Is a Political Party that only Shirks Responsibility Fit to Rule?

Is a Political Party that only Shirks Responsibility Fit to Rule?
China Times editorial (Taipei, Taiwan, ROC)
A Translation
August 12, 2014

Summary: German Chancellor Angela Merkel once shared a sobering thought. She said freedom requires responsibility, tolerance, and courage. To enjoy freedom, one must internalize responsibility and tolerance. Only then will one have the courage to defend freedom. Only then can one truly enjoy freedom. Minister Chang was humiliated and forced to step down. Taiwan has yet to earn its freedom. Taiwan's "political freedom" is nothing more than irresponsible chaos and overweening evil.

Full Text Below:

The Presidential Office and the Executive Yuan have repeatedly urged Chang Chia-juch to stay on. But he is determined to resign. This has established a rare precedent in the history of the Republic of China. A ministry head has resigned. Not because of any moral or policy deficiencies on his part, but because he refused to be humilated by the Legislative Yuan. Chang Chia-juch's resignation is an event we must all take very seriously.

Over the last several days, few have applauded the DPP's slick sophistry. Instead, many have sympathized with Chang Chia-juch's humiliation. The reason is simple. It is easy to elect a legislator adept at humiliating officials. It is not so easy to recruit a capable Minister of Economic Affairs. What does Taiwan need the most right now? A legislator adept at using obscenities to curse others? Or an official who knows how to cope with fiscal problems?

DPP legislators deny that they humiliated Minister Chang or wallowed in Schadenfreude because a Ma adminstration ministry head stepped down. It is precisely this smarmy attitude that many find intolerable. Especially as more and more evidence surfaces showing that Chen Chu and the Kaohsiung City Government bear far greater responsibility for the gas explosion. More and more people are beginning to realize that Chang Chia-juch's departure was not a victory for the DPP, but a loss for Taiwan.

Did DPP legislators really not humiliate Minister Chang? Let us return to the scene, to the meeting of the 7th Legislative Yuan Economic Committee. Note that the agenda for the day was to review special regulations for the FEPZ. Chang Chia-juch was legally required to attend. Unexpectedly, he was subjected to extreme humiliation. Chen Chi-mai railed against Chang Chia-juch, saying, "Today is the seventh day of the victims' deaths. How can you just sit there? Are you even human?" After which others labeled Chang Chia-juch a "cold-blooded minister." They derided him for a full minute, yet Chang Chia-juch said nothing. Chiu Yee-ying even chased after Chang Chia-juch, sarcastically demanding, "Minister! Will you be attending the memorial service?"

If such language does not constitute "humiliation," what does? Never mind some minister. Any normal person suddenly scolded, "Are you even human?" is going to be emotionally upset. In fact, had Minister Chang remained cool in the face of such a vicious rhetorical assault, and offered a glib response, we would probably respect him less.

We realize of course that DPP legislators ganging up on this official in order to humilate him, was part of the Kaohsiung City Government's smoke screen, and part of its attempt to shirk responsibility. Think about it. A major public safety incident occurred in Kaohsiung. So many people are now dead or injured. Does this really have nothing to do with agencies inside the municipal government? Yet the Kaohsiung City Government flatly refuses to acknowledge one iota of culpability. It foists all responsibility onto others. From the very beginning we have watched the Kaohsiung City Government lead the charge, denouncing LCY Chemical, scolding CGTD, criticizing the Ministry of Economic Affairs, accusing the Ma administration, and even blaming Wu Den-yih, who served as mayor 16 years ago. No matter how many mistakes were made, they were all somebody else's fault.

The Kaohsiung City Government took the lead in shirking responsibility. The DPP of course provided cover at the central government level. This is how the humiliation of a ministry head was stage-managed. Alas, the city government's own documents gave it away. As it turned out, the city government works department subbed out the project, then committed major blunders during the construction phase. But is there any chance Chen Chu will change her attitude overnight? Is there any chance the city government will acknowledge that its own agencies failed to coordinate with each other? Is there any chance it will apologize to the public, hand four administrative officials their walking papers, and express a willingness to assume responsibility? And just suppose it actually were to offer a belated apology? What of it? DPP legislators humiliated Chang Chia-juch. Is there any possibility of them taking back what they said? Chen Chi-mai scolded the minister, saying, "Are you even human?" Chiu Yee Ying chased after Chang to harass him. Is there any possibility of her offering an apology? As we contemplate their two days of sophistry, what can we do but shake our heads in incredulity?

Everyone knows the DPP is highly adept at agenda setting and spin doctoring. DPP legislators are far more adept than KMT legislators at humiliating officials. But never before has its behavior been this egregious. The disaster, which claimed so many lives and inflicted so many injuries, clearly occurred in a county or city presided over by its own party. Yet no one in the entire party, from top to bottom, has assumed one iota of responsibility for the catastrophe. Instead, all of the DPP's political smarts have been focused on buck-passing, shirking responsibility, and reveling in the fruits of political victory. The DPP flagrantly blasted a minister until he stepped down. Meanwhile four Kaohsiung City Government officials resigned two days later. The truth could no longer be covered up. Only then did DPP officials reluctantly step down. Can politicians so utterly deficient in responsibility ever win the public trust?

Just think. Suppose such a party becomes the ruling party one day. Would it ever assume responsibility for its mistakes? When it precipitates disaster, can anyone be guarantee it will assume responsibility instead of blaming the opposition? After all, isn't this precisely what this party is so good at? This is a political party whose strong suit is passing the buck and shirking responsibility. This is a political party whose strong suit, from top to bottom, is humiliating others. Therefore, what else can we look forward to?

