Erotic Guide EasyCard Reflects Taiwan's Moral Degeneration

Erotic Guide EasyCard Reflects Taiwan's Moral Degeneration
China Times Editorial (Taipei, Taiwan, ROC)
A Translation
August 31, 2015

Executive Summary: Taiwan has undergone nearly 20 years of relatively smooth political development. Elections have led to ruling party changes. Democracy has been consolidated. People can feel proud. Personal dignity and political rights have been ensured. Unfortunately governmental effectiveness has significantly declined. Hysterical campaign tactics have induced politicians to adopt a myopic “whatever it takes to win” mindset. This has led to the degeneration of morals and the undermining of democratic values.

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Taiwan has undergone nearly 20 years of relatively smooth political development. Elections have led to ruling party changes. Democracy has been consolidated. People can feel proud. Personal dignity and political rights have been ensured. Unfortunately governmental effectiveness has significantly declined. Hysterical campaign tactics have induced politicians to adopt a myopic “whatever it takes to win” mindset. This has led to the degeneration of morals and the undermining of democratic values.

The EasyCard Corporation has issued a stored value card featuring Japanese porn star Hatano Yui, provoking criticism by the traditional media. Yet an online group of Ko Wen-je fans and green camp supporters has responded with a "feminist" defense. Why shouldn't Hatano Yui be a stored value card spokesperson, they demand to know. They have accused critics of sex discrimination and job discrimination. They have argued that “the desire for food and sex is part of human nature” and denounced critics of the stored value card as hypocrites.

Mainstream society on Taiwan has its own moral evaluation of the sex industry, sexual liberation, and sex workers. These are reflected in the law.  Sex workers and sex consumers are subject to strict laws and regulations. Violators are prosecuted. This reflects public perception. The public might not make a point of condemning foreign sex workers such as Yui Hatano. But neither will it idolize them. The EasyCard Corporation is predominantly publicly owned. It has with much fanfare, made a porn star its product spokesperson. This is unacceptable to mainstream society. That is why the introduction of the porn star stored value card provoked such an intense public backlash.

Consider the feminist or women's rights perspective. Most feminists or women's rights activists disapprove of the EasyCard Corporation's move. They consider it male voyeurism and the objectification of the female body. They think this commercialization of the female body deprives women of their dignity and publicly humiliates them. Of course other feminists believe that women engaged in sex work should be viewed as any normal occupation. They think discrimination against sex workers should end, and lead to the true liberation of women. Some point to the sex industry in the Netherlands and the Nordic countries as examples to emulate. They say their sex industries do not prevent them from being seen as progressive and civilized nations.

This moral debate is a classic case of "he says, she says". The bottom line is this. No matter where one stands, one must be consistent, and apply the same standards in all instances. Whether one is an amoralist or moralist, one must at the very least be consistent. The most lamentable aspect of this debate is moral inconsistency. Many who denounced the sex industry yesterday, praise it today. Many who denounced the sex industry when one party was in power, praise it now that another party is in power. These hypocrites repeatedly contradict themselves. They lack any standards whatsoever. Their sole standard is selfish political advantage.

History offers us the clearest mirror of ourselves. The "Erotic Guide to Taiwan" incident occurred in 2002. A Japanese language sex tourism guide book sold on Taiwan entitled the "Erotic Guide to Taiwan" openly listed information on Taiwan's sex industry. It informed Japanese “Johns” where to solicit prostitutes. As soon as the story broke, then Mayor Ma Ying-jeou was promptly excoriated by various sectors, most notably the green camp. They denounced his anti-vice campaign as ineffective. They accused him of bringing shame upon Taipei. They blamed him for undermining Taipei's international reputation. DPP Taipei City council members held a press conference and denounced this sex industry guidebook for Japanese tourists.

Under public pressure, an angry Ma Ying-jeou aggressively prosecuted the sex industry. Booksellers who sold the book were prosecuted for "harming public morals". Not one green camp supporter came forward to applaud the "Erotic Guide to Taiwan" for “promoting Taiwan” or “popularizing Taipei”. During the “Erotic Guide to Taiwan” controversy, the Taipei City Government opposed the sex industry. But this did not spare it from wholesale condemnation. Today the predominantly publicly owned EasyCard Corporation has issued a Taipei City stored value card with a porn star as spokesperson, indirectly endorsing the sex industry. Yet fans of Ko Wen-je and green camp supporters sympathize with it and abet it. What is this, if not “selective indignation”?

Another politician who has embraced the EasyCard Corporation and engaged in “selective indignation” is Tainan City Mayor Lai Ching-teh, who has refused to appear before the Tainan City Council for over 200 days. During his standoff with the Tainan City Council, he accused KMT Legislative Yuan Wang Jin-pyng of being a “behind the scenes voter buyer”. But the moment Wang Jin-pyng revealed that he would not seek the Kuomintang's nomination for president, he suddenly became Lai Ching-teh's esteemed "Taiwanese Elder". Lai immediately asked Wang to work with Tsai Ing-wen. The “behind the scenes voter buyer” was suddenly elevated to the status of “Native Taiwanese spokesperson”, eminently worthy of “working with” Tsai Ing-wen. What exactly would Wang be working with Tsai Ing-wen on? Vote buying? Lai Ching-teh's acolytes refer to Lai as “Lai Sheng” or “The God named Lai”. The God named Lai's philosophy is simple. Anyone who defers to him is a saint. Anyone who defies him is a sinner. Such is Lai's “selective indignation”.

