On Tuesday night, President Chen Shui-bian (
As expected, those who support the president cheered, while those who oppose him were unmoved and unimpressed.
Supporters of the president were encouraged by his open attitude, reassured of his integrity and gave him a thumbs-up for his speech. But those who remained unconvinced criticized Chen for his windy monologue, lack of sincerity, twisted arguments and failure to provide any concrete evidence against allegations of his wife and his son-in-law's involvement in a series of corruption scandals.
While many more might still be in the process of digesting and forming their opinion of the president's address, one thing is clear: the increasing polarization of the country's pan-green and pan-blue camps.
A recall of Chen can only be warranted if there were substantial criminal evidence linking him to any wrongdoing. That was what Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Ma Ying-jeou (
The degree to which emotions are fueling the recall motion can be seen from the fact that People First Party Chairman James Soong (
The risk is that the opposition's unreasonable and relentless attack against Chen in its effort to unseat him will arouse more negative sentiment among Chen's supporters. And as pan-green supporters' anger toward pan-blue politicians' tactics gather strength and they start venting their discontent in public, this would in return generate more heat from the pan-blue crowd.
Chen should have realized by now that to some people, no matter how much he tries, his efforts will never be good enough.
For it is sad but true that to some people in this country, there can always be fault found in whatever Chen does, simply because what Chen represents is anathema to fixations on Greater China.
The double standards that the pro-China media apply to Chen were evident when he was severely criticized for giving his son a glamorous wedding -- the very same media had only words of praise when KMT Legislator Lin Yi-shih (
When the opposition bashes Chen, the pro-China media chimes in with charges of incompetence. But when Chen went on the offensive, pro-China political commentators turned around and demanded that he -- as head of state -- should show more tolerance for others and allow more room for criticism.
Either way, Chen just can't win, and national stability is being jeopardized by all of this incessant political wrangling.
Concerns that the US might abandon Taiwan are often overstated. While US President Donald Trump’s handling of Ukraine raised unease in Taiwan, it is crucial to recognize that Taiwan is not Ukraine. Under Trump, the US views Ukraine largely as a European problem, whereas the Indo-Pacific region remains its primary geopolitical focus. Taipei holds immense strategic value for Washington and is unlikely to be treated as a bargaining chip in US-China relations. Trump’s vision of “making America great again” would be directly undermined by any move to abandon Taiwan. Despite the rhetoric of “America First,” the Trump administration understands the necessity of
In an article published on this page on Tuesday, Kaohsiung-based journalist Julien Oeuillet wrote that “legions of people worldwide would care if a disaster occurred in South Korea or Japan, but the same people would not bat an eyelid if Taiwan disappeared.” That is quite a statement. We are constantly reading about the importance of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC), hailed in Taiwan as the nation’s “silicon shield” protecting it from hostile foreign forces such as the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), and so crucial to the global supply chain for semiconductors that its loss would cost the global economy US$1
US President Donald Trump’s challenge to domestic American economic-political priorities, and abroad to the global balance of power, are not a threat to the security of Taiwan. Trump’s success can go far to contain the real threat — the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) surge to hegemony — while offering expanded defensive opportunities for Taiwan. In a stunning affirmation of the CCP policy of “forceful reunification,” an obscene euphemism for the invasion of Taiwan and the destruction of its democracy, on March 13, 2024, the People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) used Chinese social media platforms to show the first-time linkage of three new
Sasha B. Chhabra’s column (“Michelle Yeoh should no longer be welcome,” March 26, page 8) lamented an Instagram post by renowned actress Michelle Yeoh (楊紫瓊) about her recent visit to “Taipei, China.” It is Chhabra’s opinion that, in response to parroting Beijing’s propaganda about the status of Taiwan, Yeoh should be banned from entering this nation and her films cut off from funding by government-backed agencies, as well as disqualified from competing in the Golden Horse Awards. She and other celebrities, he wrote, must be made to understand “that there are consequences for their actions if they become political pawns of
RSS