Chen Shui-bian: What Kind of Leader would do This?

Chen Shui-bian: What Kind of Leader would do This?
United Daily News editorial (Taipei, Taiwan, ROC)
A Translation
August 30, 2007

Chen Shui-bian asked: What kind of leader would I be if I were to sacrifice my "Plebsicite to join the UN under the Name of Taiwan" for the sake of better treatment during my transit through the US? This is hardly the only way to look at the matter. What Chen Shui-bian should have asked was: What kind of person would use the plebsicite to influence the upcoming elections, damage Taipei/Washington relations, and turn his state visit to Central America into a farce?

Everything Chen did was for the sake of the "Plebsicite to join the UN under the Name of Taiwan." But the plebiscite is fundamentally a phony issue. Chen Shui-bian isn't going to all this trouble because he expects the plebiscite to succeed. All he really wants to do is elicit sympathy by butting his head against a wall. He is waiting for the plebiscite to go down in defeat. He will then milk the defeat for public sympathy, reaping the political benefits. Frank Hsieh told the US that Chen's attempt to "Join the UN under the Name of Taiwan" was doomed to failure. Clearly, "joining the UN" is a phony issue. Chen's formal application to "Join the UN under the Name of Taiwan" has already been rejected by the United Nations and sent back, unopened and unread. Clearly, the "holding of a plebiscite" is also a phony issue.

Chen Shui-bian is manipulating the "Plebsicite to join the UN under the Name of Taiwan" for entirely selfish motives. He hopes to give himself a complete makeover. He hopes to transform Chen Shui-bian the Kleptocrat into Chen Shui-bian the Champion of Taiwan independence. As the standard bearer for Taiwan independence, he can hijack the presidential election and control the post election political scene. That is why he is pushing the "Plebsicite to join the UN under the Name of Taiwan" without regard for the consequences. In fact, he knows perfectly well that his plebiscite can never succeed. He is merely hoping that its defeat will provoke public indignation. He knows perfectly well this is merely a short term electioneering move. Yet he has no hesitation about forcing the nation to pay a long term cost that may never be recouped.

Chen Shui-bian has severely damaged Taipei/Washington relations with his phony plebiscite. During his transit through the US the treatment he received was downgraded to new lows. When asked whether the US had insulted Chen Shui-bian, a US State Department spokesperson said "The US respects the people of Taiwan." US authorities urged Chen Shui-bian to display "leadership." The US was clearly implying that Chen Shui-bian was unfit to represent the people of Taiwan. The US State Department spokesperson essentially issued an ultimatum, demanding that Chen Shui-bian pull back from the precipice. Chen brought this humiliation upon himself. But Chen also damaged the friendship and trust between Taipei and Washington. How will Taipei get along with Washington after this? How will the Democratic Progressive Party? How will the Taiwan independence movement? Relations with Washington were sacrificed for a phony issue such as "Joining the UN under the Name of Taiwan." What kind of leader would do this?

Chen's plebiscite forced Central American allies to delete a clause stating that "Taiwan is an independent nation deserving of membership in international organizations such as the UN and WHO." Chiang Ching-kuo never resorted to "head of state diplomacy." He was "untopical." Lee Teng-hui had a passion for "head of state diplomacy." Theatrics became all the rage. Diplomacy degenerated into political theater. Diplomacy under Chen Shui-bian became a three ring circus. All for the sake of "domestic sales of commodities orginally produced for export." With much fanfare, Chen gave away nearly 10 billion dollars in aid to Honduras. Yet the following day, the clause supporting Taiwan's membership in the UN vanished from the joint communique. Honduran President Manuel Zelaya even ordered the broadcast signal cut during Chen Shui-bian's live speech. ROC allies refuse to support Chen's plebsicite. Those bribed refuse to stay bribed. Under these circumstances, what is the "Plebsicite to join the UN under the Name of Taiwan" except self-deception? Chen Shui-bian has turned Central and South America diplomacy into political theater. Now the government must cope with this "public bidding, private payola." The government's relationship with Central and South America is not diplomatic, it is pecuniary. That is why the Central America Summit dared to brazenly defy Chen Shui-bian. That is why the government's Central and South America diplomacy has reached the end of its rope. What kind of leader would do this?

Chen Shui-bian's "Plebsicite to join the UN under the Name of Taiwan" has demolished an international modus vivendi established through decades of hard work. The US has voiced its opposition. So have Japan, Russia, and the European Union. The United Nations has rejected Chen's formal application. The Central America Summit refused to stay bribed. In an open slap across Chen's face, it unilaterally altered the language of their joint communique. This time Chen Shui-bian has definitely overplayed his hand. By butting his head against a brick wall, he has put Taiwan at odds with the international modus vivendi. He hopes the "Taiwanese people" will feel victimized by the US, mainland China, the United Nations, the entire world. He intends to convert Taiwanese pathos into political support for himself and the Democratic Progressive Party, into sympathy for "humiliation endured for the greater cause." What kind of leader would do this?

