Media mendacity on Taiwan, August 31, 2008

President, mofo!

The BBC still refuses to call Taiwan's elected leaders "president" in their headlines:

Huge rally against Taiwan leader

I was there, and I agree that it was huge:


See a bird's-eye view of this location in this article
(Click thumbnail to enlarge)
But the caption beneath the BBC video on that page contains this serious underestimation:

Thousands of opposition supporters have taken to the streets [...]

"Thousands," as in "somewhere between 2,000 and 20,000? The speakers onstage at the event said that there were 300,000 people there, which -- even if it was 50% too high -- would mean the BBC is off by a factor of 100! The BBC should have said "hundreds of thousands."

Here she comes again
Hack BBC reporter Caroline Gluck gets the byline on an article with the same president-less headline in which she repeats the numerical disparagement and writes the following rubbish:

The protesters said he [Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九)] was moving too quickly to improve ties with Beijing.

China claims Taiwan as part of its territory, although they have been governed separately since 1949.

[...]

The president's office did not comment on the rally, but officials from the governing Nationalist Party (Kuomintang) said the public should not blame the current administration for the island's economic woes but the previous one, which held office for eight years.

They said the public should be protesting against Taiwan's former President, Chen Shui-bian, and his family, who are being investigated over fresh allegations of money laundering involving millions of dollars.

Who needs facts or evidence when you have Caroline Gluck? Let's dump that rubbish out in the sunshine where it can be examined more easily, shall we?

What dictionary are you using?
The protest wasn't about "improv[ing] ties" with Beijing. The protesters know far better than Gluck that the kind of "ties" that Ma wants to have with Beijing go far beyond economic ones and will only result in Taiwan's absorption by an authoritarian government that has no right to rule Taiwan.


These guys know clearly what Gluck fails to tell readers
(Click to enlarge)
There's also a big piece that Gluck left out about the Ma government brushing off China's multiple uses of the offensive and absolutely incorrect name "China, Taiwan" (中國台灣).

The part about "1949"? Again?! Fuck! Before 1949, Taiwan was ruled by Japan, so that sentence is a purely China-centric lie.

Next, the full name of the "Nationalist Party" -- as Gluck surely knows -- is the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT). Given the context, it has more relevance than usual, but Gluck dutifully leaves the first nasty word off.

Finally, the "current administration" is being blamed for driving away foreign investment, relying almost exclusively on China to boost Taiwan's economy, and for failing to live up to the campaign promise of "633" (6% economic growth/year [now reduced to an unreachable 4.8% -- even though his own government estimates maybe reaching 4.3%], US$30,000 per capita income [ain't gonna happen], and less than 3% unemployment by 2012), the campaign claim of "We are ready" (我們準備好了！), and the campaign promise of "If Ma gets elected, things will be better right away" (「馬上就會好」). Plus, the "allegations" are being made by known liars, the "invesigat[ion]" is incomplete, and the evidence is absent without leave. Also, the economy was quite healthy during Chen Shui-bian's (陳水扁) administration, with a 6.06% growth rate occurring in the first quarter of 2008 during the last part of Chen's term.

By the way, the "island" that Gluck is referring to is Taiwan, and while most people here call it a "country," Gluck repeats that worn-out meme (the "mainland-island" dichotomy) which falsely implies that it is part of China.

So, just about everthing that Caroline Gluck said echoes KMT talking points, and that is the kind of rubbish off of which she makes her living.

For the benefit of your own lying eyes
Here are some more photos I shot on location:

Where was Gluck during this event -- under President Mr. Ma's desk?
"Thousands" of people passed by in just the 90 seconds following that shot,
and after that, they kept on comin'!
(Click to enlarge)

If she wasn't under Ma's desk, she would certainly have seen things like this...
(Click to enlarge)

... and even though she could have talked to "thousands" of people like this,
there isn't a single quote in her article from any of the rally's participants.
I don't know if Gluck can read the sign, but it basically says the same thing as the next one below.
(Click to enlarge)

