Haven’t been home in a while have ya? The media is pretty nasty there too. I think western media would be all over a story about foreign workers dealing drugs. We tend not to notice it as much in our countries of origin because, by and large, most of us aren’t minority subjects in our home countries. So do you think the media should have ignored the story? Without a link or a direct quote to go by, it’s hard to make a judgement about the appropriateness of the coverage.
In case you haven’t notced; I’m from Toronto, Ontario, Canada ummm a city full of immigrants or “foreigners”.
In case you haven’t notced; I’m from Toronto, Ontario, Canada ummm a city full of immigrants or “foreigners”.[/quote]
What’s your point? I’m only saying western media would be all over a story like this, too.
I think those of you commenting on Monsters comment did not see the news broadcast. I did, and Mr M is correct, that it was not just salacious but racist. In other words, it went for the anti-foreigner angle and succeeded. Just minutes after the report on drug smuggling there was a second report on a kindergarten English teachers. What’s the relationship between the two: the guys caught smuggling were all kindie teachers. Oh, right, so in the name of solid journalism let’s go investigate whether a random kindergarten will let us look at their foreign teachers’ diplomas.
WTF you say? Exactly. There was no point to that second piece but to discredit foreigners in Taiwan. Not only are we drug smugglers, but we’re working here illegally and probably polluting the innocent minds of pre-schoolers everywhere, as well.
Complete bullshit. I’ve no problem with the media covering this report in a sensationalistic manner, but I do with them using the incident to insinuate that we are all criminals.
[quote]What’s your point? I’m only saying western media would be all over a story like this, too.
[/quote]
Not like that. Not bloody likely. Especially in Canada where the foundation was and is built on immigrants. It would be a pretty broad report if they were to mention a “foreigner”. But we do like to sensationalize the rafts/tankers/decrepit ships that make it across the Pacific with a few hundred Chinese/Viets/Cambo’s on board. It’s like a real life survival story. 
[quote=“Muzha Man”]I think those of you commenting on Monsters comment did not see the news broadcast. I did, and Mr M is correct, that it was not just salacious but racist. In other words, it went for the anti-foreigner angle and succeeded. Just minutes after the report on drug smuggling there was a second report on a kindergarten English teachers. What’s the relationship between the two: the guys caught smuggling were all kindie teachers. Oh, right, so in the name of solid journalism let’s go investigate whether a random kindergarten will let us look at their foreign teachers’ diplomas.
WTF you say? Exactly. There was no point to that second piece but to discredit foreigners in Taiwan. Not only are we drug smugglers, but we’re working here illegally and probably polluting the innocent minds of pre-schoolers everywhere, as well.
Complete bullshit. I’ve no problem with the media covering this report in a sensationalistic manner, but I do with them using the incident to insinuate that we are all criminals.[/quote]
Thank you. When you watch the report for yourselves then you can truely see the angle they were tryin to portray. The painted us all black.
Let’s not turn this into a cultural pissing fest. Many local friends of mine constantly complain about the media coverage and have little regard for it.
Were the TV reports blatantly racist? Yes. Were the actions against the Thai workers that sparked the riots racist and in violation of their human rights? Yes.
Do I feel sorry for the Thai workers? – Yes indeed. For the Canadian dealers. Not very much – they were obviously breaking the law by dealing. We should be very angry at these teachers for sullying the reputation of all of us. The TV journalists, despite their low standards and penchant for sensationalism, are just doing their job.
[quote=“Chewycorns”]Let’s not turn this into a cultural pissing fest. Many local friends of mine constantly complain about the media coverage and have little regard for it.
Were the TV reports blatantly racist? Yes. Were the actions against the Thai workers that sparked the riots racist and in violation of their human rights? Yes.
Do I feel sorry for the Thai workers? – Yes indeed. For the Canadian dealers. Not very much – they were obviously breaking the law by dealing. We should be very angry at these teachers for sullying the reputation of all of us. The TV journalists, despite their low standards and penchant for sensationalism, are just doing their job.[/quote]
Yada Yada but you should really think about how this could effect you. Stand up and have some balls next time you’re in a pub and stick up for the right and wrong. Show the Taiwanese that you aren’t some pansy drug snortin/smokin hippie/gangster that wants to run the foreign show. If ya don’t, this kinda shit is going to hurt us all.
i don’t see this as the “media” out to get foreigners. those cockroaches will jump on any piece of dead meat that falls on the floor. some foreigners fell, so they jumped. the fact is that there were foreigners involved in this, so it’s going to make foreigners look bad. those guys are not going to give some kind of balanced analysis of it. that’s not what they do. anyone stupid enough to believe what they see on there probably believes it anyway, foreigners are a usual and easy target. all you can do is present a positive image by your actions and behavior, that message will ring 1000 times more true to anyone with half a brain than what is on the cockroach channels.
