Chen Shui-bian is Laughing at Us from the Window of the Presidential Palace

Chen Shui-bian is Laughing at Us from the Window of the Presidential Palace
United Daily News editorial (Taipei, Taiwan, ROC)
A Translation
April 3, 2008

The Chen administration is usually not referred to as the Chen administration, but as the "Bian administration." The Chen Hsieh rivalry is usually not referred to as the Chen Hsieh rivalry, but as the "Bian Hsieh rivalry." The media long ago became accustomed to referring to Chen Shui-bian as "Bian" instead of his surname "Chen."

This manner of address may well be unique. The media never referred to Lee Teng-hui as "Hui." Nor is it likely ever to refer to the Ma administration as the "Jiu administration."

Chen Shui-bian will henceforth be known simply as "Bian." The word "Bian" is the most distinctive character in his name. It captures the essense of Chen Shui-bian, in form, in sound, and in meaning. The nicknames "A-Bian," "Bian Zai," and "Bian" have a ring to them, a folksy feeling. They have a rustic air about them. The nickname "Bian" can mean that Chen Shui-bian has been shaped involuntarily by outside forces, that he was flattened after being stepped on. It can also mean that he lacks depth, that he lacks a fixed shape, that he is not "foursquare," but instead can be molded into any shape required.

Ironically this sums up Chen Shui-bian's character. He has a knack for sensing the public mood and for exploiting the dark side of human nature. He knows how to manipulate that dark side, how to incite grass roots discontent, how to exploit that discontent to subvert right and wrong. That is his essence. It is impossible for him to masquerade as a responsible national leader. His chameleon like character compels him to act out victimization dramas, to prove that he is the victim, when obviously he is the victimizer.

In the popular imagination the earth has two universal meanings. One. The earth is our mother. It nurtures us and gives us life. Two. Buried deep within the bowels of the earth is a dark realm known as Hell. Chen Shui-bian is a person who has transformed life on earth into a living hell.

Chen Shui-bian has occupied the office of the president, the highest office in the land, for eight years. During these eight long years he has revealed his true character. Chen character represents a peculiar sort of evil, an infantile evil. To cover up their roles in the State Confidential Expenses scandal, First Lady Wu Shu-chen used phony invoices. Chen Shui-bian invoked a transparently phony "Southern Front." The manner in which they attempted to cover up their corruption, is the manner in which some rural precinct chief would cover up his corruption. This lies they told are the kind of lies a kindergarten student tells. When Chen Shui-bian linked his UN Plebiscites with the ROC Presidential Election, he prayed that Washington would look the other way and forgive his antics as "election rhetoric." He hoped Beijing would make angry threats. He hoped the public on Taiwan would polarize itself into two camps. These are the kinds of amateurish stunts some ward heeler would pull, all the while fancying himself a Sunzi or a Clausewitz. Chen was simply not up to the challenge of balancing the strategic relationship between Beijing, Taipei, and Washington. Therefore when Chen Shui-bian was bad, he appeared bad to the bone. But from another angle, he may simply have been taking a few short cuts.

As a result, the public on Taiwan has been of two minds about A Bian. Nativists have long shouted "Way to go, A Bian!" Whereas the opposition has long shouted "Down with A Bian!"

After eight years in office however, Chen Shui-bian has been triply damned. He has been damned by the Democratic Progressive Party, he has been damned by the Taiwan independence movement, and he has been damned by political reformers. One. He was shamelessly corrupt. That goes without saying. Two. He has betrayed the Taiwan independence movement. He has thoroughly undermined the Taiwan independence movement's moral and political legitimacy. Three. He has betrayed political reform by engaging in ruthless political intrigue. He has betrayed constitutional government, the rule of law, even society's fundamental standards of right and wrong. He has set a negative example, persuading some segments of society that winning is everything and the end justifies the means. Chen Shui-bian is the embodiment not of constitutional rule, but of Machievellian deceit. Democracy to him is nothing more than a tool of deception. This is how A Bian and the DPP have lost the hearts and minds of the people.

In 2000, Blue camp support was divided between Lien Chan and James Soong, enabling Chen Shui-bian to squeak into the presidential office. At the time Chen promoted a "New Centrist Path." Before and after he was sworn in to office, he paid visits to the Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall, he presented a wreath at the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial, he openly paid indirect homage to Chinese national unity by swearing to "defend to the death the Republic of China." As we can see, Chen Shui-bian is a highly malleable piece of clay, capable of assuming any shape. But poor performance and pressure from Taiwan independence forces caused him to backslide. During his 2004 reelection campaign, he returned to demagoguing "Rectification of Names and Authoring of a New Constitution." He illegally linked plebiscites to the presidential election, determined to tear the nation apart merely so he could be reelected.

