Kaohsiung riots and DPP distraction

With its usual public relations savvy, the DPP has managed to sidestep the real issue of the Kaohsiung riots. For those of you who are unaware of the incident, there is a link here. The discussion in the English media and Forumosa has focused on the issue of foreign worker's rights. This is a valid issue, but I do not believe it is the main one. The real issue is the corruption of a party elected on a platform of clean government and human rights, by bashing the KMT on these issues and convincing they could do a better job. That's working out so nicely, isn't it?

First, they try to avoid prying eyes altogether, waiting until 3 days after the incident to launch an investigation. They really thought they could get away with it, and when they have to investigate, they use the Green-dominated city administration to do the investigation. Does this sound familiar? Using local investigators when national interests or a national law has been broken? Oh yeah, back when Chen-Shui Bian was shot. That was so effective in assuring the public. At least this time the MJIB will get involved and make sure there are no local shenanigans. (For those of you that don't know, Taiwan actually has a national police organization like the FBI, that can't be bought off as easily.)

Next strategy: distract and divert. Notice how this Taipei Times editorial subtly shifts the issue from human rights to investment in China and mainland Chinese opinions on Taiwanese workers??? Notice the "irresponsible politicians" are never named.

The problem in the end are the idealists in the party, who really believe everything the DPP says in the brochure, who won't play for the team, like Council of Labor Affairs (CLA) Chairwoman Chen Chu (陳菊). Chen said she felt "bitter" over the riot, as it was ... an insult to her dedication to the promotion of labor rights over the past 30 years... Exactly, she should because it is. Kaohsiung is a nearly completely DPP dominated town, a bastion of the Greens. It's the modern metropolis, without a nasty KMT opposition in the legislature to put all the blame on. The mayor is DPP, the MRT board is DPP-dominated, and according to some Chinese-language press reports, the construction company doing all these nasty things is DPP connected. (Makes sense, as it is a lucrative city contract. I'll work on finding an English source for that one.)

"Chu (陳菊) has said that she believes it was logical that some "powerful individual" was behind the matter." Though speculating, at least the girl is honest. I haven't seen anything other than talk that substantiates an actual finaincial benefit to the mayor's father, Chen Che-nan (陳哲男), who was in the President's office, so I wont comment on it yet. She's reaching, but her body is being set up as the scapegoat for the matter. Oh, I thought that was KMT-only thing? This is what the modern DPP does to its idealists and dreamers, like 施明德 Shi Ming-De. This girl is no longer on the way up, she's on the way out.
Notice the slightly critical tone of the Taipei Times in describing her :

"...Chen's comments raised eybrows... "
"The incident has brought into open the fierce competition between Chen Chi-mai and Chen Chu, who have been eyeing the city's mayoral election next year."

Why can't we talk about the issue, rather than questioning the motives of a member of the paper's own party? Quickly, distract and divert the issue! Publish a story where Frank Hsieh helpfully tells us what the issues are. This incident shows yet again that the modern DPP is no better than the KMT, and needs to get off its high moral horse. The DPP only looks so good because it is untested and unproven - and so has no history. It claims the moral high ground, but is unwilling to fight or stand for it. How about a new slogan? "DPP: A Force of Change - we don't shoot or arrest our detractors, we just deport them."