Ah-Bian is Raking Muck, Again

Ah-Bian is Raking Muck, Again
China Times editorial (Taipei, Taiwan, ROC)
A Translation
September 6, 2010

Former President Chen Shui-bian has published yet another book. This time, the "king of muckrakers" has shown a real eye for marketing. He chose October 9, the eve of the 99th October 10 Republic of China National Day to publish his new book. President Ma Ying-jeou will soon be announcing a series of events commemorating the Republic of China Centennial. Former President Chen has chosen to go head to head with President Ma in a contest of political charisma. The timing of the book's release, its title, and even its content, are certain to make Chen the focus of public attention. The title of his new book is "The 1.86 Ping Presidential Office." [Note: 1.86 Ping is approximately 6 Square Meters] Its contents include revelations about Taipei/Beijing/Washington trilateral diplomacy.

It makes no difference how long has been out of office. It makes no difference where he has ended up. Chen Shui-bian always has a knack for making himself the center of attention. Actually, Chen longs not merely to be the center of attention. Chen longs for genuine political influence. At the beginning of the five cities elections, Chen Shui-bian, a guest of the Taipei Detention Center, was nevertheless eager to mastermind the DPP's nomination process and election strategy. When the "Chen Shui-bian card" proved ineffective, former President Chen, ever the realist, acknowledged his defeat at the hands of DPP Chairman Tsai Ing-wen, and praised her as a "brilliant chairman." But Chen Shui-bian remains convinced that his ongoing detention was a key contributor to the DPP's recent string of electoral victories. No matter how much the outside world may change, within his 1.86 Ping jail cell, Chen Shui-bian still believes he can manipulate the strategic political scene. In one sense, he does enjoy greater freedom than he did while he occupied the real presidential palace. He can say all sorts of things the president dare not say and should not say. Within his 1.86 Ping jail cell, Chen Shui-bian is now free of all taboos.

Chen Shui-bian's chief counsel Chen Song-shan said that Chen Shui-bian's book contains over 10,000 words of information never before made public. They include secrets pertaining to the triangular relationship between Taipei, Beijing, and Washington, cross-Strait relations, military relations, and foreign affairs. Chen Sung-shan said the contents were explosive. As an ex-president, Chen Shui-bian of course had many opportunities to hear and even make decisions pertinent to the Republic of China's diplomatic interests, national security interests, and national defense interests. He may be an ex-president, but many of these matters remain highly sensitive. Therefore he must exercise prudence before making them public.

Every time Chen Shui-bian engaged in muckraking, he gained media attention. Maybe that is why he became an obsessive muckraker. Some TV pundits are the same way. So are some participants in the ongoing "Life in the Cram Schools" sex scandals. Like Chen Shui-bian, the more they are offered a public forum, the more addicted they become to their notoriety. Chen Shui-bian's retirement office has announced the number of books Chen has sold since his detention. His first book, "Taiwan's Cross," which is now in its sixth printing, sold 47,000 copies. His second book, "Voice that Cannot be Imprisoned," whic is now in its second printing, sold 30 000 copies. His third book, "The 1.86 Ping Presidential Office," has yet to be published. Because of its explosive content, it is likely to become a bestseller. Based on the number of books he has published, the amount of attention they have attracted, and the volume of book sales, Chen Shui-bian must be considered a best-selling author. The book market is in a downturn. Even books authored by powerful and influential people do not always sell. Whether Chen Shui-bian has any writing ability, we leave to others. But his ability to generate controversy is undeniable. Ah-Bian's skills as a muckraker and rabble-rouser cannot be denied.

When Chen rakes muck, he does not discriminate. Everyone and everything is fair game. In his "Voice that Cannot Be Imprisoned," he revealed that his daughter Chen Hsing-yu was a victim of infidelity. The couple was married for nearly a decade. They had three sons. They lived through the Taiwan Development Corporation Scandal, and Chen Hsing-yu's public denunciation of her father in law. Chen Hsing-yu's marriage to Chao Chien-ming may need to be nursed back to health. Chen Hsing-yu has long detested media harassment and media coverage. Chen Shui-bian's daughter and her ex-boyfriend have long since married other people. They are no longer in contact, and neither have made public their past affairs. Why Chen Shui-bian chose to write such an expose so many years later, leaves many people bewildered. These were private matters that affected only the Chen family. Even a compulsive muckraker who made public such secrets, would embarrass only his own family and a few private individuals. He would have little impact on the national interest. Chen Shui-bian might have a big mouth. But as long as his exposes are confined to private matters, the rest of us need not be concerned.

But if as Chen's retirement office said, Chen Shui-bian's third book will be a major expose of the Republic of China's national defense secrets and diplomatic secrets, then the matter cannot be taken lightly. The Republic of China has more than its share of diplomatic problems. Cross-Strait relations are strewn with mines. As a former president, Chen Shui-bian cannot be unaware of this. Many things may be done covertly, may not be mentioned overtly. If they are, it will ring disaster down on the Republic of China. Chen Shui-bian said many things he should not have, merely because he was running for office, or because he liked showing off. Officially, Chen was in a sensitive situation. Diplomatically, the Republic of China was in a difficult dilemma. His loud-mouthed behavior negatively impacted the nation. The United States responded bluntly, even insultingly. Chen Shui-bian may have responded by merely "wiping the spit off his face." But frankly, seeing one's president treated in this manner by his counterparts, made many on Taiwan very uncomfortable.

