And only one family gets punished. 
[/quote]
One family did not betray voter’s trust and the oath of office. That does not make the Lien family better, but they did not use their political office to get richer, did they? Correct me if I’m wrong. I’m not afraid to admit I’m wrong.
And only one family gets punished. [/quote]
One family did not betray voter’s trust and the oath of office.[/quote]
They’d have to actually get elected to do that, something that has proved elusive in spite of all that money and power.
And only one family gets punished. [/quote]
One family did not betray voter’s trust and the oath of office.[/quote]
They’d have to actually get elected to do that, something that has proved elusive in spite of all that money and power.[/quote]
One person, one vote. As it should be.
And only one family gets punished. [/quote]
One family did not betray voter’s trust and the oath of office. That does not make the Lien family better, but they did not use their political office to get richer, did they? Correct me if I’m wrong. I’m not afraid to admit I’m wrong.[/quote]
Are you on drugs? You wrote that the Lien family made their money the same way as Chen. Which means YOU are saying they made money abusing their position just like Chen and co.
[quote=“Taiwanguy”]You’re equating two different things. ]/quote]
Oh please. Inter-generational wealth in Taiwan is a current hot political issue because so many families became wealthy by abusing their government positions, by outright theft of property and businesses after WWII, and so on. They have used that wealth in recent times not to keep Taiwan buzzing but to entrench their power, to starve government of taxes, and to get their children in positions of power simply through connections and money.
One issue flows into the other. If Taiwan was still growing and social mobility was rising then this wouldn’t be much of an issue. But that isn’t the case so it is perfectly sensible and fair to look at why we are in this situation. Which means not just how families became wealth after WWII but how that wealth and power has become entrenched and is now subverting the democratic process.
And only one family gets punished. [/quote]
One family did not betray voter’s trust and the oath of office. That does not make the Lien family better, but they did not use their political office to get richer, did they? Correct me if I’m wrong. I’m not afraid to admit I’m wrong.[/quote]
Are you on drugs? You wrote that the Lien family made their money the same way as Chen. Which means YOU are saying they made money abusing their position just like Chen and co.[/quote]
I apologize for not being more clear. They’re both corrupt families. But the Liens used their govt connections to make money. The Chens made money because they were the government.
And only one family gets punished. [/quote]
One family did not betray voter’s trust and the oath of office. That does not make the Lien family better, but they did not use their political office to get richer, did they? Correct me if I’m wrong. I’m not afraid to admit I’m wrong.[/quote]
Are you on drugs? You wrote that the Lien family made their money the same way as Chen. Which means YOU are saying they made money abusing their position just like Chen and co.[/quote]
I apologize for not being more clear. They’re both corrupt families. But the Liens used their govt connections to make money. The Chens made money because they were the government.[/quote]
What is the distinction?
And only one family gets punished. [/quote]
One family did not betray voter’s trust and the oath of office. That does not make the Lien family better, but they did not use their political office to get richer, did they? Correct me if I’m wrong. I’m not afraid to admit I’m wrong.[/quote]
Are you on drugs? You wrote that the Lien family made their money the same way as Chen. Which means YOU are saying they made money abusing their position just like Chen and co.[/quote]
I apologize for not being more clear. They’re both corrupt families. But the Liens used their govt connections to make money. The Chens made money because they were the government.[/quote]
What is the distinction?[/quote]
An elected official has the trust and mandate of the people.
And only one family gets punished. [/quote]
One family did not betray voter’s trust and the oath of office. That does not make the Lien family better, but they did not use their political office to get richer, did they? Correct me if I’m wrong. I’m not afraid to admit I’m wrong.[/quote]
Are you on drugs? You wrote that the Lien family made their money the same way as Chen. Which means YOU are saying they made money abusing their position just like Chen and co.[/quote]
I apologize for not being more clear. They’re both corrupt families. But the Liens used their govt connections to make money. The Chens made money because they were the government.[/quote]
What is the distinction?[/quote]
An elected official has the trust and mandate of the people.[/quote]
And so only one should be punished? I’ll be clear that I despise Chen far more than an Lien and for the reasons you seem to be outlining. He could have been Taiwan’s Mandela, and instead he squandered it be a Marcos.
If there was wrong doing, all that are guilty should be punished. But you need evidence. Evidence is aplenty for Chen because most records are public. Sean Lien is a private individual at the moment. There will be time and opportunity to plum his family’s past when and if he’s elected.
You are missing the point. It’s not the source of the wealth that matters much these days but the fact that that wealth is now entrenching the Lien family as influencers of public policy when they are completely unworthy of the position.
Sean Lien may become mayor of the capital of the world’s 20th largest economy because his grandfather manipulated his position 60 years ago,and because of nothing Lien has done himself. That’s obscene and should leave a bad taste in the mouth of anyone with the slightest sense of democratic fairness and equality of opportunity.
You are missing the point. It’s not the source of the wealth that matters much these days but the fact that that wealth is now entrenching the Lien family as influencers of public policy when they are completely unworthy of the position.
Sean Lien may become mayor of the capital of the world’s 20th largest economy because his grandfather manipulated his position 60 years ago,and because of nothing Lien has done himself. That’s obscene and should leave a bad taste in the mouth of anyone with the slightest sense of democratic fairness and equality of opportunity.[/quote]
Money in politics aside (and that’s a huge, massive aside because money influences politics), a person’s worthiness to a position in politics depends on the will of the people. If that is the person they elect, that is the person they deserve. Dubya would not have had the opportunity to become president without his grandfather’s wealth and his father’s political machine.
You are missing the point. It’s not the source of the wealth that matters much these days but the fact that that wealth is now entrenching the Lien family as influencers of public policy when they are completely unworthy of the position.
Sean Lien may become mayor of the capital of the world’s 20th largest economy because his grandfather manipulated his position 60 years ago,and because of nothing Lien has done himself. That’s obscene and should leave a bad taste in the mouth of anyone with the slightest sense of democratic fairness and equality of opportunity.[/quote]
Money in politics aside (and that’s a huge, massive aside because money influences politics), a person’s worthiness to a position in politics depends on the will of the people. If that is the person they elect, that is the person they deserve. Dubya would not have had the opportunity to become president without his grandfather’s wealth and his father’s political machine.[/quote]
Oh please. These are serious issues that can’t be brushed aside with a pat “well, if that’s what the people want who am I to argue?”
We are all just beginning to became aware in clear terms, thanks to historians and economics, just how hijacked democracies have become, and it is only going to get worse, because of the effect huge amounts of inherited money and entrenched wealth have on the system.
We’ve also been made aware that democracies are not all the same and the patronage and clientelism of Taiwan system is not ideal and at this point is no longer working to give voice and power to ordinary people (as it probably did it the past) but to stifle growth and opportunity.
You can compare Dubya to Lien all you want but you’d be better off reading some books.
Surely the right time to do that is before you elect the slime? Once he’s in its going to disappear from the radar of course.