Friday, June 2, 2006

Views from Taiwan: Jiang Chun-nan

Jiang Chunnan, who has a column in Apple Daily, is one of the best commentators in Taiwan. Here I attempt to do a quick recap, ESWN style (he would definitely do a much better job than I), of his comments on the recent scandal inside the presidential palace (in square brackets are my additional comments)
  • It is impossible for Ah Bian to cut himself clean from his son-in-law Chao. You can't cut something that is non-static and moving. Only when you cut off can you cut the loss. The scandals are like mud-slide, how do you cut off a mud-slide?
  • Now it became a public trial of Chen Shui Bian on the media. Evidences are not necessarily verified. People would assume the accusations are true as they are keen to watch.
  • Bian got his best lawyer to defend Chao. Some people picked on this. But this is only natural, as relationship by blood cannot be cut off. Even if he did not do this, he still could get himself clean from the mess. [So why bother?] However, the spirit of our legal system is everybody (even if we know he is guilty for murder) is entitled to a fair case and the best lawyer he could get. We need to separate law and politics, a fair legal case with both sides enlisting the best lawyers would help the society cultivate the spirit of law and justice. Politics and morality are separate issues [the prosecutor team may not be the best, and most likely only mediocre, but it should have the media and public behind]
  • It was revealed by another DPP legilator that CSB's wife Wu lied blatantly about her meeting an exile criminal Chen Youhao, and Chen alleged money was passed in that meeting. Wu refused to comment. To the public this is like admitting she had lie. It is not against the law if she did not lie in court. But the event itself (and the lies) is as serious as bribery.
  • Similarly, Bian sweared Wu did not take the Sogo gift certificates, he would step down if that is the case. Such swears are common among politicians, but not many people keep their promises. Not sure what Bian is going to do if that is indeed the case.
  • Blood relationship cannot be cut off. But power and authority(&respect) can be. Power comes from position, authority comes from honesty. Bian still has power, but lost authority(&respect). How lame and pale is power without authority and respect?
Why I bothered to translate Jiang's commentary?
1. There are rational people in Taiwan
2. Jiang has criticized pan-Blue and Ma Ying-Jeou before. He is also defend Chen Shui Bian about the lawyer issue here. You do not have to side with one camp and write good comments.
3. Some views from Taiwan discounted Apple Daily as tabloid. Despite all its faults, Apple Daily can be very good. (to Jimmy Lai, this is what we want to see from Apple Daily HK and Taiwan)

Related: Give Annette Lu a chance by Du Nianchung (cached below)

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無法切割的親情

有些人主張民進黨應和阿扁切割,阿扁應和趙建銘切割,綠營應和來自藍營的陳哲男和趙玉柱切割,有了切割,才可設停損點。可惜,弊案和醜聞有如土石流,泥土石塊不斷滑落,既無法停損,更無從切割。
第一家庭人人喊打,任何爆料都不必求證,寧可信其有,先定罪再說,談話性節目變成批扁大會,不分清晨或深夜一再重播,看多少遍都不厭倦,形成對阿扁的人民公審。

權力權威已分離
第一家庭聘請大律師顧立雄幫趙建銘打官司,受到不少批評,因為顧立雄是阿扁的御用律師,他的出馬證明政治力介入。但是,阿扁幫女兒找最好的律師,是親情的自然表現,如果他袖手旁觀,見死不救,也不可能切割關係,只會引起更多批評,即使殺人犯也有權利聘請最好的律師,何況趙建銘所涉及的刑責不重,案情也不太複雜,雖然國人皆喊打,但是法律和政治要分開,法律的攻防戰有助於法治社會的培養,政治和道德問題另當別論。
吳淑珍嚴詞否認見過陳由豪,如今沈富雄公開承認他陪陳由豪拿政治獻金到官邸,如果吳淑珍沒有出面澄清解釋,則無異於承認說謊,這不是法律問題,但它的嚴重性不輸於特權賄賂。
同理,阿扁曾說過,吳淑珍沒有收受SOGO禮券,否則他將下台,這種毒誓,政壇上司空見慣,但卻很少人說到做到,如果證明確有其事,不知將何以自處。
親情是無法切割的,但是權力和權威可以切割,權力來自地位,權威來自誠信,阿扁仍握有權力,卻已失去權威,沒有權威的權力,是何等蒼白無力!

江春男

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給呂秀蓮一個機會

李登輝說台灣之子不只一位,做不好就換,馬英九說如果阿扁有羞恥心和責任感,應該自動下台,面對來自四面八方的壓力,阿扁的處境日益艱難,他顯然已把個人毀譽置之度外了。
不過,政客對羞恥心和責任感的定義,與一般人不同,阿扁對於家門不幸,深致歉意,這是一種羞恥心,但他不想因此下台,因為他對黨國有很大的責任感,他認為如果下台,自己一走了之,國政亂成一灘,那才是真正缺乏責任感。
權力不是蘋果,熟了就會掉下來,馬英九身為最大反對黨,面對政治最大轉折點,卻不想領導群眾,也不想創造民意,只想等待阿扁自動請辭,就一位領導者而言,這種無所作為,何嘗不是缺乏責任感?
阿扁即使變成虛位元首,他仍然擁有一些發球權,除了權力下放,讓蘇貞昌成為實權閣揆之外,他還可以採取聯合內閣,聯合政府或任命多數黨組閣等多種策略,當這些步數都用盡,他才會下台。
國親兩黨可以發動罷免、彈劾和倒閣,也可以上街頭示威以升高衝突,迫使阿扁下台,但每一種策略都有優缺點,如果要把各黨派的利害,加上個人利害一齊計算,永遠也算不清楚,這種抗議示威活動,如果無法一鼓作氣,則再而衰,三而竭,除非弊案扯到阿扁本人,否則後勢必然消退,尤其是國親各有算盤,時間一拖,圖窮匕現,可能破局。

代理總統或能展現優點
雖然蘇貞昌獲得更大權力,但朝小野大的局面只會更加惡化,難有改善空間,萬一蘇揆做不好,呂秀蓮扶正的機會大增。民間傳說台灣將出現非民選女總統,民進黨必須做此心理準備。
呂秀蓮學經歷豐富,一旦她代理的機會出現,人們可能會發現她深藏不露的優點,不斷出現。
政治是一種可能的藝術,給呂秀蓮一個機會,不論會帶來多少驚奇或驚喜,至少是一個很好的政治試驗,也可為民進黨的進步性加分,在民進黨剩餘的有限光陰裏,即使作最壞打算,也壞不到那裏去吧!

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