Tag: Hung Hsiu-chu

As Good An Explanation As Any For The KMT’s Nomination Of Hung Hsiu-chu

The American Interest on why Jeremy Corbyn took the top spot of the British Labor Party. But this sounds like a good working theory for why Hung Hsiu-chu is the Kuomingtang's presidential pick in Taiwan as well:

“If you are doomed to lose whatever you do, you might as well let your freak flag fly.”

Sure, nominating kooks politicians of dubious electability might feel good if they promote views hardcore elements of the party strongly adhere to. But as I see it, the problem with "letting your freak flag fly" is two-fold:

First, nominating radicals poses the danger of splitting a political party — something we're already hearing murmurs of in both Britain and Taiwan.

And second, in doing so, a political party sends the electorate the message that the party in question is fundamentally unserious and not to be trusted near the levers of power.

Not being either a British Laborite or a Chinese Ultranationalist, I'm entirely comfortable with both of those consequences.

POSTSCRIPT: The Taipei Times, suggesting that Hung's goal isn't to win the presidency at all, but merely to change the terms of the debate within the KMT. (That is to say, she wishes to marginalize the KMT's "Taiwanese" faction, and strengthen the party's Chinese unification faction.)

“I want to make changes to the party I belong to,” Hung said with tears in her eyes on Saturday.

[…]

…there is no room (and no need) for Hung to step back, especially if her goal is to foil the growth of the local factions within the party, which could lead the KMT away from its “core [unificationist] values.” She has little to lose, too, except a KMT founded on expedient coalitions, and she is obviously willing to trade a big KMT for a smaller one with stronger faith. [Emphasis added]

That Is Why You Fail, Part Deux

The last remnants of the old republic have been swept away:

[KMT presidential candidate Hung Hsiu-chu] sparked controversy during a meeting with business leaders by saying that if [Taiwan's] legislature could not be reformed, then she would shut it down…

Russian tanks attacking Russian parliament (aka, the 'White House') in 1991.

(Russian tanks firing upon their country's parliament building. 1993. Image from Wikipedia)

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KMT-Affiliated Buddhist Monk Jumps Ship

Master Hsing Yun comes out against the KMT presidential candidate and in favor of Taiwan's main independence party:

Hsing … spoke with Tsai [Ying-wen] and called her “Taiwan’s Goddess Matsu,” saying that Tsai would definitely be elected president.

Sounds vaguely blasphemous to me – but I'm no Buddhist, so what the hell do I know?

Buddhist master Hsing Yun jumps ship, from the KMT presidential candidate Hung Hsiu-chu's sinking coffin to the boat of Tsai Ying-wen (the DPP's candidate).

(Hsing Yun leaps into Tsai Ying-wen's boat (DPP) from Hung Hsiu-chu's sinking coffin (KMT). Tsai appears thrilled with his endorsement. Image from Holy Mosquito)

POSTSCRIPT: Ha. I take it that's KMT chairman emeritus Lien Chan dressed in a People's Liberation Army officer uniform on Holy Mosquito's cover photo.

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Communist Party’s Preferred Candidate Touts CCP’s Terms Of Surrender For Taiwan

Complying with the Butchers of Beijing's "One China" policy is just "common sense", claims KMT presidential contender Hung Hsiu-chu

Yoda saying, 'That is why you fail.'

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For Enlightenment, Click The “Like” Button

Spotted earlier today on Facebook:

The KMT's presidential candidate Hung Hsiu-chu photoshopped to look like a Buddhist bodhisattva

This strikes me as a little mean. KMT presidential contender Hung Hsiu-chu's religion is her religion, and if it brings her comfort during difficult times then I can't find it in myself to belittle her for it.

However…

The mandarins of Taiwan's Kuomintang do like to go on about how Confucian agnosticism is the one and only true path to public policy decision-making. So I eagerly await to hear their sneers now that one of their own has abandoned their central article of faith.

POSTSCRIPT: Hmm, well it looks like what's being satirized here isn't necessarily her religious views per se, but her comparison of herself to a type of Buddhist saint as well as a Buddhist warrior-angel:

“Read [the sutras], pray to a bodhisattva, but also be a bodhisattva,” Hung said. “In the face of Taiwan’s populism and hypocrisy, maybe I should also be a Vajrapani [warrior-attendant to the Buddha] that safeguards virtuous values.”

A Buddhist Vajrapani (warrior attendant to the Buddha).

(Vajrapani image from Photobucket)

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Lien Chan Returns After Celebrating The Marvelous Exploits Of The People’s Liberation Army

If the KMT's chairman emeritus wishes to tie his party to the Butchers of Beijing and their PLA stormtroopers, that can certainly be arranged.

The KMT's Lien Chan and Hung Hsiu-chu with an image of bloody Chinese tank treads running over a bicycle at Tiananmen Square.

Welcome back to Taiwan, Lien Chan. Not everyone has a good time at Tiananmen Square, but you enjoyed yourself.

And that's the important thing.

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Hung Hsiu-chu Returns Tanned, Rested…

…and ready for a thrashing in Taiwan's January presidential election

Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) presidential candidate Hung Hsiu-chu’s (洪秀柱) campaign team yesterday said that Hung would return to her normal schedule today, ending the “temporary break from daily campaign activities” she announced late on Wednesday night.

[…]

[But even] KMT spokesperson Yang Wei-chung (楊偉中) mocked [her recent Buddhist-related Facebook] post, saying, without specifically referring to Hung, “[are we going to have] a union of religion and state now?”

Evidence her own party has stopped lampooning her behind her back, and does it now directly to her face.

“Little Hot Pepper” Can’t Take The Heat

Get thee to a nunnery: KMT presidential candidate Hung Hsiu-chu goes to ground, placing her ill-fought campaign on hiatus.

When I first heard of Hung's bid, I regarded her warily. She wasn't one of the KMT's heavyweights – but then again, Bill Clinton wasn't a Democratic heavyweight back in '92. And, similar to Clinton, there was something admirable in her willingness to throw her hat into the ring against near-overwhelming odds.

But within a week or two, she astonished everyone by stating that she couldn't rightly say that the Republic of China actually existed.

A baffling admission, from one wishing to be president of that supposedly non-existent country!

Since then, her campaign has descended into a clown show – her 15% approval rating testifies to that. Apparently, a sharp tongue ≠  political smarts. 

Look, it was always going to be an uphill battle for the KMT after the misrule of President Ma Ying-jeou. A competent Kuomintang candidate might have managed a close (but face-saving) loss. Who knows what a brilliant one might have done?

If there's any lesson in all of this, it's that competitive party primaries are indispensable for discovering who party nominees truly are. Because had Hung Hsiu-chu been tested in debate with other KMT presidential hopefuls, her gaffes would have been made and pounced upon.

And she would have been quickly winnowed from the field.

Hung Hsiu-chu Irritated That Presidential Campaign Cuts Into Her Busy Litigation Schedule

The KMT's candidate for the Taiwanese presidency files yet another lawsuit against a media critic.

Perhaps if Hung Hsiu-chu hadn't flunked her bar exam she'd realize court cases suck up time and psychic energy – things she may need in her battle for high elective office.

So you just keep on stamping out those brush fires, Hung.

LMAO.