Sunshine Laws Now!
The DPP has never had the legislative majority required to enact such laws.
Ma's party, on the other hand, has had over half a century to do so.
WTF are they waiting for?
(Click to enlarge)

The pan-blue media helped Ma during his presidential campaign to push the lie that the TAIEX would go up to 10,000 or even 20,000 points.
Instead, this is what happened starting the very day Ma took office.
(Click to enlarge)

Stop selling Taiwan out!
(Click to enlarge)

Feel the passion in their expressions.
They are from Taiwan!
(Click to enlarge)
Don't you forget about us
Here are some of my and Michael Turton's previous criticisms of the BBC's anti-Taiwan coverage:

1) BBC gets Taiwan all wrong
2) BBC angers all who care about Taiwan
3) BBC still not getting Taiwan right
4) BBC continues Taiwan deception
5) BBC strikes again
6) BBC Taiwan Coverage: Pathetically Biased
7) BBC cooks up more nonsense about Chen recall bid
8) Who will observe the Taiwan observers?
9) BBC has news about Taiwan totally backwards
10) BBC's Gluck dumps on changes to Taiwan's history books
11) Another distortion piece from the BBC
12) Sorry-ass BBC misreports Taiwan again

And then there were 13.

Even more reading
* Saturday, August 30, 2008, International Herald Tribune: Thousands rally against Taiwan's China policy

Tens of thousands of Taiwanese marched [...]

[...]

[...] Police said about 40,000 people participated in the rally.

Is it "Thousands" or "Tens of thousands"?!

* Saturday, August 30, 2008, Agence France-Presse (AFP): Tens of thousands rally against Taiwan's Ma

TAIPEI (AFP) — Tens of thousands of people took to the streets of Taipei Saturday [...]

[...]

Peter Wang, the rally organiser, told AFP Ma's stance on China meant "Taiwan's sovereignty is being sacrificed."

At least they're consistent with the low numbers between the headline and the body text. OTOH, Peter Wang was merely one of the organizers.

* Sunday, August 31, 2008, Taipei Times: Rally targets Ma on 100th day in office:

Tens of thousands of protesters began their walk [...]

[...]

The Taiwan Society, which organized the rally, estimated that 300,000 people attended, while Taipei police said they would not provide an estimate.

Wait a minute! IHT said police gave them an estimate! And come on -- somebody has got to be able to do better than that "Tens of thousands" crap!

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M&M's for the mind: Taiwan, 台灣, media, 媒體, memes, 大腦模仿病毒, BBC, 英國廣播公司, Caroline Gluck, 凱若琳葛拉克, Ma Ying-jeou, 馬英九, protest, 抗議

Cross-posted at It's Not Democracy, It's A Conspiracy!

August 30: Up with Taiwan!

Down with negativity!

Are people really succumbing to the news of Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) as if they were wrong to support his pro-Taiwan agenda when others were accusing him of all kinds of things without providing evidence? It's nearly impossible to know, but the pan-blue media sure is pushing that message.

Whatever Chen's guilty of (and the weight of the accusations decreases by the day), it shouldn't add a single ounce of credibility to any of those random accusers. Remember the moral of "The Boy Who Cried Wolf": No one will believe a liar, even when they are telling the truth.

Get off your demoralized asses, and do somethin'!
As I pointed out recently, the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) has been pushing their pro-China agenda forward faster than you can say "Genocide Olympics." What are you going to do about it?

Well, you could just sit there and let Taiwan go down the drain before your eyes. But a better choice would be to keep pushing forward and to use your democracy before it's taken away completely. Toward that end, there are some activities coming up where simply showing up will help.

Rally? Really!
Tomorrow (Saturday, August 30, 2008), there will be a march and rally to protest President Mr. Ma Ying-jeou's (馬英九) increasingly China-leaning policies. The title of the event is 830百日怒吼全民站出 (My translation: "The Roar of a Hundred Days: Stand Up, and Be Heard"), and it's a joint effort by multiple pro-Taiwan groups such as the Taiwan Society (台灣社). This activity will take place in Taipei beginning at 3 PM and will continue until around 7 PM.