Elton John said it best … I need not repeat. 
yes, i never counted myself as an elton fan until then. i even used him as my avatar, lol
yes, I never counted myself as an elton fan until then. i even used him as my avatar, lol[/quote]
What did he say exactly?
[quote=“Tempo Gain”][quote=“M0NSTER”]
What did he say exactly?[/quote]
taipeitimes.com/News/front/a … 2003204101[/quote]
HAHA Robbie Willians is the man!
MONSTER wrote: [quote]They reported from sources stating that the drugs are smuggled in hollowed out books. I wonder how they got such information? I can tell you this; if these guys are dealing in these sort of amounts, they wouldn’t be tellin the ROC Jack shit. It’s obvious to me that these guys had alot of help from the locals. But as most scapegoats work: stupid enough to take the risk then you’re the idiot going to take the fall. I have a pretty good assumption that these guys were probably makin an extra 50k a month. There wouldn’t be enough money on this island for me to take that sort of risk. No matter how desperate you are. STAMPED Punishable by death and I think the Taiwanese would push for it even if it was only a show of force (in an extreme case).
[/quote]
I’d be shocked if they got the death penalty. Not that they aren’t in a world of shit, however. At the moment, the beacon of human rights that is Taiwan is in full-fledged paisay mode over the plight of the Thai workers in Kaohsiung. Outside of Taiwan and Thailand, which many Westerners confuse anyway, this has caused barely a blip on the international media radar. I can’t see this government wanting to walk into a full on shit storm of condemnation from the international media, and amongst Western governments, that would accompany a death sentence. Annette Lu wouldn’t have enough empty human rights rhetoric in her arsenal to pacify that.
I don’t think they’d get the death sentence without the Kaohsuing incident, either. But, just to cement that, these foreigners will be the benefactors of the “China Airlines syndrome”. When one of their planes crashes, they have do deal with the unpleasant international attention, say all the right things and demonstrate that there will be concrete and significant changes in their SOP. After that scrutiny has subsided, it’s a reversion to chabuduo. The last thing they want to do is continue the chabuduo for all to see. This government is in that spot with human rights at this time, IMO.
MONSTER, I’m curious. Maybe I’m ridiculously naive, but why is it obvious that these guys had local help? And what of the 50 000 NT a month figure?
Wife just gave me the morning report:
8 detained
6 released
2 in custody, and when they asked them how much they’d been dealing, one apparently said, “Six ounces.” 
And she says, “They’re handsome.” That’s nice honey. They’ll make friends fast in the joint.
[quote=“jdsmith”]Wife just gave me the morning report:
8 detained
6 released
2 in custody, and when they asked them how much they’d been dealing, one apparently said, “Six ounces.” 
And she says, “They’re handsome.” That’s nice honey. They’ll make friends fast in the joint.[/quote]
HA! My friend told me lastnight that apparently one of the guys was also a famous local celeb. So they obviously pulled some strings. And ya know what? I’m sure because the guy (foreigner) was confident on camera with all of the new-screw, that may have got him some brownie points as well.
Oh and you asked me about my figures and why I thought they had local help? Let’s just say a little birdie and a couple horses have englightened me.
From an article in today’s Taipei Times (based on a CNA report, I believe):
“The coast guards found 600kg of cocaine, some marijuana and hundreds of ecstasy pills on site.”
600 kg??? Can that be right? 
Coast Guard nabs English teachers in drug-ring bust
taipeitimes.com/News/front/a … 2003269438
[quote=“fee”]
From an article in today’s Taipei Times (based on a CNA report, I believe):
“The coast guards found 600kg of cocaine, some marijuana and hundreds of ecstasy pills on site.”
600 kg??? Can that be right?
Coast Guard nabs English teachers in drug-ring bust
taipeitimes.com/News/front/a … 2003269438[/quote]
I just read the article. This guy is up shit creek. 600kg? Well, it might be a typo but if it isn’t I wouldn’t be surprised either.
[quote=“fee”]
From an article in today’s Taipei Times (based on a CNA report, I believe):
“The coast guards found 600kg of cocaine, some marijuana and hundreds of ecstasy pills on site.”
600 kg??? Can that be right?
Coast Guard nabs English teachers in drug-ring bust
taipeitimes.com/News/front/a … 2003269438[/quote]
That can’t be right .6 tons of blow?