German Chancellor Angela Merkel once shared a sobering thought. She said freedom requires responsibility, tolerance, and courage. To enjoy freedom, one must internalize responsibility and tolerance. Only then will one have the courage to defend freedom. Only then can one truly enjoy freedom. Minister Chang was humiliated and forced to step down. Taiwan has yet to earn its freedom. Taiwan's "political freedom" is nothing more than irresponsible chaos and overweening evil.

社論－只會卸責的政黨 豈有資格執政
2014年08月12日 04:10
編輯部

府院幾度慰留，但還是留不住張家祝堅定的去意，創下中華民國憲政史上，少見因為不堪立法院羞辱，不是因為道德或政策缺失而下台的部長，我們必須嚴肅面對張家祝辭職事件。

這幾天，沒有多少人為民進黨立委的伶牙俐齒喝采，反而更多人是為張家祝的受辱感到不捨與惋惜，理由很簡單，要生產一位善於羞辱官員的立委，實在很簡單，但要培養一位專業的經濟部長，卻是非常不容易！試請問當下的台灣最需要的，究竟是最懂得用最難堪字眼罵人的立委？還是懂得處理財經難題的官員？

一直到現在，民進黨立委都否認他們有羞辱張部長，甚至還在為馬政府又多一位下台的部長，不斷的在額手稱慶，正就是這種嘴臉，讓許多人都看不下去了！特別是在這幾天，當越來越多證據指陳，高雄市政府所必須擔的責任更大之後，才更讓人覺得，張家祝的去職，根本不是民進黨的勝利，而是台灣的損失。

民進黨立委真的都沒羞辱張部長嗎？且讓我們再一次回到7日立院經濟委員會的現場，注意當天排的議程是要審查自經區特別條例，張家祝是依法必須要出席。不料卻遭到極其難堪的羞辱，陳其邁對著張家祝說，「今天是罹難者『頭七』，你怎麼還有心情坐在這裡？你是人嗎？」之後更痛罵張家祝是「冷血部長」，痛罵時間長達1分鐘；張家祝一言未發，邱議瑩也追著張家祝嗆聲「部長！公祭你要去嗎？」

看看這樣的語言，如果這還不叫「羞辱」，那怎樣才叫羞辱呢？就算不是部長，任何正常人冷不防被指著鼻子罵「你是人嗎？」能夠平常心以對嗎？我們反倒以為，如果張部長在這樣惡毒語言攻擊下還能坦然以對，繼續巧言應付，那就沒啥好尊敬的了。

我們當然清楚，這場民進黨立委集體羞辱官員的秀，是為配合高雄市政府卸責的一場烏賊戰！試想，高雄發生這麼大的公安事件，死傷那麼多人，市政府相關單位哪裡可能完全置身事外？很不幸，高雄市政府就是不想承擔，就是想把一切責任全諉給別人！所以從事件一開始，大家第一時間所看到的是：高市府帶頭罵榮化、罵華運、罵經濟部、罵馬政府，甚至帳還算到16年前吳敦義擔任市長的年代，反正千錯萬錯，都是別人的錯！

高市府既然帶頭卸責，民進黨當然在中央這邊配合掩護，於是一場難堪的羞辱部長的戲碼，就這樣上演了！要不是被市府自己的公文踢爆，原來根本就是由市府工務局發包施做，且為錯誤施工，陳菊哪裡可能會態度一夕大轉彎？哪裡可能願意承認是市府團隊的內部局處縱向、橫向連繫沒做好？哪裡可能會急忙向市民道歉，讓4名政務官請辭？並表態願意負起責任？但就算這是遲來的道歉又如何！先前民進黨立委對張家祝的羞辱可能會收回嗎？罵部長「你是人嗎」的陳其邁，以及一路追罵張家祝的邱議瑩，可能會道歉嗎？看看他們這兩天的狡辯，還是搖頭吧！

講實在話，誰都知道民進黨非常善於操縱議題，民進黨的立委也遠比國民黨的立委更會羞辱官員，但從來沒有一次像這次這樣，明明是一場發生在自己政黨執政縣市的公安災難，死傷還這般慘重，竟然會是整個政黨從上到下，未聞見到有一絲絲的主動承擔與扛責，卻是將所有的政治智慧，全灌注到推諉與卸責上，而且戰果豐碩，活生生將一個部長轟下台。而高市府4名政務官請辭，卻是在兩天後，事實真相再也掩飾不了，才不得不為，這般的政治承擔，怎麼可能讓人信服呢？

試想，這樣的政黨有一天若是成了執政黨，還會主動承擔與扛責嗎？誰會保證他們在出了事之後，不會將一切責任全怪到在野黨頭上？因為這不就是這個政黨所最擅長的嘛！一個擅長於推諉與卸責的政黨，一個內部上下都只會羞辱人的政黨，有什麼好值得期待的呢？

德國總理梅克爾曾說過一句發人深省的話：自由包含責任、包容及勇氣；要擁有自由，責任感與包容心要內化，然後還要有捍衛自由的勇氣，才能真正享有自由！由這次張部長被羞辱下台事件，我們認為，台灣還不是一個有資格擁有自由的國家，台灣的政治自由只是不負責任的混亂與唯我獨尊的惡行！