New Beginnings

Back from my temporary hiatus. While I'm at this pseudo-fresh-start, I'd like to try and take a new approach towards the whole Taiwan issue.

With the sentencing of ex-president of Taiwan, Chen Shui-bian, to life in prison, it got me thinking- It is one thing for the public to be angered about the president of your country being convicted of corruption charges, but another to do so and look away when other politicians do so.

If you may recall back in 2006, then Taipei Mayor, Ma Ying-Jeou, was indicted on charges of corruption as well- misuse of "special allowance" funds. Was Ma ever detained in any amount of days, weeks, months at a time due to likelihood of fleeing the country? Nope. And while Ma and Chen have both admitted that they have used the funds towards things that are likely not meant for it to be used for, you see a stark difference in the resulting cases. One is currently sentenced to life in prison, and the other was elected to be the next president of Taiwan.

While the amount of money may be different in magnitude, what's wrong is wrong. The fact that Ma had made more donations to certain organizations than the amount he was accused of misusing, should make no difference. After all, even if they were charity donations or donations towards some organizations, those same organizations could very well be in support of Ma or the KMT. Think about it this way, if back when Bush Jr. was still president, had he made donations using some special presidential fund towards Christian churches or other "right-wing" organizations, is it not the same as if he used that same money towards his own personal expenses? In the end, the money is not going towards the building and growth of the country, rather towards certain individuals or groups.

The only thing that makes me more mad than Chen Shui-bian letting down a whole lot of Taiwanese (and this is no understatement), is the Taiwanese who are letting down our country of Taiwan, by seemingly ignoring the fact that corruption is everywhere, both KMT and DPP. I hope most of my readers are past profiling a group of people based on one person, so that there should be no more of that stupidity about not voting for the DPP candidate because of Chen Shui-bian- it has already been done in the 2008 presidential elections when you [unfairly] took out all your anger on Hsieh Chang-ting.

It boils down to this, both sides have corrupt politicians. Corrupt politicians come from everywhere and all backgrounds of life- from Taiwan to China to Chicago. Yes, Chen Shui-bian has failed us and we are deeply hurt and angered by it. Taiwanese gave the DPP a shot in 2002 and again in 2004. Besides this one period of 8 years, from the 1950s to the late 1980s, Taiwanese were forced to be ruled under the KMT regime under a dictatorship and martial law. Taiwan has given the KMT basically 50 years of chances and shots, even while failing the people of Taiwan many times. I hope that the Taiwanese can once again give the DPP another shot at this end of year elections, as well as in 2012, because thus far... Taiwan, you have only given the DPP one shot. And well, we are human, after all.