Biological Mother and Wet Nurse: Chen Chih-chung's "Ballots for Justice"

Biological Mother and Wet Nurse: Chen Chih-chung's "Ballots for Justice"
United Daily News editorial (Taipei, Taiwan, ROC)
A Translation
November 24, 2010

Executive Summary: Those who have pinned their hopes on Tsai and Su, hoping they will "transcend" Deep Green dogma, are certain to have their hopes dashed. Unless one can change the DPP's Deep Green nature, all such hopes will be in vain. The Deep Greens will vote for Chen Chih-chung. Needless to say they will also vote for Chen Chu, Su Tseng-chang and Tsai Ing-wen.

Full Text below:

The truth in the Chen Chi-chung prostitute solicitation scandal has emerged. Paradoxically Chen Chih-chung's election prospects have been given a huge boost. Democratic Progressive Party candidates in the same voting district are hurting, and have declared an emergency. Even Frank Hsieh, who has been stumping for Chen Chih-chung, is worried that "the votes may be too concentrated."

How should one interpret this apparently incomprehensible phenomenon? Some think this is merely the reaction of Deep Green voters, and lacks larger significance. Such a view involves a serious and long-standing misconception. It assumes that Deep Greens are merely a "minority," merely a "tail wagging the dog." In fact, Deep Greens are not a minority. They are a voting block constituting roughly 20% of the public. They advocate Taiwan independence and indiscriminately oppose Pan Blue administration policy. DPP core supporters constitute roughly 40% of the public. Deep Greens constitute about half of that 40%. Deep Greens are no minority. More importantly, as this newspaper noted on the 13th, Deep Greens may not command an absolute majority within the Green Camp, but neither are they "merely a tail." They constitute its hard core, its main body. Chen Chih-chung is not the only one seeking to survive by appealing to the Deep Greens. So are Chu Chen, Tsai Ing-wen, and Su Tseng-chang. None of them can turn their backs on the Deep Greens and expect to survive, That's because the Deep Greens are the mother of the Green Camp and the DPP. They are the source of Green Camp nourishment.

The simple fact remains that Deep Greens in the Xiaogang District and Qiancheng District will be casting their ballots for Chen Chih-chung. They will also be casting ballots for Chen Chu. That is why Chen Chu stumped for Chen Chih-chung. Similarly, Deep Greens in Kaohsiung will be casting their ballots for Chen Chih-chung. Deep Greens in Taipei will be casting their ballots for Su Tseng-chang. Deep Greens in Xinbei City will be casting their ballots for Tsai Ing-wen. What this political paradox means is that in the eyes of Deep Green DPP supporters, Chen Chih-chung is no different from Su or Tsai. Conversely, Tsai, Su, and Chen Chih-chung must acknowledge the Deep Greens as their biological mother, and their primary source of political support.

Chen Chih-chung, Chen Chu, Tsai Ing-wen, and Su Tseng-chang are the same. All consider the Deep Greens their biological mother. Where Chen Chih-chung differs from the others, is that he has suckled only at the teat of his Deep Green biological mother. The others have also suckled at the teat of swing voters. As a result, several generations of "swing voter wet nurses" have nursed these politicians in their Deep Green biological mother's stead. The result has been several generations of genetically and indelibly Green politicians. The bizarre spectacle of politicians jointly raised by their biological mothers and their wet nurses is nothing new. These politicians did not make their debut during this year's five cities elections. If we think back, we realize this is an old story. The actors may change, but the script remains the same.

The Deep Greens are the biological mother. The biological mother backs Chen Shui-bian, Chen Chih-chung, and Cheng Hung-yi. Therefore no DPP politician can distance himself from Chen Shui-bian, Chen Chih-chung, or Cheng Hung-yi. No DPP politician can "transform himself" or "transcend Deep Green dogma." No DPP politician can extricate the Democratic Progressive Party or Taiwan from Deep Green quicksand. That is because the Deep Greens are their biological mother. They are the main body, not the tail.

This is the source of political deadlock on Taiwan. Generation upon generation of "swing voter wet nurses" have nursed liberal reformers within the DPP, in the hope that they would "transform" themselves or "transcend Deep Green dogma," that they would extricate the DPP and Taiwan from Deep Green quicksand. But a wet nurse is merely a wet nurse. Who is willing to be an unfilial son and defy his biological mother? Therefore swing voters are merely icing on the Deep Green cake. Just as wet nurses are merely icing on the biological mother cake.

Everyone says the DPP is adept at electioneering. What they really mean is that it is adept at manipulating its biological mother and its wet nurse. The ongoing five cities elections show that the Deep Green biological mother is willing turn a blind eye to Chen Shui-bian's corruption, to Chen Chih-chung's solicitation of prostitutes, and to Cheng Hung-yi's repeated uttering of "F**k Your Mother!" As a result, Tsai and Su are playing the "new happiness" and "transcendence" cards. They have no qualms about acting coquettishly toward their wet nurse. Their biological mother nurses them unconditionally. Their wet nurse nurses them in the hope they will turn over a new leaf. In the end however, they merely wind up nurturing yet another generation of Deep Green politicians.

This "biological mother plus wet nurse" campaign strategy helped make Chen Shui-bian. Remember his "New Centrist Path?" It will also help make Tsai Ing-wen, Su Tseng-chang, and Chen Chu. Consider their recent "pink themed" makeovers, and their electric light versions of the Third Lotus Prince. Every generation of DPP politician trots out his own "centrist path." Every generation of "swing voter" reenacts the role of long-suffering wet nurse. But as long as the DPP's biological mother remains the Deep Greens, every generation of DPP politician will merely be another Chen Shui-bian or Chen Chu. They might not engage in corruption. They might not solicit prostitutes. But they will invariably march toward the same political dead end. They will invariably attempt to divide society and provoke hatred between Taiwan and the Mainland. Why? Because of the support they receive from their biological mother and wet nurse. Their biological mother and their wet nurse have fundamentally different expectations regarding good and evil and right and wrong. These differences in expectations allow them to manipulate their supporters. During a crisis of authority, they can always seek refuge in their biological mother's arms. Lee Teng-hui and Chen Shui-bian have both done precisely this. The farther they proceed, the deeper they descend. The farther they proceed, the lower they sink. Not one of their successors has been able to escape this fate.