Two groups of marchers will converge at Ketagalan Boulevard (凱達格蘭大道) for the "grand finale" in front of the Presidential Office office of Mr. Ma. Among many other complaints, this demonstration will also demand that the people of Taiwan be consulted via a referendum regarding any cross-Strait agreements made by Mr. Ma's government.

In contrast with what some pan-blue yack-show hosts are trying to make people believe, the event is not a rally in support of former president Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) (830不是挺扁的活動). If you attend the rally, and you see or hear any people claiming to support Chen, they're most likely pan-blue infiltrators, so try not to react the way they would like you to.

Press(,) release (yourselves from Chinese bondage)
Here's how it's being promoted to a certain group which frequently fails to see things in Taiwan, uh, clearly (info via Jerome F. Keating, PhD):

To Taiwan's Foreign Media: Check out the August 30 Protest against Ma Ying-jeou
It will soon be 100 days since Ma Ying-jeou has been president of Taiwan, 100 ineffectual days. So what do the people think about Ma? How do they evaluate his first 100 days? Come to the Presidential Palace this Saturday, August 30th and you'll see what some think of the man whose popularity rating has dropped below 37 per cent. Don't be misled, this protest is no show of support for the scandal-ridden Chen Shui-bian as pan-blue forces may try to paint it. This protest is all about Ma, his ineffectual programs, his placing the country at risk and his inability to govern.

Who will be there? Of course there won't be too many hard core pan-blue people even though many of them share the same thoughts about Ma's inadequacies. Here however is an inkling of those you will see.

Marchers will come from different directions; Specific Groups in these marches include:
The Taiwan Nation People
The Taiwan Teacher's Alliance
The Political Victims of Taiwan
The 2/28 Families Alliance
The Taiwan Build the Country Alliance
The Protectors of Taiwan's Flame
The Taiwan Association of University Professors (TAUP)
The North American Taiwanese Professors Association (NATPA)

That is not all. You will also see average citizens marching:

--Those who are tired of Ma's broken promises—like his promises to divest the KMT of the stolen state assets (made three years ago) and get the arms purchase plan moving (also three years ago)

--Those who believe in their nation and believe it should have dignity, even though Ma declines to be called President in front of China, and says Taiwan's sovereignty is not important.

--Those who know that Ma has no love or feeling for Taiwan as Taiwan, but only sees it as a prize he can take credit for in bringing it to China and fulfill both his deceased father's dream and the KMT dream of unification.

--Those who laugh at Ma's foolhardy and inefficient plans to stimulate the economy. Take for example the brainchild promise to bring in thousands of tourists from China every day when barely 300 a day have come. Even if the numbers had lived up to his foolhardy promises, insiders knew it was all hype and only a drop in the bucket.

--Those that are angry that Ma now desperately suggests multiple entry visas for China's 1.3 billion people; no other nation dealing with Taiwan has that privilege.

--Those who know Ma's secretary has taken the fall for stashing half a million US dollars in Ma's bank account; the secretary is in jail while Ma pleads ignorance. Of course the secretary expects a presidential pardon "when the time is right."

--Those who know their children's lives and careers were destroyed by Ma being a KMT campus spy in his years in the USA.

--Those who are embarrassed and angry that Ma has foresworn any petition for Taiwan to enter the United Nations this year citing the vague hope that he will be happy with the crumbs of China allowing Taiwan to sit in the corner like a good little boy and just "observe" what happens at the World Health Association (WHA). This is supposed to be a great achievement?

--Those that are embarrassed that Ma has chosen a personal friend who hardly speaks Japanese to be Taiwan's "ambassador" to Japan, Taiwan's closest ally.

--Those who have always seen that Ma as an image seeking poseur and charlatan, who never accomplished anything significant in his eight years as Mayor of Taipei.

Yes the list goes on and on; and no Ma doesn't talk about the economy any more, nor does he talk about his past broken promises. Come out and see what the people really think of Ma. And if any of the above match your beliefs, feelings and experience, join in and express them.

I couldn't have said it better!