When the US characterized Chen's "Plebsicite to join the UN under the Name of Taiwan" as detrimental to Taiwan's interests, it threw a monkeywrench into Chen Shui-bian's neat little script. The Central America Summit defied Chen Shui-bian by reneging on its promises. It refused to play along with Chen Shui-bian's political charade. Chen Shui-bian hopes to milk his plebiscite for all it is worth, over the ashes of Taiwan's international modus vivendi. What kind of leader would do this?

請問陳總統：這究竟算是什麼？
【聯合報╱社論】
2007.08.30 03:24 am

陳水扁說，他倘若以放棄入聯公投，換取美國改善他的過境待遇，「我還算人嗎」？

然而，此事亦可從另一角度看。陳水扁倘若將「入聯公投」玩弄成選舉操作及政治權謀鬥爭，而以重創台美關係到此地步及出訪中美鬧出這麼大的笑話為代價，這又算是什麼？

一切皆因「入聯公投」而起，但「入聯公投」根本是個「假議題」。陳水扁絕非寄望「入聯成功」而如此大費周章，他其實只是要玩弄「撞牆外交」，待如願以償地造成「入聯失敗」，再以「公投」煽動民粹悲情，攫取其政治利益。謝長廷即曾對美國人說，「入聯」根本不會成功，只是選舉操作而已，可見「入聯」是個「假議題」；何況，根本尚未「公投」，「入聯」申請書卻已經遞出且亦已遭聯合國退件，可見連「公投」也是「假議題」。

陳水扁操弄入聯公投，完全出於自私自利的權謀動機。他亟欲將「貪腐的陳水扁」漂染成「台獨的陳水扁」，進而盤踞台獨旗手的制高點，用以挾持總統大選及選後政局，因此不計後果地炒作入聯公投。其實，如前所述，他明知不可能「入聯成功」，只是要炒作「入聯失敗」以煽動民憤；他亦明知這只是一時的選舉操作而已，卻不惜使國家付出難以彌償的長遠代價。

請問，為了「入聯公投」這個「假議題」，竟將台美關係毀壞到此地步，這算什麼？美國此次將陳水扁的過境待遇降至極低規格，在被詢及是否侮辱陳水扁時，國務院發言人竟稱「美國非常尊重台灣人民」；這是繼此前美國當局規勸陳水扁應展現「領導能力」後，不啻更露骨地否認了陳水扁有代表「台灣人民」的資格。如今，國務院更形同已對「入聯公投」發出懸崖勒馬的最後通牒。這固然是陳水扁自取其辱，但台美的友誼與信任被陳水扁毀壞到如此地步，台灣將如何與美國相處？民進黨將如何與美國相處？台獨又將如何與美國相處？為了「入聯假議題」而重傷了「台美真關係」，這算什麼？

再者，為了「入聯公投」這個「假議題」，此次出訪中美竟鬧出公報臨場刪文的大笑話，貽羞國際，這又算什麼？蔣經國未操作「元首外交」，確實「話題性」稍差；但自李登輝熱中「元首外交」以來，戲劇性固然驟然暴升，「元首外交」亦立即淪為政治戲台，至陳水扁更將「元首外交」操弄得猶如馬戲團出巡，一切皆以「出口轉內銷」為考量。此次在宏都拉斯，前一天鑼鼓喧天地剛送出逾百億的金援，第二天「支持台灣入聯」的文句竟在公報中臨場消失，甚至陳水扁發言亦由宏國總統賽拉亞下令斷訊。試問：倘若入聯議題連邦交國亦不支持，連花錢賄賂也買不通，則入聯豈非自欺欺人？陳水扁將中南美外交戲劇化後，搞到如今面臨這種「公開一起圍標，私下個別加碼」的狼狽情狀；台灣與中南美，可以斷言，除了金錢以外已無「外交」可言。這是中美峰會膽敢聯手在陳水扁面前臨時刪文的原因，更是台灣的中南美外交關係已瀕臨絕境的徵兆。請問，這又算什麼？

陳水扁炒作的「入聯公投」，不啻欲將台灣幾十年來辛苦經營的「國際維生架構」徹底摧毀。現在，不僅美國否定入聯公投，聯合國退件，日、俄、歐盟亦相繼表態反對；連欲花錢買通的中美峰會也臨場刪文，公開打了陳水扁一耳光。這一回，陳水扁的玩笑確實開過頭了，他將自己逼到幾乎與台灣整個「國際維生架構」為敵的地步，操弄「撞牆外交」，然後希望台灣人民能發出被美國、被中國、被聯合國、被全世界歧視的悲情，再將台灣悲情轉化成對民進黨、陳水扁「忍辱負重」的同情與支持。這難道不是老套？難道不是爛戲？請問：這又算什麼？

美國指「入聯公投」違反「台灣利益」，是正確破譯了陳水扁的劇本；中美峰會竟然當著陳水扁的面刪文食言，亦是拒演陳水扁的政治龍套。陳水扁欲以摧毀台灣的「國際維生架構」為代價，來炒作這個「入聯是假、公投亦假」的假議題，請問：這是什麼？這算什麼？