Chen Shui-bian's real downfall began in 2004, following his "reelection by a 30,000 vote margin." His "Bulletgate" election ploy caused voters to lose confidence in him and the system. The "Bulletgate" incident was highly suspicious. Even Vice President Annette Lu does not believe the government's conclusions. When this all too convenient incident happened to Chen Shui-bian, a habitual practitioner of political dirty tricks, the public had good reason to suspect its veracity. They concluded that "Without the truth, we have no president." They concluded that Chen was a "counterfeit president."

Thereafter, a bizarre succession of corruption cases broke, like explosions in an illegal fireworks factory. The economy became mired in depression. Entire families committing suicide by starting charcoal fires or jumping from buildings became routine news. To avoid political responsibility and legal prosecution, Chen Shui-bian attempted to save his own hide by trumpeting Taiwan independence, by reaching out to "Nativists" and immersing himself in "Nativism."

First Chen Shui-bian used the "Rectification of Names and the Authoring of a New Constitution" to consolidate support from Deep Greens, using them to shield himself from reformist elements within the DPP. Then Chen demolished the plaque on the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall Ceremonial Gateway, slandered Chiang Kai-shek's reputation, purged traces of Chiang Kai-shek's legacy, and illegally linked his plebiscites to the legislative and presidential elections. He hijacked DPP legislators, the legislative elections, and the presidential election. His modus operandi was clear. Use Taiwan independence to polarize the DPP and the nation, in order shield himself from prosecution and evade justice.

The nickname "Bian" is as rustic as the land it comes from. It befits someone billed as the "Son of Taiwan." Does anyone remember that? Chen Shui-bian proclaimed himself the "Son of Taiwan," the rightful heir to 400 years of blood and tears, the embodiment of "Taiwanese values." But Taiwan has awoken from its pipe dream. The "Son of Taiwan" has become the "Shame of Taiwan." Chen has tarnished that 400 year heritage. Chen has nullified the Democratic Progressive Party's claim to the "Nativist" crown. Chen has discredited the DPP nomenklatura Chen has inflicted deep and lasting damage on Taiwan as a whole. The "Son of Taiwan" has become the "Prodigal Son of Taiwan," the wasteful playboy who squanders the family fortune. The nickname "A Bian" is no longer a folksy term of affection. It now emits the stink of decay.

In 2000 Lee Teng-hui destroyed the Kuomintang. For this he was drummed out of the KMT. In 2008 Chen Shui-bian destroyed the Democratic Progressive Party. He destroyed the Taiwan independence movement. He destroyed Taiwan. Yet he still presumes the right to determine Taiwan's future. He presumes the right to lead the DPP's reform, and aspires to the party chairmanship. Chen Shui-bian hopes to continue operating between cracks he himself created within his own party. He hopes to use the forces of Taiwan independence to shield himself from the consequences of his own corruption.

Chen Shui-bian is probably standing at the window of the presidential palace right this moment laughing at everyone. Chen Shui-bian likes to laugh at others' gullibility. He laughed at the gullibility of 23 million voters on Taiwan. He laughed at their eagerness to swallow his "Nativist" rhetoric. He laughed at their naive faith in "Taiwan's democracy." He laughed at the comrades in his own party. He laughed at the gullibility of True Believers in the Taiwan independence movement.

陳水扁在總統府窗後偷笑
【聯合報╱社論】
2008.04.03 04:05 am

「扁政府」，卻不稱作「陳政府」；「扁謝情結」，卻不說是「陳謝情結」……。新聞界早已習稱陳水扁為「扁」，而不稱名道姓。

這種稱謂方法，恐是空前絕後；以前新聞用語未稱李登輝為「輝」，以後也大概不會有人稱馬政府為「九政府」。

阿扁，然後乾脆稱作「扁」。這個「扁」字，是陳水扁姓名中最與眾不同的一個字，也似乎是在「形／音／義」上最能象徵陳水扁的一個字。阿扁，扁仔，扁，叫起來，聳擱有力，叫出一種鄉里的親密感，也叫出了一種土地的氣息。若從字義看，扁字可以象徵被外力踩踏後的形狀，也顯示它原本就沒有厚度，不是方方正正的形狀，但亦表示它可能捏成任何形狀。

這似乎正是陳水扁的氣質形象。他能挖出土地的氣味，也能深掘人性中最隱微的那一條神經。他能揉捏土地，捏成各種他所能想像的形態；他擅於挑激草根人性，隨意操作是非善惡的標準。他原本的素質就是「扁」，因此不可能長期偽裝成一個方方正正的總統；而正因他的本質是「扁」，亦使他非常精於演出那種被踩踏的形象，當他自己明明是加害者時，他也能以被害者的面目出現。