The “selective indignation” of DPP and green camp leaders knows no bounds. DPP leaders who are indicted are victims of judicial persecution. KMT leaders who are suspected of bribery are incorrigible villains. Lee Teng-hui proclaims that "Japan is our motherland", that "Diaoyutai belongs to Japan", and that "the comfort women issue has been resolved", provoking public outrage. Tsai Ing-wen responds by calling for "tolerance". Lien Chan attends the September 3rd Beijing parade. The DPP immediately leaps up and spews venom. Tsai Ing-wen demands that the KMT "deal with it".

Amoralism and moralism cannot undermine Taiwan's democracy. Only “selective indignation” and hypocritical double standards can.

社論－極樂悠遊卡 照見台灣道德反覆
2015年08月31日 04:10 主筆室

台灣近20年來政治發展平順，藉著選舉與政黨輪替的實現，民主獲得深化與鞏固，值得國人驕傲。但在個人尊嚴與政治權利獲得確保的同時，政府的治理效能卻明顯退化，激烈的選戰與選舉策略操作及政治人物「頭過身就過」短線思維，形成的「道德反覆」現象，卻對民主價值的合理性造成傷害。

悠遊卡公司發行波多野AV女優卡，遭傳統媒體罵翻，但網路上有一派柯粉與綠營支持者拿著所謂「女性主義」為悠遊卡公司辯護，質疑為什麼波多野結衣不能成為悠遊卡主題人物？這既是性別歧視，也是職業歧視，甚至還以「食色性也」反質疑「偽君子」。

對於性產業、性解放或性工作者要採取什麼樣的態度，台灣的主流價值存有一定的道德判斷，並反映在法律上，對性工作者以及性消費者有嚴格的法律規範，若有逾越即須受罰；反映在社會觀感上，即便不會去大肆譴責如波多野結衣的外國性工作者，但也不會去推崇性工作者，但公股為最大股東的悠遊卡公司大張旗鼓讓AV女優成為產品代言人，卻非主流價值所能接受，這也是AV女優悠遊卡推出後，會引起社會大反彈的緣故。

即便從女性主義或女權的觀點，大部分的女性主義或女權運動者也無法認同悠遊卡公司的作為，認為這是利用男性對女體的偷窺慾行銷，將女體商品化，是剝奪女性主體性的嚴重歧視與公然羞辱。當然，也有另一派女性主義者認為，應把女性從事性工作一般化，視為普通職業，應打破對性工作者的歧視，這才是對女性的真正解放，也有人以荷蘭與北歐國家開放的性產業為例，認為這並不影響他們被視為進步與文明的國家。

進入這種道德論爭，有如進入公說公理、婆說婆理的迷霧，不管認同哪一個理，如果一以貫之的以同樣的標準堅持自己相信的理念，不管是道德虛無或道德極端，至少擁有一致的「道德標準」。但這場爭論中最糟糕的部分，是立場跳躍不定的「道德反覆主義」，見人說人話，見鬼說鬼話，以今非昨，以明非今，不斷自我打臉，採取什麼標準，看的只是合不合自己的政治利益。

這一點，歷史是最好的鏡子，以2002年發生的「極樂台灣」事件為例，一本在台灣市面上販售的日文書《極樂台灣》，赤裸裸地報導台灣情色市場，為日本買春客指引台北色情場所，事件揭露後，當時的馬英九市長，立刻受到包括綠營人士在內的各方撻伐，質疑他掃黃不力，讓台北蒙羞，傷害台北的國際聲譽。民進黨籍的台北市議員也召開記者會，大肆抨擊這本為日本遊客而寫的尋春指南。

在輿論壓力下，馬英九震怒，大舉取締色情行業，販售該書的書商，也被檢方依「妨害風化罪」法辦。當時的綠營支持者，可沒有人出來大聲叫好《極樂台灣》，推崇《極樂台灣》是在為台灣行銷，是幫台北集人氣。極樂台灣風波中，台北市政府至少還站在情色產業的對立面，都受到如此撻伐，而今天，有台北官股色彩的悠遊卡公司大剌剌推出AV女優卡，等於是間接為情色產業背書，柯粉與綠營的支持者，卻能繼續淚推、護航。這不是「道德反覆」嗎？

另一個與悠遊卡公司相輝映的「道德反覆」是200多天不進議會的台南市長賴清德。他在與議會鬥法時，曾指控國民黨籍立法院長王金平是議會賄選的幕後黑手，但當王金平確定不爭取國民黨總統提名後，又成了賴清德口中的「台灣歐吉桑」，希望王應該和蔡英文合作。「賄選黑手」忽然變成應該與蔡英文合作的「本土代表」？請問賴清德，那要與蔡英文合作什麼？合作賄選嗎？前言不對後語、價值錯亂的「賴神哲學」，說穿了，就是順他者聖賢逆他者黑金的「道德反覆主義」。

民進黨與綠營人士其他林林總總的道德跳躍多不勝數。民進黨人士涉案是司法迫害，國民黨議員涉賄是天理不容；李登輝發表了眾人皆憤的「日本祖國論」、「釣魚台是日本的」、「慰安婦問題已解決論」，蔡英文呼籲「包容」；連戰參加九三北京大閱兵，民進黨立刻跳出來痛批、酸諷，蔡英文則要國民黨「處理一下」。

傷害台灣民主的不會是道德虛無，也不是道德極端，而是雙重標準的道德反覆。(中國時報)