Chen Shui-bian's Magic Act: Win or Lose, Get Rich Quick

Chen Shui-bian's Magic Act: Win or Lose, Get Rich Quick
United Daily News editorial (Taipei, Taiwan, ROC)
A Translation
September 4, 2008

Many on the scene observers mocked the Taiwan Society's August 30 Anti-Ma Protest March, wondering whether Chen Shui-bian donated any money to the event? The answer for the moment is nobody knows. However, according to inside information, Chen Shui-bian donated 7 million NT to the September 16 Support A Bian March two years ago. The march two years ago was meant to counter the impact of the marathon Red Shirt Army "Anti-Corruption, Anti-Chen Shui-bian" sit-in. Two years later, people have discovered that the September 16 Support A Bian March was nothing more than Chen Shui-bian supporting himself. On the surface it was a grass roots movement organized by civic groups. In fact these civic groups were merely paid shills hired by Chen Shui-bian. A measly 7 million NT in mobilization costs, created a "I support independence vs. you support greed" stand-off within the Green Camp, helping Chen Shui-bian stonewall for another two years. This truly was a low overhead, high profit proposition.

Recently Chen Shui-bian's magic act made headlines. First Daughter Chen Hsing-yu's angry remark "Which one of you didn't take money from my father?" promptly silenced all criticism from within the DPP. DPP Legislative Caucus leader Ker Chien-ming publicly endorsed her remark, saying "Everything she said was true." Recent disclosures show that Chen Shui-bian did indeed donate a great deal of money to the Green Camp. But Chen Shui-bian also transferred a great deal of money into his own accounts. In the end the money game mired Chen Shui-bian in corruption. The DPP and the Taiwan independence movement were also affected. When they win, they get rich. When they lose, they also get rich. In the end, the DPP's efforts on behalf of Taiwan's democracy, all boiled down to one word, money. How sad.

Taiwan independence elder Huang Kun-hu, who attended the march in a wheelchair, sighed: Chen Shui-bian should not have transferred the money overseas. Indeed, in the eyes of this Taiwan independence elder, Chen Shui-bian's transfer of substantial funds overseas amounted to a betrayal of Taiwan. But the unspoken implication was that if the money had not been transferred overseas, if the money had stayed in Taiwan, then it would have been unnecessary to ask where the money came from. Are elders like Huang Kun-hu the only ones wondering whether their political donations have wound up in A Bian's overseas accounts? Is this the only reason they have finally awoken to the possibility that maybe, just maybe, they were betrayed? Many people still believe Chen Shui-bian's overseas funds constitute a "Taiwan independence treasury." Now how bizarre is that?

Over the past two years, Chen Shui-bian's family has transferred at least 700 million NT overseas, to banks on five different continents, to a dozen different dummy accounts, while paper companies keep the funds on the move. This is an time consuming project. Think about it. Chen Shui-bian faces political chaos, increasingly serious charges leveled against him. He doesn't know how to hide these large sums of money. How much time has he had over the past two years to think about the nation's future?

Democracy, Taiwan independence, and political power make up three sides of a triangle. Chen Shui-bian used money to manipulate this triangle. He also caused them to go down together. As a political star and a power broker, his role was to "vacuum up money." He intercepted then transferred all political donations into his own "reservoir." As Green Camp leader, he fulfilled the role of Sugar Daddy. He opened a spigot to party comrades, providing them with campaign funds, allowing the Green Camp to suckle at the teat. While on the road to Taiwan independence, he could certainly afford to spend money on activities such as the September 16 Support A Bian March, and allow fringe groups to run wild. Chen Shui-bian combined Taiwan independence and democracy with money. The result was a concoction that was twice as powerful.

The democracy movement and the "Great Cause of Taiwan Independence" have always needed large sums of money, Chen Shui-bian on the other hand, uses democracy and Taiwan independence to vacuum up money. Once he has wallowed in corruption, once he has his fill, once he has raked in all the money he can, he relies on money to maintain his exalted position as leader. Chen Shui-bian's greed and corruption have reached the stage where they have angered the gods. Yet the Green Camp still lacks the courage to condemn Chen Shui-bian, and to distance itself from him. It still lacks the courage to disown him. The main reason is what Chen Hsing-yu said: "Which one of you hasn't accepted money from my father?"

This a game of money. The Green Camp is not the only victim. Everyone on Taiwan is a victim. The DPP has lost power, and paid the price. But the public on Taiwan has lost its democracy and its prosperity. It faces a divided nation and lost opportunities. Who is going to compensate them for that?