Chen may be attempting to promote book sales. He may be attempting to lash out at his political opponents. But before former president Chen blurts out national security secrets, we urge him and his publishers to think twice. Shooting off his mouth will not merely humiliate Chen Shui-bian and the public on Taiwan. Loose lips could inflict grievous harm on the Taiwan Chen Shui-bian purports to love so dearly.

中時電子報 新聞
中國時報 　2010.09.06
爆料扁又要出書 可別中傷台灣
本報訊

前總統陳水扁又要出書了！爆料天王這次非常有行銷眼光，將選在十月九日、也就是十月十日中華民國九十九歲生日的前一天出版新書。不但在時間上，阿扁總統會跟屆時將宣布建國一百年系列活動的馬英九總統來個總統魅力大車拚，連書名和內容，陳水扁都肯定能夠吸引到所有的目光，因為他的新書叫做《一.八六坪的總統府》，內容則將大爆台中美三邊的外交秘辛。真的夠嗆吧！

不管卸任多久，也不管身在何處，陳水扁總有辦法讓自己成為鎂光燈的焦點，不只是焦點，阿扁要的其實是實質的影響力。五都大戰剛開始時，人在北所的陳水扁依然渴望對民進黨的提名人選與選戰策略下指導棋；「阿扁牌」失靈後，陳前總統識時務地向民進黨黨主席蔡英文輸誠，讚美一聲「主席英明」；但陳水扁至今仍認為自己被收押是民進黨此次選情一路長紅的關鍵性因素。不論外面的世界變化多少，在北所一.八六坪的空間裡，陳水扁當然可以繼續活在他對大局仍有影響的想像中，所以他把一.八六坪的收押空間當做總統府；然而，從某個角度來看，其實這裡可能比真正的總統府還擁有更多自由的滋味。例如，很多總統不敢說不該說的話，陳水扁在這一.八六坪裡百無禁忌。

陳水扁透過扁辦主任陳淞山表示，新書有一萬多字是從來沒有對外公開的資料，內容包括台美中三角關係、兩岸互動與軍事外交等，陳淞山說內容具有爆炸性。曾經身為總統，陳水扁當然有機會與聞、甚至決定很多事關台灣權益與國家安全的外交、國防事務，雖然他已是卸任總統，但這些事是不是已過了最敏感的時間、可以對外公開，仍須謹慎以對。

或許是因為每次陳水扁爆料總能讓他大受外界矚目，讓他成了一個爆料狂，就像電視上一些大嫂團或者人夫團成員、甚至最近熱鬧演不完的「補教人生系列」一樣，陳水扁愈講愈上癮了。扁辦曾統計陳水扁被羈押後所出版書的銷售量：第一本書《台灣的十字架》，共印了六刷、四萬七千本；第二本書《關不住的聲音》印了兩刷、共三萬本；而即將出版的第三本書《一.八六坪的總統府》因內容爆炸，預估也很可能會成為暢銷書。以書籍的印量、引發的關注度與銷售量來看，陳水扁無疑已是暢銷作家；如今，書市不景氣，即使是位高權重者寫的書，讀者也不一定捧場，阿扁的文采如何，外界自有公評，但他的著作之所以總是能夠創造話題，不可諱言，靠著爆料扁與造勢扁雙管齊下，功不可沒。

陳水扁爆料向來葷素不忌，他曾在《關不住的聲音》裡談到女兒陳幸妤當年的情傷事件，大爆女兒被人劈腿。結婚近十年、生了三個兒子又經過「台開案」與「街頭飆罵公公」事件後，陳幸妤跟趙建銘的婚姻或許需要更多調養空間，況且陳幸妤向來非常厭惡媒體追蹤、報導，身為父親的陳水扁為什麼要在事隔多年、女兒與前男友都早已女嫁男婚、各不往來後，公開往事，的確讓很多人不解。然而，無論如何，這些畢竟都是扁家的家務事，就算他有「曝露狂」也只是讓家人或者一些當事人難堪、難受而已，對公共、國家利益沒有太多影響，因此就算陳水扁個人有某種大嘴巴習慣，別人也沒輒。

然而，如果真如扁辦所言，陳水扁的第三本書將會大爆台灣國防、外交的料，那就不能等閒視之。台灣外交困難重重，兩岸關係處處敏感，曾經身為總統的陳水扁不可能不知道，很多事能做不能說，說了會給台灣帶來不利甚至傷害；過去，陳水扁的確有因為選舉或者愛秀等，說出一些不該說的話，以致於對某些身分敏感的人和台灣的處境造成不良影響的紀錄；他也曾因為多話，被美國相關人員予以直接且甚至近似斥責的回應，雖然當時陳水扁選擇唾面自乾，但說實在話，看到自己的總統被他國如此對應，很多台灣人的心裡實在很不舒服。

無論是為了打書還是打擊政敵，如要大爆國安秘辛，還請陳前總統及出版單位三思─這種大嘴巴的結果可能並不只是讓陳水扁自己或者台灣人覺得丟臉而已，因為，如果發言不慎，可能傷及他口口聲聲最愛的台灣。