Maps!
Here's a map of the Eastern Route [UPDATE 1: Printable version /UPDATE 1]:

Here's a map of the Western Route [UPDATE 2: Printable version /UPDATE 2]:

Here's a link to the text version of those routes, in Chinese, of course.

Scream and shout, let it all out!
Some people have asked recently, "Where's the anger?" It's there, all right, but however rapidly Ma's policies have damaged Taiwan's sovereignty, most of Taiwan's population isn't going to rush to judgement. However, the time has come, and I think a lot of people will show up at the August 30 (830) rally.

Let the world know that you reject Mr. Ma's dirty pro-China policies and that you will stand up for Taiwan!

Got poster?
Here's one I did up. Feel free to print one up for yourself:


Download it! Print it! Carry it!
(Click to enlarge)
Help me get that message in the international media.

And now...
For something completely different that you can do, there's the 2007 film "Katyn" 《愛在波蘭戰火時》 by famed Polish director Andrzej Wajda, which just opened in Taipei on August 15. The film has apparently been well-received there, and I heard that the distributor is considering sending it to Taichung and Kaohsiung. Jerome Keating describes the film as recalling Taiwan's tragedy -- a reference to the 228 Massacre of 1947. If it's in your area, go see it. The film is in Polish and Russian, and is being shown with Chinese subtitles. If that doesn't do it for you, wait for the DVD, or look for it. It's out there.

Future-retroism
And after you've viewed the film, try to view current events in Taiwan as if you were watching them from 50 years down the road. What do you see happening? What's in the near future for Taiwan? What part will you play in these events?

FURTHER READING:

About the rally:
* Pro-localization groups prepare for rally on Aug. 30
* Rally will boost morale:DPP
* DPP to participate in rally

About the movie:
* 華依達新作【愛在波蘭戰火時】催德國女總理落淚
* Chinese-language introduction to the movie including historical background and more
* A Chinese-language blog about the movie
* Chinese-language info and showtimes for the Leofoo Movie Theater (長春戲院)

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Quicker picker-uppers: Taiwan, 台灣, Ma Ying-jeou, 馬英九, China, 中國, protest, 抗議, Taiwan Society, 台灣社

Cross-posted at It's Not Democracy, It's A Conspiracy!

Deep thoughts, August 26, 2008

Media deception in Taiwan

Did anybody else also notice how the media was trying to deceive readers and viewers with their "speculation" that former president Chen Shui-bian's (陳水扁) son Chen Chih-chung (陳致中) and daughter-in-law Huang Jui-ching (黃睿靚) would not return from the US to face questioning by prosecutors?

Well, they're back.

Here's some truth-revealing video from Monday night's Talking Show (大話新聞):

5:07 YouTube video: "Return of the son of Chen Shui-bian"
(Click "More info" on the YouTube page for an English-language summary of the video)
The basic facts
Did they "run away," like the Apple Daily said they did? No. Was Chen Chih-chung "not issued a student ID card," as a University of Virginia spokesperson claimed? No. Did Chen Chih-chung have a US green card, like Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) legislator Chiu Yi (邱毅) insinuated he "might"? No.

Apologies from the media and people like Chiu won't be enough. They did that shit on purpose.

Don't fall for these kinds of tricks, and hope that you never have to face that kind of "justice."

UPDATE: The University of Virginia has admitted their "error" and apologized, though the reasoning is still suspicious. The person who gave the media the incorrect information (Jeffery G. Hanna, deduced from the Chinese transliterations of 漢納 and 韓納, Hanna's media relations position, and these two photos) left his job last Friday, and the apology was made by Assistant Vice President for Public Affairs Carol S. Wood (a name that was difficult to find starting from the phonetic back-translation from the Chinese 卡蘿). Most of the articles behind the links in this update are in Chinese. The one linked under "apologized" says Chen Chih-chung told reporters that the school "hinted" to him that they had received some kind of "pressure" and told him that he "shouldn't apply for admission this year." [/UPDATE]

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News "anchors": Taiwan, 台灣, deep thoughts, 深思, Chen Chih-chung, 陳致中, Huang Jui-ching, 黃睿靚, Talking Show, 大話新聞, media, 媒體, Chiu Yi, 邱毅, YouTube

Cross-posted at It's Not Democracy, It's A Conspiracy!

