The Role of Hsieh Chih Wei in the Democratic Progressive Party

The Role of Hsieh Chih Wei in the Democratic Progressive Party
United Daily News Editorial (Taipei, Taiwan, ROC)
A Translation
October 29, 2007

Whether the event is the Democratic Progressive Party's "Join the UN Torch Relay" or an election rally, the person guaranteed to make the biggest splash is Hsieh Chih-wei. His popularity exceeds even that of Chen Shui-bian, Frank Hsieh, and Su Tseng-chang.

Hsieh Chih-wei would be well-suited for the role of variety show host. He would do a terrific job of livening things up. He might sing Karaoke, or take the lead on the dance floor. Every guest would be sure to have a roaring good time. But Hsieh Chih-wei is not a variety show host. He is the Chief of the Government Information Office. He is the government's top spokesman.

As the government's number one mouthpiece, Hsieh Chih-wei fills a vital role within the Chen regime. When Chen Shui-bian attends a summit with an ally, and puts his foot in his mouth by asking Palau's president "Whom did you embrace in bed last night?", Hsieh Chih-wei's job is to break into an impromptu dance or rap song, drawing attention away from Chen's faux pas. But as Government Information Officer, Hsieh Chih-wei has another job. To provoke opposition party lawmakers to such fits of anger that they shout "Sit down! You sit down!" His job is to demonstrate how the executive branch "checks and balances" the legislative branch. He has done such a great job his colleague Shih Mao-ling gave Hsieh a big thumbs up.

And no wonder. In reference to Hsieh Chih-wei, former Central Election Committee Chairman Huang Shih-cheng said: "A person like this is no different from a monkey at the zoo pretending to be a government official."

When Hsieh Chih-wei crossed swords with NCC Chairman Su Yung-chin, he did not address legitimate issues such as the constitutionality of the NCC within the legal framework of the ROC. Instead he bullied Su over irrelevancies regarding transitional justice in a reunified Germany. When Hsieh Chih-wei responded to questions about the post office's illegal stamping of "Join the UN" slogans on personal correpsondence, he did not address the legitimacy of the policy or encroachments on the people's right to privacy. He trivialized the affair by inviting an American English teacher on Taiwan to discuss the matter of English usage over tea. What would Huang Shih-chen say watching such a thug in a position of power? Would he refer to Hsieh as a "mu hou er guan" ("a monkey in a suit") incapable of maintaining the illusion of humanity?

Is this really the image the Democratic Progressive Party wants to broadcast to the world? Older generation Democratic Progressive Party officials such as current premier Chang Chun-hsiung, confronted with a verbal confrontation between Hsieh Chih-wei and an opposition lawmaker, quietly urged Hsieh, "Don't argue any more. Go and sit down." Chang hoped to maintain an image of rationality for the ruling administration. Yet Frank Hsieh had nothing but praise for the controversial Hsieh Chih-wei at a public rally, referring to him as "an outstanding GIO Chief," and expressed concern that the Blue camp wanted to force Hsieh Chih-wei out of office. Does Frank Hsieh really not know that many voters hope Hsieh Chih-wei's simian antics will take Frank Hsieh down with him?

Ever since DPP legislator Lin Chung-mo gained fame by insulting Sisy Chen with sexist vulgarisms, the "Three Stooges" (Lin Chung-mo, Tsai Chi-fang, and Hou Shui-sheng) have become immensely popular within the Democratic Progressive Party, and simultaneously the focus of outside criticism. The role of the Three Stooges was originally to generate controversy concerning certain topics, to underscore the Democratic Progressive Party's "grass roots" nature. Their uncouth language and manners are nothing parents would want to inculcate in their own children. But the Three Stooges have come to fill a certain role in the party. When Chen Tang-shan referred to Singapore as "a nation the size of a piece of snot" and accused it of "fondling China's balls," he violated all norms of diplomatic etiquette. When Tsai Chi-fang accused Luo Wen-chia and his wife as "putting on a show" and "singing a duet," he ripped away the hypocritical mask of intraparty comradeship and ethics. Former GIO Chief Yao Wen-chi flaunted a supercilious "Trust me, I know what I'm doing" manner. This "evolved" into current GIO Chief Hsieh Chih-wei's simian antics. This process swiftly undermined any standards of ethics or decorum established over many long years.

The Democratic Progressive Party has undergone a transformation. It now belongs to the "Three Stooges," to "Hsieh Chih-wei," and their ilk. The character of the party has changed from "to know shame is courage," to "to know no shame is courage."

When the anti-corruption movement was in full swing, many citizens took to the streets, not for the Blue camp or the Green camp, not for reunification or for independence, but for the traditional Chinese virtues of "Propriety, Honor, Integrity, and Conscience." Alas, the Three Stooges and Hsieh Chih-wei have set a new tone for society. They hold such virtues in contempt. Taiwan has forsaken civilized rules of conduct, and the public has become accustomed to the political antics of Lin Chung-mo and Tsai Chi-fang. The term "LP" ("balls") has become an in word. Hsieh Chih-wei's impromptu performances of rap music are all the rage. Under the circumstances, "watching monkeys perform in a zoo" perfectly describes Taiwan's politics.

