We hate price hikes... No, wait!

The administration of Taiwan's new president Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) has been trying to place the blame for the rapid price hikes that are overwhelming the nation on the administration of former president Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁). But anyone who was paying attention should remember the Chinese Nationalist Party's (KMT) demands for the DPP to freeze prices while using campaign banners such as this:


A campaign banner from before Ma Ying-jeou was elected
Translation: "The price of rice, gas/oil, flour, pork, tissue... up! up! UP!
Folks, can you endure it?
It's time to change the ruling party. (#2) As president, Ma will immediately fight for the economy.
Kaohsiung City Councilor Chen Li-nah implores you."
Note: Chen Li-nah (陳麗娜) has connections to KMT vote buying.

Do you see yet another KMT double standard here?

An inadvertant pun for Ma Ying-jeou
Onstage at Ma's inauguration party at the Taipei Arena (小巨蛋) -- dressed entirely in blue -- 1970s chanteuse Fong Fei-fei (鳳飛飛) performed 「掌聲響起」 (zhǎngshēng xiǎngqǐ) ("The Sound of Applause Erupts"). A rather fitting pun on the title changes the characters to 「漲聲響起」 (zhǎngshēng xiǎngqǐ): "The Sound of Rising Prices Erupts." I should credit blogger "kusotare," who uploaded a recording of the tune accompanied by video of the shockingly-long gas lines at 5 locations in Sanchong (三重) on Tuesday:


【影片】08.05.27 馬英九無預警宣布汽油漲價當晚@三重(5處加油站)
Translation: (Video clip) May 27, 2008, The night Ma Ying-jeou's gov't announced the gas price hike without warning

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Beacons of one thing or another: Taiwan, 台灣, Ma Ying-jeou, 馬英九, gas prices, 油價

Cross-posted at Taiwan Matters!

Labels: gas prices, Ma Ying-jeou, Taiwan, 台灣, 油價, 馬英九

Two standards to fool them all?

The standard by which TVBS (AKA BS-TV) judges Taiwan's new president Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) is poles apart from that by which they have handed down judgment on former president Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁).

A post on the SocialForce.tw forum brings us the links, quotes, and commentary. I've merely provided the translations:

(->) 政院擬降稅　汽油可能只漲4.5元 2008年5月27日 [TVBS article, via Yahoo News]

Executive Yuan to incrementally raise gas prices, price might only go up NT$4.5 -- May 27, 2008

來看一下舊新聞:

Let's look at some older news:

(->) 超貴！油價漲2元　最快今公佈 2006年4月18日 [TVBS article]

Super expensive! Gas prices to go up NT$2, today at the earliest -- April 18, 2006

..................
[Excerpt:] 一大早加油站就湧進大批人潮，因為油價這回不但要漲，
可能還一次漲2元，創下歷史新高。

The large early-morning crowd at gas stations was not only because of the price increases, but possibly also because this is a record high.
..................
[Excerpt:] 假設以每公升調漲2元來計算，民眾平均每次加油40到50公升，
油費就會多出將近100元，累積開銷相當可觀。

Assuming a NT$2 price increase times 40 to 50 liters per tank will add close to NT$100 to the average person's fill-up, adding up to a considerable amount over time.
..................

(->) 油價狂漲！　馬痛批：扁政府做太差 2007年10月30日 [TVBS article]

Insane gasoline price hike! Ma complains: Chen government is doing a terrible job -- October 30, 2007

[Commentary:] 漲了4.5元叫"只漲",漲了2元叫"超貴,歷史新高",
2>4.5...?
記者的邏輯,令人費解.....
奇怪,今天記者們怎麼不幫民眾算加一次油要多花多少錢?
3.9*50=195 快200元耶
民眾活不下去了啦~~~~~

An increase of NT$4.5 is called "only," whereas an increase of NT$2 is "super expensive, a historic high."
Is 2 greater than 4.5?
The reporter's logic is puzzling.
Isn't it strange that today's reporters can't help people calculate what the additional costs of filling up will be?
NT$3.9 times 50 [liters per tank] equals 195 -- almost NT$200!
Regular people can't survive, la~!

[Sarcastic commentary:] 扁政府真是做太差了,沒能力讓大家看到這種排隊加油沒有盡頭的奇蹟,
馬先生好棒啊!

