Is Tsai Ing-wen "People with Money?" Is Chang Rong-fa "People of Taiwan?"

Is Tsai Ing-wen "People with Money?" Is Chang Rong-fa "People of Taiwan?"
United Daily News editorial (Taipei, Taiwan, ROC)
A Translation
January 4, 2011

Summary: After a number of business leaders openly endorsed Ma Ying-jeou, Tsai Ing-wen said: The people behind President Ma are all "people with money." The people behind Tsai Ing-wen, on the other hand, are "the people of Taiwan." Tsai was attempting to incite both "ethnic" conflict and class conflict. She was attempting to set "people with money" and "people without money" at each other's throats. She was attempting to set "the people of Taiwan" and "people not of Taiwan" at each others' throats.

Full Text Below:

After a number of business leaders openly endorsed Ma Ying-jeou, Tsai Ing-wen said: The people behind President Ma are all "people with money." The people behind Tsai Ing-wen, on the other hand, are "the people of Taiwan."

Tsai was attempting to incite both "ethnic" conflict and class conflict. She was attempting to set "people with money" and "people without money" at each other's throats. She was attempting to set "the people of Taiwan" and "people not of Taiwan" at each others' throats. Tsai even racheted up her demagoguery. Tsai Ing-wen's rhetoric was a case of "two for the price of one." She insinuated that "people with money" are not "people of Taiwan." She insinuated that "the people of Taiwan" are "people without money." She insinuateed that "people with money" only know how to curry favor with the president, and are indifferent to "people without money."

Tsai Ing-wen's demagoguery reminds us of her very first tv ad: "I am Tsai Ing-wen, I am Taiwanese!" That was the opening shot in a campaign to demagogue "ethnic" identity. Now Tsai Ing-wen's rhetoric is "two for the price of one." The public however would like to ask Tsai Ing-wen a question: Are you yourself "people with money," or "people without money?"

Tsai Ing-wen is the pampered princess of a wealthy family. Of course she is "people with money." Of course she is "Taiwanese." Therefore Tsai Ing-wen herself has shown that "Taiwanese" can also be "people with money." How many "people with money" on Taiwan, are "not people of Taiwan?" Why is Tsai Ing-wen stooping to such sleazy rhetoric? Why is she pitting those "people with money" who support Ma Ying-jeou's  political and economic views against "Taiwanese?"

Given Tsai Ing-wen's "two for the price of one" rhetoric, we may wish to examine the long-standing relationship between political leaders and business tycoons. Chiang Ching-kuo dedicated his life to establishing a framework within which free enterprise could thrive. But he scrupulously avoided cultivating personal relationships with business leaders. Under Lee Teng-hui, all that changed. Lee was very chummy indeed with business people. Evergreen's Chang Rong-fa, Chi Mei's Hsu Wen-lung, and Yi Mei's Kao Chi-shang all publicly supported Lee. By the time Chen Shui-bian came to power, wealthy businessmen were driving up to Chen Shui-bian's Official Residence and delivering up cardboard boxes stuffed with cash. Under Ma Ying-jeou, the relationship between government officials and business leaders reverted to the way it was under Chiang Ching-kuo. Ma srcupulously avoided private contacts with business people. He became even warier of such contacts after taking flak for dining with Fubon Bank officials.

Ma's interaction with business leaders is limited to shared political and economic convictions regarding how to bolster the nation's economy. Ma's interaction with business leaders is as different from Chen Shui-bian's as night and day. Just listen to the entrepreneurs who have endorsed Ma Ying-jeou. They all offer the same reason for endorsing Ma: he is squeaky clean. The entrepreneurs who supported Chen Shui-bian and the DPP could never say that about their candidate.

Tsai Ing-wen says the people behind President Ma are all "people with money." Her implication is that the Ma administration is guilty of government business collusion. This accusation is unfair, not just to Ma Ying-jeou, but to the entrepreneurs Tsai has contemptuously labeled "ma you you" (a play on the name of famed cellist Yo-Yo Ma, meaning "friends of Ma"). Did they endorse Ma out of greed? Are they seeking backroom deals? Or did they endorse Ma simply because they fear for Taiwan and its people? The public knows they are far more concerned about saving Taiwan than they are about backing Ma Ying-jeou. Does Tsai Ing-wen really have no qualms about pitting "people with money" against "the people of Taiwan?"

When it comes to relations between government officials and business leaders, Ma Ying-jeou is the cleanest, most honest president since the lifting of martial law. He has virtually no private contacts with business leaders. This year is the first time since direct presidential elections were instituted that industry and business leaders have endorsed candidates so openly. Their shared motive for endorsing Ma is summed up in the newspaper ad posted by Ruentex Industries chief Yin Yan-liang: "Taiwan needs an open and stable policy environment. Taiwan can not afford stagnation and uncertainty in cross-Strait relations."

Evergreen's Chang Rong-fa was once a generous benefactor to Lee Teng-hui and Chen Shui-bian. This is common knowledge. But Chang Rong-fa now says "Ma Ying-jeou has his shortcomings. But he is a leader with personal integrity who can be trusted." Such views cannot be dismissed as merely the views of "people with money." Such views reflect the views of "the people of Taiwan."

Every society has a pyramidal rich to poor hierarchy. Large corporations boast tens of thousands of employees. SMEs proliferate in the middle and lower reaches of the production chain. Any disturbance can easily increase or decrease GDP growth one to two percent. These employees, who number in the millions, are breadwinners for entire families. These business leaders are not merely seeking conditions favorable for themselves. They also speak for pineapple cake and night market vendors. Tsai Ing-wen has demonized these "people with money." She has depicted them as enemies of "the people of Taiwan." She has depicted them as enemies of "people without money."