Society has degenerated to the point where all that matters is Wu Shu-chen's diamond ring from Tiffany, Chen Shui-bian's off-key rendition of "Ode to the Republic of China," or where to find a gourmet dish of abalone. What room is there for serious topics such as truth and justice, right and wrong, constitutionalism and the rule of law? Don't be deceived by the hoopla over the "Join the UN" campaign. The Democratic Progressive Party hopes that public's attitude toward the democratic process will be: "Is it really so serious?" Enter Hsieh Chih-wei. The function of officials like Hsieh Chih-wei is to transform serious issues of state into the antics of monkeys at a zoo.

民進黨的「謝志偉化」
【聯合報╱社論】
2007.10.29 04:47 am

無論在民進黨的入聯慢跑路上或造勢晚會中，鋒頭最健就屬謝志偉，人氣猶勝扁謝蘇。

如果有人找謝志偉去當同樂會的主持人，他一定很稱職，會把場子弄得很熱鬧。又或者和他一起去唱ＫＴＶ，由他帶頭又唱又跳，肯定會讓每個來賓都很high。但謝志偉畢竟不是同樂會主持人。他是中華民國的新聞局長，政府發言人。

謝志偉作為政府發言人，他的功能是這樣的：當陳水扁參加友邦高峰會議，忘情追問帛琉總統「昨夜床上擠的是誰」而令全場尷尬無言時，謝志偉立刻扭腰擺臀，當場來段饒舌歌舞，即時移轉了氣氛。而謝志偉作為內閣一員的新聞局長，他的功能又是這樣的：把在野黨立委氣得大喊「下去，你下去」，充分展現了行政權「制衡」立法權的勝利，讓同僚施茂林佩服得當場豎起大拇指。

也難怪，前中選會主委黃石城談起謝志偉，是這麼說的：「這種人當官，跟請動物園的猴子來表演當官有什麼不一樣？」

謝志偉和ＮＣＣ主委蘇永欽過招，不是辯論體制定位和憲政法理的正經事，而是用同為「留德青山在」等輕薄言行欺之君子以方。謝志偉回答郵戳蓋入聯的質疑，不是討論政策正當性或人民關切隱私權受侵犯的議題，而是「歡迎打電話找我討論英文」。以如此江湖風格身居廟堂，黃石城想說的莫非「沐猴而冠」？

但這真正是民進黨所希望傳達出的理念象徵和人物標竿嗎？民進黨內老一輩如當今閣揆張俊雄，面對謝志偉和立委纏鬥的場合，屢次輕聲勸阻要他「不要說了，你先回去」，似乎希望保持住一點執政團隊的理性形象。但是，對於高度爭議性的謝志偉，謝長廷卻在造勢大會中公開讚揚為「表現極傑出的新聞局長」，並擔心藍軍想把謝志偉搞下台。難道謝長廷不知，多少選民巴不得謝志偉的猴戲就這樣演下去，直到拖垮謝長廷為止。

民進黨自林重謨當年以鄙言辱罵陳文茜一炮而紅之後，迅速崛起的「三寶化」現象，一度成為輿論批評焦點。三寶的作用本來也只是製造特定議題，放大民進黨草根性的那一面特徵；其言行舉止，不會是任何為人父母者希望子女培養文明素質的示範對象。但「三寶化」現象逐漸發揮了一些作用：像陳唐山指新加坡「鼻屎大的國家」、「捧中國卵葩」那樣的語言，打破任何外交禮儀的界限；像蔡啟芳指羅文嘉夫妻「嘜擱裝啦」、「演雙簧」的那般攻擊，扯破黨內倫理和同志情誼的假面具；像新聞局長從姚文智那樣「一皮天下無難事」的作風，「進化」到謝志偉一般又唱又跳、「猴戲化」政府發言人的角色；這一段過程，快速淡化了一個社會多少年才累積出的政治規範界限和行為羞恥底線。

從「三寶化」而「謝志偉化」，民進黨把士節風骨從「知恥近乎勇」，顛覆成「無恥才是勇」。

反貪腐運動風起雲湧之時，多少民眾走上街頭，不為藍也不為綠，無關統也無關獨，所想的不過是喚回「禮義廉恥」一點基本的做人規矩而已。但「三寶化」和「謝志偉化」蔚為風氣，擺明了就是要瞧不起那些規矩。台灣喪失此文明規矩之後，民眾漸漸也就習慣了林重謨和蔡啟芳的問政表演，講起ＬＰ二字變成一種時尚語詞，看見謝志偉的饒舌歌舞覺得很爽，用「看動物園猴子表演」的那種娛樂感觀來評量台灣的政治。

公民社會的民主意識一旦淪落到這種地步時，市井談笑之間論吳淑珍的蒂芙妮鑽戒、陳水扁唱「中華民國頌」是否五音不全、「三井宴」的鮑魚餐找機會也去吃看看等等，也就再沒有什麼公理正義、是非曲直、憲政體制等議題可嚴肅看待的餘地了。不要看入聯議題搞得轟轟烈烈，民進黨對所希望於老百姓認知民主的程度其實正是「有那麼嚴重嗎」；而這種將政治猴戲化的本事，正是謝志偉諸人的作用吧！