土地，在普世皆有兩種意義。一、土地是母親，哺育生靈。二、地層深處有難測的凶險與罪惡，地獄就在那裡。陳水扁正是將「土地」與「地獄」交替操作得十分精到的能手。

陳水扁做了八年總統，那是民主政治中至高無上的地位；但是，他在道德形象及治國運作上的表現，卻時常暴露出一種像是十分幼稚的邪惡，又像是一種來自「地層深處」的邪惡。比如說，國務機要費案中吳淑珍用假發票報假帳，陳水扁又用「南線工作」來圓謊；這是里長層級的貪汙手法，也是幼稚園程度的謊言。再如，陳水扁操弄「公投綁大選」，希望美國能容忍他的「選舉語言」，希望中共能再被他激怒，希望台灣社會能再被他撕裂，這其實是鄉里角頭大哥一廂情願的戰略構想，當然禁不起「台／美／中」這種大尺度、大格局舞台的考驗。所以，陳水扁做的一些「壞事」，有時看起來壞到骨子裡；但換個角度來看又覺得很膚淺，都只是「炒短線」。

於是，陳水扁在台灣社會出現了兩種評價。「阿扁，加油！」是一種土地的回響；「阿扁，下台！」則是對地層深處罪惡煉獄的聲討。

陳水扁走到今日，他是民進黨、台獨及台灣「三合一的罪人」。所以至此，原因有三：一、「大貪奇腐」，這就不必多說了。二、「玩弄台獨」，他已將台獨的道德形象及操作的可能性糟蹋淨盡。三、「唯權謀主義」及「泛權謀主義」，他將民主法治的準則，甚至文明社會的是非善惡標準完全毀棄，將「權謀」當作政治天地中的唯一權威與信仰。陳水扁未曾體現「民主政治」，他所經營的是「泛權謀政治」，民主只是其玩弄權謀的工具；這也正是他最後喪盡民心的原因。

其實，在二○○○年，陳水扁因連宋分裂而首度當選總統時，他確曾努力推行「新中間路線」。當年他在就任前後，進謁國父紀念館，向中正紀念堂獻花，甚至公開「遙祭黃陵」，再宣示「誓死捍衛中華民國」。可見，陳水扁這一塊扁扁的泥土，可以捏成任何形狀。但是，由於政績日趨惡化及台獨勢力向他擠兌，為了競選二 ○○四年連任，他又走回「正名制憲」的老路，並操作「公投綁大選」，決定要以撕裂國家贏得連任。

陳水扁的真正墮落及失敗，正是從二○○四年以三萬票的勝差贏得連任後開始。兩顆子彈使國人對他失去信任，也使他自己失去信心。兩顆子彈事件當然是疑竇重重，迄今的偵查結論連呂秀蓮都不相信；更深層的理由則是，這件奇案發生在陳水扁這個權謀家身上，使國人有了猜疑的權利，亦沒有不生猜疑的理由。於是，「沒有真相，沒有總統」的質疑四起，「偽總統」的說法流傳市井。

接著，就像地下爆竹工廠失火一般，一連串匪夷所思的貪腐大案轟隆轟隆地爆開；社會經濟又更趨惡化，燒炭、跳樓變成了例常新聞。陳水扁為了逃避政治責任及法律懲罰，竟然全面發動「以獨救貪」的大戰，不惜「毀國自救」。他伸手探入他熟悉的「土地」，再穿透「土地」，進入了地層深處的罪惡淵藪。

陳水扁先用「正名制憲」綁住了深綠勢力，藉深綠勢力抵擋了民進黨內改革派；再用「拆匾／鞭屍／去蔣」及「公投綁大選」，挾持了民進黨的立委及總統選舉……。他的手法是：用台獨來漂染貪腐，用撕裂黨及撕裂國家，企圖使自己在裂縫中逃過應受的天譴及現世報。

「扁」，是像土地那麼土的名字，也是最適配的「台灣之子」之名。仍記得否？陳水扁自封「台灣之子」，宣稱承繼著四百年來的移民血淚，宣稱自己代表台灣價值；但是，如今黃粱夢醒，陳水扁卻成了台灣之恥，台灣民間四百年的精神大旗也因他汙染；他不但玷汙了四百年的台灣民間傳承，更毀了民進黨所代表的「本土」冠冕，也毀了民進黨的幾代菁英；至於他對台灣整體所造成的傷害，尤是創巨痛深。「台灣之子」變成了「台灣的敗家子」。這個「扁」字，聽起來不再有土地的親密感，卻彷彿傳來陣陣地層深處的腥腐氣味。

李登輝在二○○○年毀了國民黨，最後他受到逐出國民黨的懲罰；但陳水扁如今毀了民進黨、毀了台獨，也毀了台灣，他卻仍然逍遙若此，三不五時仍要指點江山，似乎還要主導民進黨的「改革」，甚至傳出他將回鍋競選黨主席。陳水扁如今在自己所製造的裂縫中安然自得，未有報應，果然實現了他「以獨救貪」、「毀國自救」的大陰謀。

此刻的陳水扁也許正站在總統府的窗後偷笑。偷笑，正是陳水扁常有的反應。他對兩千三百萬人偷笑，對台灣的土地偷笑，對台灣的民主偷笑，對民進黨偷笑，也對台獨偷笑！