite "arm-twisting ... using a combination of political pressure and economic blackmail".