Does Everyone Have Multiple Personality Disorder?

Does Everyone Have Multiple Personality Disorder?
China Times editorial (Taipei, Taiwan, ROC)
A Translation
May 23, 2012

Summary: Opposition parties have a duty to oversee the government. But while overseeing others, one also has a duty to be logically consistent. One may not oppose everything indiscriminately. One may not contradict oneself from one day to the next. Think back to US beef imports, ECFA, gasoline and electricity rate hikes, and capital gains taxes. The DPP has opposed everything from beginning to end. It has pointed the finger at others, while remaining blind to the contradictions in its own position. The DPP has "Multiple Personality Disorder."

Full Text below:

Opposition parties have a duty to oversee the government. But while overseeing others, one also has a duty to be logically consistent. One may not oppose everything indiscriminately. One may not contradict oneself from one day to the next. Think back to US beef imports, ECFA, gasoline and electricity rate hikes, and capital gains taxes. The DPP has opposed everything from beginning to end. It has pointed the finger at others, while remaining blind to the contradictions in its own position. The DPP has "Multiple Personality Disorder."

Take ECFA and FTAs. On the one hand, the DPP condemns ECFA. It argues that ECFA is not as effective as the Ma administration says it is. On the other hand, it advocates FTAs with the US and Europe. But ECFA is an FTA. It may not be as effective as initially anticipated. But one thing we can be sure of. Without ECFA Taiwan's economic and industrial plight would be far worse.

It gets worse. On the one hand the DPP condemns the Ma administration's Mainland policy, saying it "panders to [Mainland] China." It claims this makes Taiwan's trade and economy dependent upon the Mainland. It obdurately opposes US beef imports. It has launched several "sneak attacks" in the Legislative Yuan. It has demanded the passage of a "Zero Clenbuterol Act" that would destroy Taipei/Washington relations. The ruling and opposition parties both know that permitting U.S. beef imports is the policy issue with the biggest impact on current and future Taipei/Washington relations. Washington no longer drops hints about the importance of US beef imports to Taipei/Washington relations. Washington shouts it, loud and clear. U.S. beef imports affects Taipei/Washington relations, It also affects TIFA (Trade and Investment Framework Agreement). US beef imports will determine whether consultations between Taipei and Washington resume.

Washington has made the situation crystal clear. Yet the DPP continues to use "national health" as its pretext for continued opposition to U.S. beef imports. Taiwan desperately needs a solution to its economic and trade problems. But the DPP has none. Taiwan's largest exporter is the Chinese Mainland, The DPP is alarmed about that. It opposes expanded cross-Strait economic and trade relations, cross-strait investment, Mainland investments on Taiwan, or Taiwan investments on the Mainland, It oppose every one of them. But Taiwan has another important trading partner, the US. The US is Taiwan's second largest exporter. The DPP yammers on about how the government must expedite an FTA between Taipei and Washington, even as it mulishly opposes US beef imports. As a result Taipei and Washington cannot even sign TIFA, which is not even an FTA.

The DPP condemns the government's gasoline and electricity price hikes. Hsu Hsing-liang, currently a candidate for DPP chairman, has even staged a hunger strike. But has the DPP forgotten its anti-nuclear stance? Has it forgotten its vision of a nuclear-free homeland? To achieve a nuclear-free homeland, one must first increase the percentage of renewable energy. One must then improve energy efficiency and reduce electricity demand. These goals require higher, more reasonable gasoline and electricity prices. The government must not artificially depress gasoline and electricity prices. It must not bleed red ink in order to provide subsidies. Artificially low gasoline and electricity prices inevitably lead to wasteful use of resources. They make it impossible for higher priced renewable energy to survive and prosper.

The opposition DPP has also accused the government of borrowing too much. The national debt has reached new heights. Meanwhile, the price of gasoline and electricity are kept artificially low. That means each year the government spends hundreds of billions of dollars subsidizing gasoline and electricity. Doesn't this increase the government's fiscal burden? Is the DPP really oblivious to its own contradictions?

Now take the capital gains tax. During the presidential election the DPP called for a "fair and just society." But tax experts and citizen's groups have stressed that the capital gains tax is the first step to social equality. But where does the DPP stand? The DPP does not dare openly oppose the capital gains tax. But while criticizing the Ma administration, it stresses that shareholders would lose money. When the DPP held its "Condemn Ma Protest March," one group demanded "fairness." Why is the DPP so evasive about the capital gains tax, even when launching sneak attacks in opposition? Just how is it championing equality?

Actually, the DPP is not alone. Society as a whole is this way, Everyone ignores the cost of reform. But as the saying goes, "There ain't no such thing as a free lunch." Do the opposition DPP and the public truly object to the widening gap between rich and poor? Do they truly object to social injustice? Do they truly demand reform? If they do, the capital gains tax and even the real estate tax are essential. Just know that if one promotes them, one must be willing to bear the cost -- lower short-term stock prices.

Do the opposition DPP and the public truly appreciate Taiwan's loss of economic and trade competitiveness and the widening gap between Taiwan and South Korea? If they do, we must sign FTAs with other nations as soon as possible. Only then can we reverse our decline. Everyone must understand that negotiating FTAs is a give and take proposition. If we want the other side to open its markets and lower its tariffs, we must make the same concessions. That is why when Korea signed an FTA with the United States, Back home protests erupted everywhere. Disturbances broke out in the legislature. Given the political atmosphere and the posture adopted by the opposition DPP, we can take but not give. Where in the world can one find international negotiations like these? The business community has repeatedly urged accelerated follow-up negotiations over ECFA, One reason is our representatives are authorized only to take, not to give. They are afraid to be scolded upon their return, Naturally negotiations like this are bound to run aground. Beijing's FTA with Seoul will be finalized. Follow-up negotiations on ECFA will remain incomplete. Taiwan will watch as it loses everything.

