In his own words

On the Wednesday, February 14, 2007 broadcast of Talking Show (大話新聞), host Cheng Hung-yi (鄭弘儀) presented several clips of Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) which provide an interesting contrast between his attitude when talking about his political opponents and when the shoe is on the other foot.

The first set of clips shows Ma speaking just prior to the indictment against Taiwan President Chen Shui-bian's (陳水扁) wife Wu Shu-jen (吳淑珍) and shortly afterwards. These clips are then juxtaposed with the words and actions of both Ma and his supporters just one day after Ma himself was indicted.

Under Ma's thumb
In the first part, Chairman Mao-without-the-o says that President Chen would "die a horrible death" if he didn't step down on his own. (What did Ma do? First of all, he waited to be indicted -- but that's not all. Just 2 hours later, he declared his candidacy for the 2008 presidential election.)

Referring to the ongoing cases surrounding Chen, Ma says (taking on the president's voice and ironically pointing at himself), "If my associates are corrupt, I need to take all of the responsibility. I can't blame anyone else, because I am the emperor." Ma says, "With problems like this affecting Chen's family, how can he talk to me about 'the law'?"

Rules are for other people
In the second segment -- with images from one day after Ma himself was indicted -- members of his party cheer, "Ma Ying-jeou, jiayou! (an expression of encouragement)" and "KMT, victory!" despite their party rules saying that an indicted member can't run for office. Well, if that was true to begin with, it's not anymore. They changed their rules in a move of desperation just hours after Ma was indicted. (Even though President Chen's wife hasn't yet been convicted, the DPP suspended her membership after the indictment, following their own rules the way they should.)

Next, a KMT member who is currently on the Taipei City Council screeches (and I'm talking "fingernails-across-the- blackboard" here) that Ma is "like Jesus being nailed to the cross" and that Ma is "the greatest person in history." (Yes, she actually said those things!) They've mobilized a nationwide signature drive to get people to "swear" support for Ma. Check out the gangster-looking guys with the black gloves accusing the other side of having "black hands" controlling the judiciary. (Hogwash!) Be sure to notice how "enthusiastically" these guys throw down those black gloves.

What went around came back around
Remember all that redshirt bullshit about "not distinguishing between blue (Ma's side) and green (Chen's side)" (不分藍綠)? Remember this picture? Which direction are those thumbs facing now? Up their you-know-whats!

Can you spot the double standards of Ma and his supporters? I knew that you could.

At last, the video:



3'08" YouTube video: "Ma Ying-jeou's double standards"

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Same thumbs, different ways: Taiwan, 台灣, Talking Show, 大話新聞, Ma Ying-jeou, 馬英九, special allowance fund, 特支費, Chinese Nationalist Party, 中國國民黨, Kuomintang, KMT, 國民黨, Chen Shui-bian, 陳水扁, Wu Shu-jen, Wu Shu-chen, 吳淑珍, YouTube

Cross-posted at Taiwan Matters!