The Chen Shui-bian government did such a poor job, not being able to let everyone experience the wonder of neverending gas lines. Mr. Ma is great!

I suppose the sarcasm in the final paragraph is obvious to most people, but I want to point it out just in case there might be some stubborn Ma fans out there who still don't get it.

Photographic documentation
I do have one thing to add to this. Here's a composite photo showing the gas prices last night and then tonight:


C'mon feel the joys!
(and then demand some alternatives!)
Even saying "I told you so" won't make me feel better.

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Red balloons: Taiwan, 台灣, Ma Ying-jeou, 馬英九, Chen Shui-bian, 陳水扁, gas prices, 油價, TVBS

Cross-posted at Taiwan Matters!

Labels: Chen Shui-bian, gas prices, Ma Ying-jeou, Taiwan, TVBS, 台灣, 油價, 陳水扁, 馬英九

This is gonna hurt you just as much as it'll hurt me!

Taiwan's new president, Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) -- who is neither a lawyer nor an economist -- used the double entendre 「馬上就會好」 as a slogan during his presidential campaign. The two meanings of that slogan are: "Things (specifically, the economy) will be good right away"; and "If Ma ascends (to the presidency), then things will be good."

Are you ready for this? (你準備好這些事情了嗎？)
I'd hope that even hardcore Ma supporters would be questioning their values by now. Just for starters, on the very day of Ma's inauguration, the TAIEX dropped 226 points:


That can't be a good sign!
(image via the pro-blue Era News, May 20, 2008)
And it didn't stop there. In the next 4 days, share prices continued to dive, bringing the post-inauguration drop to 460.67 points so far, or approximately 5%. Although tourism stocks "outperformed after the Cabinet said on Thursday that it remained committed to bringing in more tourists from China," couldn't that "commit[ment]" just be more empty promises?

The changes keep a-comin'
Ruh roh! Another day has passed since I wrote the preceding paragraph, and the stock market has plummeted another 126.90 points for a whopping total of 587.37 points, bringing Monday's market close to 8707.83 points!

Much more will soon become painfully apparent for everyone in Taiwan.

Shadoobie, shattered
Increases in the price of cement (a more than 10% increase), gasoline (20%), electricity (20 - 30%), natural gas (30%), fertilizer (50%!), and many other commodities are imminent, and their effects will be widely felt.


Is there any escape from such "joys"?
(image via SET News)
Tough love?
As you'd expect, Ma has an "explanation" (which isn't really satisfactory) for the "pain" (Ma's own term) that will soon be felt:

則是長痛不如短痛

[Maddog translation:]
It's better to hurt for a short time than to hurt for a long time

That's simply amazing coming out of the party of "活不下去" ("can't stand it")!

At the same time, his campaign promise of bringing an ecoonomic growth rate of 6% by the end of this year -- part of his "633 policy" -- has already been "downsized" to probably less than 4.8%, according to Council of Economic Planning and Development Chairman Chen Tian-jy (陳添枝):

今年經濟成長率要達到4.8%有困難度

[Maddog translation:]
It will be difficult to reach even a 4.8% economic growth rate this year

The GDP was 5.7% last year under the administration of Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁), and with over half a year left for Ma to fulfill his promises, it makes me wonder how anyone could have believed that his words weren't mere campaign rhetoric far beyond his actual capabilities.

In just one week, it's all gone Pete Tong!
In light of the empty promises and impending price increases described above, I've come up with a new slogan for Ma's regime:

"Ma's presidency will cause a lot of pain!" or "Instant agony!"
(a slogan which I'd prefer not to be true)
(More easily-spoken substitute: 「馬上好痛！」)
Oh, and a big one-fingered victory salute to President Ma for removing "台灣" (the Hanzi for "Taiwan") from the Presidential Office web site before the end of his inaugural speech. It's quite curious how he and his party are still acting like sore losers.


If the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) doesn't hate Taiwan, WTF could their excuse be?
(image via the print edition of the Liberty Times, May 21, 2008)
(Here's the text which accompanies the above image.)
At least there aren't any dead bodies rotting on the balcony of the Presidential Office so far -- that we know about!