As a result, those who have pinned their hopes on Tsai and Su, hoping they will "transcend Deep Green dogma," will have their hopes dashed. Unless one can change the DPP's Deep Green nature, all such hopes will be in vain. The Deep Greens will vote for Chen Chih-chung. Needless to say they will also vote for Chen Chu, Su Tseng-chang and Tsai Ing-wen.

親娘與奶媽：陳致中用選票討公道
【聯合報╱社論】 2010.11.24

召妓案真相呈現，陳致中的選情逆勢大漲；同選區的民進黨候選人「皮皮剉」紛紛告急，連輔選者謝長廷也憂慮陳致中將使「選票太集中」。

如何解讀這個似乎難以理解的現象？有人認為這只是「深綠」選民的反應，沒有「全局意義」。這種觀點其實是長期存在的重大誤解，認為「深綠」只是「少數」，只是「尾巴搖狗」；但實際的情勢卻是，「深綠」未必是「少數」，而是一個在所有民調中大約佔了公民總數百分之二十上下的板塊（如主張台獨，為反對而反對），亦即約佔民進黨「基本盤」（總公民數四成許）的五成上下，這絕非「少數」。更重要的是，正如本報十三日社論所言，「深綠」即使不是綠營的「絕大多數」，也絕非「尾巴」，而是最核心最紮實的「主體」。不但陳致中要在「深綠」尋求生路，陳菊、蔡英文、蘇貞昌等也無可能背叛「深綠」而存活，因為「深綠」是綠營與民進黨的母親，是綠營乳汁的根源。

簡單明白的事實是：在小港區、前鎮區的「深綠」投票給陳致中，但他們也投票給陳菊（所以陳菊為陳致中站台）；同理，在高雄的深綠投票給陳致中，在台北市的深綠則投票給蘇貞昌，在新北市的深綠投票給蔡英文。此一政治吊詭顯現的意義是：在民進黨的主體深綠眼中，陳致中與蘇蔡無異；反過來說，對蔡蘇及陳致中而言，則皆必須以深綠親娘為主要的政治乳汁根源。

陳致中與陳菊、蔡英文與蘇貞昌都是一樣的，皆是以深綠為親娘；陳致中與其他三人不一樣處，是陳致中只能喝到深綠親娘的奶，但其他三人則也有機會找到「中間選民」為奶媽。結果是，一代又一代「中間選民奶媽」代「深綠親娘」授乳，養出幾代繼承綠色基因、不改綠色本色的政治風雲人物。這種「親娘／奶媽」共育的奇觀，不是只在今年五都大選出現；回頭想一想，這其實已是二十年來不斷只換主角不換劇本的陳年戲碼。

深綠是親娘，親娘挺陳水扁、陳致中及鄭弘儀；所以，任何民進黨的政治領袖，即不可能與陳水扁、陳致中及鄭弘儀切割，不可能「轉型」、「超越」，不可能將民進黨及台灣救出泥淖。因為，深綠是親娘、是主體，不是尾巴。

這是台灣政治的死結。一代一代的「中間選民奶媽」，授乳給民進黨的開明改革人士，希望他們能「轉型」、「超越」，將民進黨及台灣救出泥淖；但是，奶媽畢竟只是奶媽，誰敢成為忤逆親娘家訓的不肖子？因此，「中間選民」只是「深綠」的錦上添花，正如奶媽只是「親娘」的錦上添花。

眾人皆曰民進黨很會選舉，其實就是指極擅「親娘／奶媽」的操作。此次五都選舉顯示，深綠親娘已經綠到連陳水扁貪瀆、陳致中召妓，及鄭弘儀「幹Ｘ娘」也力挺到底的地步；所以打著「新幸福」及「超越」口號的蔡蘇等人，即可毫無後顧之憂地全力向「奶媽」討好撒嬌。親娘無怨無悔的乳汁，加上奶媽心存憧憬的奶水，即可哺育新一代的綠營領袖。

這種「親娘加奶媽」的戰略，造就了陳水扁（還記得新中間路線嗎？）；也能造就蔡英文、蘇貞昌及陳菊（粉紅臉譜加電音三太子）。每一代民進黨政治人物都有不同的「中間路線」，每一代「中間選民」也願扮演大悲大慈的奶媽。但是，只要深綠仍是民進黨的親娘與主體，每一代民進黨的政治領袖都會變成另一個「陳水扁」或「陳致中」，這未必是指他們會貪污或召妓，但他們一定也會走上撕裂社會、挑撥兩岸的死路上去。因為，他們所獲得的社會支持分別來自「親娘／奶媽」，而親娘的家訓與奶媽的期許根本上卻正邪是非迥然不同，終將使他們在「分裂的支持」與「分裂的期許」中左支右絀，最後在權力危機中倒回親娘的懷抱。李登輝、陳水扁皆是如此，愈走愈下坡、愈沉淪，後繼者亦無人能超脫此種宿命。

因而，僅寄望蔡蘇等人能「超越」民進黨者，勢必希望落空。如果不能改變民進黨的「深綠」本性、本質與本體，一切均屬枉然。深綠投票給陳致中，難道他們不投票給陳菊、蘇貞昌及蔡英文？