In today's world there are two typical extremes. In Greece, political rivalry, partisan bickering, and populism overshadowed professionalism. What was the result? Just look at Greece's political and economic fate. South Korea had internal quarrels. But at least the government and the public kept moving ahead. As a result the economy and industry continued to grow. It grew so much Taipei, Beijing, and Tokyo now hope to join forces against it. The lesson is staring us in the face. The opposition DPP and the public have some serious soul-searching to do.
   
中時電子報 新聞
中國時報 　2012.05.23
社論－大家都「人格分裂」了嗎？
本報訊

    　在野黨以監督政府為天職，但在監督的同時，自己也要有一貫的邏輯、理念與立場，而不是凡事反對卻又自相矛盾。從美牛案、ＥＣＦＡ、油電政策、再到證所稅，我們卻看到民進黨一路反對、指責，但卻未察覺本身理念、立場的矛盾與「人格分裂」。

    　以ＥＣＦＡ與ＦＴＡ而言，我們看到民進黨一方面反對、指責ＥＣＦＡ，說ＥＣＦＡ的成效不如馬政府當年說的好；另一方面又要政府趕快推動與美、歐的ＦＴＡ。其實，ＥＣＦＡ就是一種ＦＴＡ，即使其效益不如原先預期好，但可以肯定的是，如果連ＥＣＦＡ都沒有，台灣的經濟與產業處境將更困窘。

    　更矛盾的是，民進黨一方面大罵馬政府的政策向中傾斜，讓台灣的經貿更依賴大陸；但對美牛案卻強力反對，而且是多次在立院「偷襲」、力推會讓台美關係「翻臉」的「零瘦肉精法案」。朝野皆知，關係著台灣是否開放美牛進口的美牛案，是美國現階段最重視的政策，也影響著台美未來關係。而且，美方已不是用暗示，而是明白表示：美牛案影響台美關係、同時也是台美的ＴＩＦＡ（貿易暨投資架構協定）能否恢復協商談判的前提。

    　講得這麼明白了，民進黨還是以「國民健康」為由，大力反對美牛案。那麼，台灣的經貿總要有一個出口吧？民進黨給了什麼答案？對台灣最大的出口國大陸，民進黨心存疑慮，一直阻擋兩岸經貿關係的再擴大與深化，對兩岸投資的開放、陸資來台或台資登陸，都有反對的理由。但對台灣另一個重要貿易夥伴、第二大出口國美國，則又是嘴巴說要政府趕快推動、完成台美的ＦＴＡ，但實際作法卻是大力反對美牛案，讓台美間連ＦＴＡ都算不上的ＴＩＦＡ都僵死無法動彈。

    　再看民進黨痛責政府的油電雙漲政策，現正競選民進黨黨主席的許信良甚至為此「絕食抗議」。但民進黨難道忘了自己的反核立場、非核家園的政策遠景了嗎？要達到非核家園的目標，一是要增加再生能源比重，二是要提高能源運用效率、降低用電需求。而這些，需要的是一個較高、較合理的油電價格，而不能由政府流血補貼、人為的壓低油電價。低廉的油電價必然讓資源使用浪費、價格較高昂的再生能源亦無從生存發展。

    　此外，在野黨也指責政府舉債過高，國債金額不斷創新高，但持續壓低油電價格，等於每年要政府補貼上千億元的油電費用，這豈不是又增加政府財政負擔嗎？難道民進黨從來沒有感覺到自己的矛盾嗎？

    　再談證所稅案，民進黨在總統大選中以「公平正義的社會」為號召，但對所有財稅學者、公民團體強調實現社會公平第一步的證所稅案，又持什麼立場？民進黨雖然還不敢公然反對證所稅案，但在批評馬政府時，總也強調證所稅案讓股民失血等。民進黨在「嗆馬遊行」中有一隊叫「要公平」，但請問民進黨對證所稅案如此閃爍其詞、還不時偷襲反對，那到底是要那門子的公平？

    　其實，不止是民進黨，整體社會亦如此，大家都忽略了改革的陣痛與代價，天下沒有白吃的午餐。如果，在野黨與社會大眾，真的對貧富差距拉大、社會不公有怨言、要改革，那麼，證所稅─甚至接著的不動產實價課稅，都有其必要，但在推動時，必然要承受短期的股市下跌的代價。

    　如果，在野黨與社會大眾真體認到台灣經貿競爭力日失，與韓國的差距越拉越大，我們必須盡快與其它國家簽訂ＦＴＡ，以挽回頹勢；那麼，大家也該了解，ＦＴＡ是「有拿有給」的談判過程，要對方開放市場、降低關稅的同時，自己也要作出讓步。否則，韓國不會在完成與美國的ＦＴＡ時，國內社會抗議四起、國會反對鬧場。但現在台灣的社會氛圍與在野黨的立場，似乎是只能取不能給，天下那有這種國際談判？企業界再三催促加快腳步的ＥＣＦＡ後續談判進度緩慢，重要原因就是我方代表「只能拿不能給」，免得回國被罵，談判當然觸礁。最後的結果可能是中韓ＦＴＡ完成了，ＥＣＦＡ擴大成果還未談好，台灣坐失江山。

    　現世有兩個極端但典型的案例：希臘政爭、黨爭、民粹蓋過專業，結果如何？請看現在的希臘政經情勢。韓國則雖內部仍有爭吵，但至少政府與社會堅定的向一個方向前進，結果經濟、產業日益壯大，甚至兩岸與日本要「聯手抗韓」。殷鑑不遠，在野黨與社會，是該省思。