Deep thoughts, August 19, 2008

Look at the other hand

While many people are being misdirected by the madness surrounding former president Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁), other stuff -- really big stuff -- is going on:

Although there is no historical evidence that it was invented by the Chinese, it may be appropriate to note that one of the oldest forms of coercion is known as "Chinese water torture." By continuously dripping water on a victim's head over an extended period of time, it is said that the technique can drive a victim insane.

Nowadays, it seems like those drops of water are being applied to Taiwan's forehead, with each droplet taxing the nation's identity a little more each time. What's worse is that -- like a real victim of torture -- Taiwanese appear to be strapped to a chair and fated to a long period of suffering. And the torturer is a tag team: the Chinese Communist Party and the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT).

Drip: "Chinese Taipei." Drop: "Chunghwa Post." Drip: No WHO or UN application under the name "Taiwan." Drop: Our elected president is but a "Mr." Drip: The possible renaming of National Democracy Memorial Hall, after the murderous dictator the monument was built for. And drop: In the Dominican Republic over the weekend, where President Ma Ying-jeou's (馬英九) delegation was referred to -- for all to see and without as much as a complaint -- as "China, Taiwan."

Is there anybody out there? Is anybody awake? Do you have any idea just how much is at stake?

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Alarming tones: Taiwan, 台灣, deep thoughts, 深思, Ma Ying-jeou, 馬英九, Chinese Nationalist Party, 中國國民黨, Kuomintang, KMT, 國民黨, Chinese Taipei, 中華台北, China, 中國, Taiwan Independence, 台灣獨立, Taidu, 台獨

Cross-posted at It's Not Democracy, It's A Conspiracy!

Independence formulations, formulated independently

Didn't this guy get China's memo/bribe/threat?

ESPN senior sports writer Jim Caple, writing from Beijing, turns the usual meme about Taiwan ("which China claims...") on its flat-topped head:

On the field next door, communist China was playing Taipei, the democratic capital on the Taiwan island just miles off its coast whose independence is disputed by the mainland government.

Got that? Taiwan's existing independence is the given, and it's disputed by authoritarian China.

Reporters with brains and/or a conscience, can you do any better?

Kudos to Jim Caple.

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Differential equations: Taiwan, 台灣, Taiwan Independence, 台灣獨立, Taidu, 台獨, media, 媒體, memes, 大腦模仿病毒, Jim Caple

Cross-posted at It's Not Democracy, It's A Conspiracy!

Deep thoughts, August 16, 2008

CliffsNotes

Shorter Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九):

Look how "low-profile" I'm being on my international trip!!!

Taiwan's president Mr. Ma Ying-jeou
waves to supporters (at the Panama airport?)
"hides" from the media
(EPA photo via the Taipei Times)
(Click to enlarge)
You didn't read this, m'kay?

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In visible imaginings: Taiwan, 台灣, deep thoughts, 深思, Ma Ying-jeou, 馬英九

Cross-posted at It's Not Democracy, It's A Conspiracy!

WTF did Chen Shui-bian do?

The truth is out there

Fellow blogger Michael Turton has already blogged about the latest scandal surrounding former president Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁), and today's Taipei Times has some details:

Former president Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) apologized yesterday for failing to fully declare his past campaign funds and wiring a large sum overseas, but denied embezzling money from the government.

Chen said that all the money he had ever accepted was for election purposes, adding that his wife, Wu Shu-jen (吳淑珍), was responsible for managing his funds, including any amount left from previous campaigns.

Chen read from a written statement and did not take any questions during a press conference yesterday afternoon, leaving his attorney Richard Lee (李勝琛) to deal with the media after he left.

Chen said his conscience drove him to come out and apologize because he could no longer lie to himself or the public.

"I have done something that is not allowed by the law," he said. "I owe the public an apology for falsely declaring my campaign funding for the past four Taipei mayoral and presidential elections."