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Wake-up calls: Taiwan, 台灣, Ma Ying-jeou, 馬英九, economy, 經濟, prices, 物價

Cross-posted at Taiwan Matters!

Labels: economy, Ma Ying-jeou, prices, Taiwan, 台灣, 物價, 經濟, 馬英九

Forward to the distant past

Given the authoritarian background of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT), what should we expect during the presidential inauguration of their candidate, Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) just two days from now (Tuesday, May 20, 2008)?

First of all, we probably won't hear too much about his party's "love" for Taiwan, there probably won't be any pro-green performers, and I'm pretty sure there won't be any big-name pan-green politicians suggesting that it's okay to [do something terrible to] the new president.

But what will we see and hear?

Will we hear chants of "Long live the Great Ma Ying-jeou" and/or "Long live the ROC"? Will there be a speech by Ma calling himself Taiwan's "leader" instead of "president"? Will he suggest de-rectifying the name of the Presidential Office (總統府) to "Long Live Chiang Kai-shek [蔣介石] Hall" (介壽館)?

Or will we witness a game of "remove all the ROC flags from Chinese Taipei"? Will there be talk of "a peace treaty with" (AKA "unification with," "surrender to," or "absorption by") the KMT's "mommyland" (祖國)? Will there be praise for all the "progress" our bellicose neighbor China has made in the last, um, er...? (Better not look back too many days!) Will Ma be introduced by the man of whom he once said he hoped the KMT Youth Corps would produce another like him -- the unelected Chinese leader Hu Jintao (胡錦濤)?

There's also a question that stirs one's curiosity about the maturity of Ma's party and its members: Will KMT chairman Wu Poh-hsiung (吳伯雄) get his preferred seat as close as possible to Ma Ying-jeou's lap?

Watch it
If you're here in Taiwan, you'll most likely be able to watch the spectacle on all the news channels -- some of which are more nausea-inducing than others -- but it will also be webcast live on May 20 from 8:30 to 11:45 AM (Taiwan time) at the E-government Entry Point of Taiwan (I can't find a more specific link) and the Taiwan Government Information Office (the link is right at the top of the center column).

Whatever happens, 我快活不下去了啦!!!!!1!!1!

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Recondite ruminations: Taiwan, 台灣, deep thoughts, 深思, Ma Ying-jeou, 馬英九, Taiwan Presidential Inauguration 2008, 台灣二００八就職典禮

Cross-posted at Taiwan Matters!

Labels: deep thoughts, Ma Ying-jeou, Taiwan, Taiwan Presidential Inauguration 2008, 台灣, 台灣二００八就職典禮, 深思, 馬英九

Shifty in Shanghai

If Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) legislator Chiu Yi (邱毅) were an agent of the PRC government, would it be any easier for him to just shuffle off to Shanghai, China to "investigate" the Papua New Guinea diplomatic fund scandal and "uncover" info related to the case in less than 12 hours?

Wouldn't these "investigative" "duties" further explain why Xinhua (新華) likes to put quotation marks around the word "legislator" when they write about Taiwan?

Even if Chiu isn't an agent of the PRC government, can you say "Really big shew"?

I bet the real answers are far, far away from where Chiu Yi is telling the media and the public to look. After all, the suspect in question, Ching Chi-ju (金紀玖) was said to have been in the US at last sighting.

Link details (plus one):
* May 9, 2008, Central News Agency (Taiwan's national news agency): Diplomacy scandal suspect will consider returing to Taiwan: lawyer

Lawyer Chang Hsiu said Ching will hold a news conference in Los Angeles prior to May 20, when the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) administration steps down, to provide a clear picture of what happened, and specifically to give the media a clearer picture of who received funds and in what amounts.

He added that Ching's top concern now is his personal safety.

* May 9, 2008, China Times (中國時報): 邱毅：將到上海追查金紀玖女友帳戶 [Translation: Chiu Yi says he'll go to Shanghai to investigate the account of Ching Chi-ju's girlfriend]

* May 10, 2008, ETToday via qlife.com.tw: 外交醜聞／邱毅：金紀玖上海存款100萬美金　應先扣押 [Translation: Foreign affairs scandal / Chiu Yi says "Ching Chi-ju has US$1 million in Shanghai, account should be frozen"]

到上海不到十二個小時，邱毅已經找到金紀玖在上海的不動產登記 [...]。

[Maddog translation:]
Within 12 hours of arriving in Shanghai, Chiu Yi had already located Ching Chi-ju's real estate records [...]

