CSB as Santa Claus

I know the topic has been raised before, but now against the spectacle of this latest trip, is anyone besides me absolutely disgusted to see CSB once again playing Santa Claus in Central America with millions of US$, courtesy of the Taiwanese taxpayer?

I remember only about two or three weeks ago, there was a story in the Taipei Times where CSB was urging everyone to conserver energy. Drive less, don’t make unnecessary trips, etc. Then he jets around the world, wasting millions of gallons of jet fuel and millions of taxpayer’s dollars so he can wave to cheering crowds, pick up a bought-and-paid-for Human Rights Award, and splash around money like it was water. He also took the time to announce another US$250 million aid package on top the billions that is already being given away.

And what will Taiwan get in return? Pledges from the “diplomatic allies” to continue supporting Taiwan’s futile efforts to gain membership in the WHO.

Well, at least it’s nice to see the president having a good time. Just too bad that he didn’t charge it all to his Mastercard.

It’s just funny that the Pan-Blues are not making political hay with this. Instead, they’re busy making themselves look like idiots with their boneheaded NCC bill. Meanwhile the DPP is preoccupied throwing tantrums and demanding that the legislature be dissolved because of the military procurement bill that isn’t being passed. Perhaps some of the millions that CSB is spending on his world tour and “Christmas gifts” could have instead gone to the military? Just a thought.

Taiwan has a huge budget deficit, and in a few years will be totally broke. The amount of money spent on the giveaways is classified, so we can only speculate on how much it really is. Whatever the amount, with present spending levels, Taiwan won’t be able to buy their soldiers bullets, let alone high-tech missile defense systems.

It’s times like this that I’m ready to pack it up and head out of here. Anybody want to buy a house?

There’s nowhere to go. Stay put.

But the KMT bought off the USA. What superpower is DPP trying to buy off agian?

the kmt did what?

The TRA was passed through vigerous lobby by the ROC, more specifically the KMT. It cost the KMT a lot of money to hire lobbyist to actually get the TRA passed.

See the difference in how the KMT uses dollar diplomacy and how the less experience DPP uses dollar diplomacy.

that’s a facile comparison. i’m sure the kmt lobbied but the time was right for the tra and it’s impossible to imagine some similar law not being passed.

the pickings are not so ripe these days. no major plums came the kmt’s way since the tra, for that matter.

not to mention that courting small countries in this way is a continuation of kmt policy. i guess the dpp shouldn’t learn from the kmt’s superior experience :unamused:

LTH Cornell visit in 1996 was no small feat in terms of dollar diplomacy as well. Another KMT accomplishment I might add.

To some extent I have to agree. The DPP doesn’t have the experience or specifically people with proper skill sets to do things the KMT way. They really need to figure out their own way fast. Or start requested older KMT guards to mentor them on how to do things.

Not to say the KMT way of doing things was all that great. But in the area of diplomacy and using human relationships to form channels of communications is something the KMT excel at in comparision to the DPP version of it.