What raised the most doubt for me was that people like Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) legislator Hung Hsiu-chu (洪秀柱) are the ones presenting this information to the public, but today, it sounds like Chen is contradicting what he said yesterday. This makes that part about Chen's "conscience dr[iving] him to come out and apologize" sound like bullshit.

Additionally, I've heard that Chen's son and daughter-in-law are currently out of the country.

WTF?!

This will most likely present a serious challenge for the DPP in the years to come.

A-gu (阿牛) is following the Chinese-language news on this one, and he brings readers the latest info about Chen and Wu's resignation from the DPP.

Whatever happens in this case, beware of the presentation, and focus on the facts.

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Interjections: Taiwan, 台灣, Chen Shui-bian, 陳水扁, A-bian, 阿扁, Wu Shu-jen, Wu Shu-chen, 吳淑珍

Cross-posted at It's Not Democracy, It's A Conspiracy!

Deep thoughts, August 3, 2008

Using the "N" to shift into gear "C"?

In the language of the Chinese Nationalist Party* (KMT) the word "neutrality" means "going after the DPP." See for yourself how the person they chose to preside over the Control Yuan (監察院)** uses the word:

Wang [Control Yuan President Wang Chien-shien (王建煊***)] has said in media interviews that the Control Yuan will initially probe cases involving senior officials of the DPP administration, including the Papua New Guinea diplomatic scandal and the controversial arms firm Taiwan Goal.

"To begin with, there are more cases regarding the DPP as it is the former ruling party, but it's likely that we will also handle cases involving the KMT in the future," Wang was quoted as saying at the time.

Dig that bullshit reasoning for the obviously non-neutral approach to the cases. The DPP held the office of the presidency for 8 years (compared to the KMT's half century), but the DPP has never held a legislative majority when compared to the pan-blues. Wang is dissembling.

Further reading in the "Taiwan vs. China" genre:
+ Taipei Times, August 2, 2008, page 1: Taiwan Post to dump new moniker

+ Taiwan News, August 2, 2008, page 1: Taiwan Post will revert to 'Chunghwa' in name

+ China Post, August 2, 2008, page 1: Company name reverts to 'Chunghwa Post Co.'

+ Taipei Times, August 3, 2008, page 8: Beijing politicizing the Olympics, by Richard Halloran

China appears bent on regaining its place as the "Middle Kingdom," a concept formed in the Han Dynasty (206BC to 220AD). In that scheme, China is the center of the world and its neighbors are vassals who pay court and make no move of consequence without Beijing's permission. Other nations, particularly those in the West, are barbarians to be fended off.

+ Taipei Times, February 12, 2007, page 1: Then-KMT chairman Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) calls "localization" moves (such as changing the name to "Taiwan Post") "meaningless"

FOOTNOTES:
* The Mandarin word for "neutral" (中立的) sounds too much like "standing on China's side" to me -- especially in the language of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT). If you were on trial in Taiwan, wouldn't you prefer a judge who is "impartial" (不偏不倚的, 公正的, 無偏見的) to one who is supposedly "neutral" (中立的)? Whether that's the particular word Wang used or not, check this out, from the June 4, 2008 edition of the China Post, to get a closer look at Anhui-born Wang's Chinese characteristics:

[Wang's] Heart of Love Cultural Foundation started opening 53 "Pearl Classes" in 23 provinces in China to provide full scholarships for high school students.

How do you write "neutral" in Chinese again? Oh, yeah. It's "stand" next to "China" -- and that mandates opposing the DPP.

** Wang himself is a founder of the pro-unification New Party, which split from the KMT because of Lee Teng-hui (李登輝).

*** The third character of Wang's name is an uncommon character that combines the two elements -- 火 and 宣 -- into the single Hanzi character "煊." According to this Wikipedia article, it is sometimes written as 宣.

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Cog-nitives: Taiwan, 台灣, deep thoughts, 深思, Control Yuan, 監察院, Chinese Nationalist Party, 中國國民黨, Kuomintang, KMT, 國民黨, Wang Chien-shien, 王建煊

Cross-posted at It's Not Democracy, It's A Conspiracy!