* Additional article, May 11, 2008, United Daily News: 邱毅：搓巴紐案翌年 金紀玖在滬置產 [Translation: Chiu Yi says "After dealing with the PNG case for one year, Ching Chi-ju owns property in Shanghai"]

* May 12, 2008, Sydney Morning Herald: Taiwan issues warrant over funds scandal

Taiwan's police department said it discovered through intelligence sources that Ching first fled to China before going to Canada earlier this month. He was found on the US West Coast last week, they said.

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No, not "deep throats"!: Taiwan, 台灣, deep thoughts, 深思, distractions, 分散注意的事物, Chiu Yi, 邱毅, China, 中國, People's Republic of China, 中華人民共和國, PRC, 中共, Papua New Guinea, 巴布亞紐幾內亞, PNG, 巴紐

Cross-posted at Taiwan Matters!

Labels: China, Chiu Yi, deep thoughts, distractions, Papua New Guinea, PNG, PRC, Taiwan, 中共, 中國, 分散注意的事物, 台灣, 巴布亞紐幾內亞, 巴紐, 深思, 邱毅

Smoke and mirrors

When lawyers for people like Wu Shih-tsai (吳思材) (one of the alleged brokers in the Papua New Guinea fund scandal) appear on "talk" shows like those hosted by Sisy Chen (陳文茜), shouldn't the question on everyone's mind be "What are they trying to distract people's attention away from?"


Is this a "fraudulent" slip?
Chiu Yi says: 四分真來雜薯包裝六分假
Translation: "40% truth packaged with 60% lies"
(Nah! 40% is way too high for Chiu!)
And when habitual liars like Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) legislator Chiu Yi (邱毅) give the media "clues," wouldn't it be best for them to quickly run away and look elsewhere for the real answers?

UPDATE: The Sunday, May 11, 2008 edition of the Taipei Times has an editorial cartoon which indicates that someone there is thinking like me. Since it's not available on their web site, you'll either have to get your hands on the print edition or click the thumbnail below to view it in full detail:


A witch doctor leads the pan-blue media
which, in turn, wants an "investigator" to follow.
(Hmmm. Where have I seen that guy on the left before?)

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Between the meninges and the cerebellum: Taiwan, 台灣, deep thoughts, 深思, distractions, 分散注意的事物, Chiu Yi, 邱毅, Papua New Guinea, 巴布亞紐幾內亞, PNG, 巴紐

Cross-posted at Taiwan Matters!

Labels: Chiu Yi, deep thoughts, distractions, Papua New Guinea, PNG, Taiwan, 分散注意的事物, 台灣, 巴布亞紐幾內亞, 巴紐, 深思, 邱毅

With help from an old edition of Lonely Planet's guide to Taiwan


From a pre-JoSamBro edition of Lonely Planet's guide to Taiwan
Since people in Taiwan sometimes smile out of embarrassment, could the focus by Max Hirsch and others on Vice Premier Chiou I-jen's (邱義仁) smiling be some kind of a distraction?


From Max Hirsch's post on the Thirsty Ghosts blog
(and shouldn't that caption read "May 4"?)
And was the use of that photo Max's own idea?


A Chinese-language Google News search for "Chiou" and "smile/laugh"
(No, it doesn't necessarily mean that Chiou isn't happy, but c'mon -- use your brain and try to figure out why the semi-homophonic habitual liar Chiu Yi [邱毅, Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT)] is acting like he knows so much about this Papua New Guinea fund scandal)

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Stuff from the sulci: Taiwan, 台灣, deep thoughts, 深思, Chiou I-jen, 邱義仁, distractions, 分散注意的事物, Chiu Yi, 邱毅, Papua New Guinea, 巴布亞紐幾內亞, PNG, 巴紐
Cross-posted at Taiwan Matters!

Labels: Chiou I-jen, Chiu Yi, deep thoughts, distractions, Papua New Guinea, PNG, Taiwan, 分散注意的事物, 台灣, 巴布亞紐幾內亞, 巴紐, 深思, 邱毅, 邱義仁