Tsai Chieh-sheng, Tsai Ing-wen's father, started out as an auto repairman. He is a perfect example of how "people without money" in the Republic of China became "people with money" over the past 60 years. He is a perfect example of how Tsai Ing-wen became a "Taiwanese person with money." Why is Tsai classifying "people with money" who do not share her political and economic views as "not Taiwanese?" After all, Ma Ying-jeou is a presidential candidate who enjoys the support of approximately half the electorate. The vast majority of his supporters are not "people with money." Tsai Ing-wen cannot characterize any of them as "not Taiwanese."

It is normal for people to hold different political and economic views in a democratic society. But it is not normal to stoop to sleazy demagoguery. It is not normal to incite "ethnic" and class hatred. Tsai Ing-wen is "people with money." She is also "Taiwanese." But isn't Chang Rong-fa? Isn't Wang Wen-yuan? Isn't Yan Kai-tai? Aren't Bruce Cheng and Terry Gou?

Tsai Ing-wen, if you are elected president, which of these "people with money" will you denounce as "not Taiwanese?"

蔡英文是否有錢人？張榮發是否台灣人？
【聯合報╱社論】 2012.01.04

多名企業領袖相繼公開挺馬之後，蔡英文說：站在馬總統後面的都是有錢人，站在我蔡英文後面的是台灣人。

這是極不入流的族群及階級操作。階級操作，是把「有錢人」和「無錢人」對立起來；族群操作則是將「台灣人」與「非台灣人」對立起來。變本加厲的是，在蔡英文的此次「雙料操作」中，她要暗示的是：「有錢人」不是「台灣人」，「台灣人」都是「無錢人」；「有錢人」只會巴結總統，不知顧惜台灣的「無錢人」。

這樣的操作，令人想起了蔡英文的首支電視廣告說：「我是蔡英文，我是台灣人！」這是族群操作的起身砲；然而，如今又見蔡英文的「雙料操作」，國人可不可以問：蔡英文，妳是有錢人，還是無錢人？

蔡英文是富家千金，當然是有錢人；但蔡英文也當然是台灣人。由此可見，至少在蔡英文這個例子上，「台灣人」也可以是「有錢人」，而「有錢人」又誰不是「台灣人」？然而，為何蔡英文竟要如此不入流地將支持馬英九政經觀點的「有錢人」，與所謂的「台灣人」對立起來？

從蔡英文的「雙料操作」，不妨檢視歷來政治領袖與企業鉅子的關係。蔣經國一生為企業創造經營環境，但他與企業領袖幾無私交；李登輝與企業人物的往來密切，長榮張榮發、奇美許文龍、義美高志尚等皆曾公開力挺；至陳水扁時代，富商巨賈更是裝滿整車整箱的現鈔絡繹不絕地運往玉山官邸。到了馬英九，則從未聞他和企業人士的私密接觸；與富邦吃了幾餐飯被叮到滿頭包後，他更是高壘深溝，避之若浼。

大體而言，馬與企業領袖的互動，皆因政經觀點相同而相互拉抬國家經濟大局，此與陳水扁時代的政商勾結、狗苟蠅營，大相逕庭；只要看每一位出面力挺馬英九的企業家，第一個理由就指馬「清廉」，這就是當年挺扁挺民進黨的企業家絕對說不出口的理由。

蔡英文指馬英九背後站的都是有錢人，不外就是在暗示官商勾結、狗苟蠅營那回事。但這種說法，非但對馬英九不公平，也是對那些她口中的「馬友友」企業家的人格汙辱，難道他們挺馬，是因貪求私相授受，而不是為了台灣經濟全局與國家前途而為全民請命？任人皆知，他們救台灣的用心其實比挺馬更殷切，蔡英文何忍將這些「有錢人」與「台灣人」對立起來？

馬英九可謂是戒嚴後與企業領袖關係最清白廉潔的總統，彼此大多無私交密往；但今年卻也是歷屆總統直選中，工商領袖公開表態最踴躍的一次，他們共同的理由大致如潤泰尹衍樑在報上登的挺馬廣告所說：「台灣需要一個開放穩定的政策環境，……台灣不能再承受兩岸關係的停滯與不確定。」

例如，長榮張榮發過去挺李、挺扁是人所共知的；但如今張榮發卻說：「馬英九難免有缺點，卻是人格可信任的領導人。」這樣的觀點不能只視之為「有錢人」的觀點，自然也是反映了「台灣人」的信念。

當然，就經濟面看，任何社會皆呈貧富差異的金字塔狀；但現今每一個大企業，動輒均有數萬員工，中下游的中小企業更是瓜瓞綿延，動輒可牽動零點幾至一、二個ＧＤＰ的消長；而這些數以百萬計的員工，每一位都是一個家庭的經濟支撐；何況，這些企業領袖，不止為工商業力爭良好的政策環境，他們也為賣鳳梨酥者及六合夜市的攤商發言。這類的「有錢人」卻被蔡英文操作成與「台灣人」及「無錢人」站在對立面。

蔡英文的父親蔡潔生，是從修車工人起家，見證了中華民國六十餘年來「有錢人」與「無錢人」的流變；因而，蔡英文自己今天成了「有錢的台灣人」，卻何必將所有只因與其政經政見相左的其他「有錢人」打成「非台灣人」；何況，馬英九至少亦是擁有約半數選票支持的總統候選人，那些挺馬者絕大多數皆不是「有錢人」，但沒有一個可以被蔡英文斥以「不是台灣人」。

政經見解不同，是民主社會的常態，但不可玩弄成不入流的族群操作及階級操作。蔡英文是有錢人，也同時是台灣人；但難道張榮發不是？王文淵不是？嚴凱泰不是？鄭崇華、郭台銘不是？

請問蔡英文：若當選總統，妳能把這些「有錢人」哪一個不當成「台灣人」？