The simple fact is that Chen Shui-bian has used power to acquire money, then used money to retain power. What is Chen Shui-bian's magic act, but another version of black gold politics?

成也金錢，敗也金錢：陳水扁的金錢戲法
【聯合報╱社論】
2008.09.04 02:54 am

台灣社八三○嗆馬遊行，不少場邊評論譏稱：不曉得陳水扁有沒有捐錢贊助這次活動？答案目前無從知曉，但內幕消息傳出，兩年前的九一六挺扁遊行，主辦的台灣社拿了陳水扁七百萬元。

兩年前的遊行，是為了壓制紅衫軍在凱道夜以繼日集結「反貪倒扁」的氣焰而發動；事隔兩年，人們才知道那原來是陳水扁出錢挺自己。表面上是「民間社團」主辦 的群眾活動，實際上卻是陳水扁自己出錢叫來的戲班子。區區七百萬元的動員，造成「我挺獨 ／你挺貪」的綠營氛圍，幫陳水扁多撐了兩年的場面，真是本小利大。

陳水扁的金錢戲法，成為近日新聞焦點。陳幸妤大罵一句「你們誰沒拿過我爸爸的錢」，民進黨馬上鴉雀無聲；黨團龍頭柯建銘還公開背書稱「她說的都是真的」。 最近揭露的資訊顯示，由陳水扁經手為綠營花的錢真多，且陳水扁自己攢聚和中飽的錢也真多。這場金錢遊戲終使陳水扁陷於貪腐，民進黨與台獨也遭重創。成也金 錢，敗也金錢。民進黨為台灣民主的努力，獨派為建國大業的打拚，最後竟全都栽在一個「錢」字上頭，真是何其可悲！

與此相映照的，是坐著輪椅參加這次遊行的獨派大老黃崑虎的說法，他怨嘆：陳水扁不該把錢匯到國外。的確，在一個台獨大老眼裡，阿扁將大筆資金匯到海外，等 同背叛了台灣。但這類奇特邏輯的言下之意是：錢若沒匯出去，只要錢留在台灣，似乎就可以不問錢的來路。難道只有像黃崑虎那樣長年的金主想到阿扁海外帳戶中 有自己的一份捐獻，才能徹悟阿扁「背叛」的事實？何況，還有不少人將阿扁的匯款諛稱為「台獨金庫」，那更是匪夷所思了。

過去兩年，陳水扁家族將至少七億鉅款在五大洲、十幾個國家的人頭帳戶與紙上公司之間不斷轉匯搬移，這其實是極耗心力的工程；不妨試想：阿扁面對濁亂的政局、步步升高的官司，與不知如何掩藏的大筆贓款，他在最後兩年任期還能有多少心思放在國家大政上？

在民主、台獨和權力的三角關係中，陳水扁利用金錢作了最巧妙的「三合一」操縱，也讓三者同歸腐敗。作為政治明星及當權者，他扮演「吸金機器」的角色，將各 路政治獻金攔堵匯流進自己府邸的「大水庫」中；作為綠營共主，他則扮演「超級金主」的角色，開啟「小閘門」向黨同志分發選舉資金及活動經費，讓綠營上下皆 喝他的奶水；在台獨路上，他當然也花得起舉行「九一六」之類的活動經費，讓周邊團體甘效驅馳。陳水扁將民主與台獨兩味草藥，與金錢的藥引一起煎煮，藥效似 乎加倍有力。

民主運動與台獨大業，原本不免須靠一張金錢大網來維繫及運作。但是，陳水扁卻儼然是靠著民主及台獨在吸金，在中飽，在貪汙；吸足了錢以後，又靠錢來維繫其 至尊無上、呼風喚雨的領導地位。直至今日，陳水扁的貪腐罪行已至人神共憤的地步，綠營竟然仍然不敢「批扁」，仍然不敢「切割」，主要理由竟是陳幸妤所說： 「你們誰沒拿過我爸爸的錢？」

這一場金錢大戲，受害的不只是綠營，而是全台人民。民進黨可推說它已輸掉政權，已經付出了代價；但輸掉了民主和繁榮的台灣人，面對撕裂的國家，及流失的時機，獲得了什麼賠償嗎？

揭開真相，陳水扁的主軸操作，說穿了，也只是「以權弄錢，以錢固權」而已。阿扁的這一齣金錢戲法，豈不是一場另類的黑金政治？