Thursday, July 26, 2012

U.S. Beef Imports: Classic DPP Political Farce

U.S. Beef Imports: Classic DPP Political Farce
United Daily News editorial (Taipei, Taiwan, ROC)
A Translation
July 27, 2012


Summary: Remember the U.S. beef imports farce. It reveals the true nature of the DPP. It enables one to understand the DPP's deceit. Because it is the one thing that never changes. Everything the DPP does is a variation on the U.S. beef imports farce. Our only question is, when will the DPP search its conscience and change its ways? When will it forsake its U.S. beef imports tactic and get serious about governing the nation?

Full Text below:

The U.S. beef imports bill has passed its third reading. Future generations must remember this farcical chapter in our political history. Otherwise, we will have learned nothing from the experience.

The U.S. beef imports farce began six years ago, with an absurd decision. In 2006, a number of people on the Chinese mainland died from Clenbuterol treated pork. The Chen Shui-bian government seized the opportunity to show that Taiwan's food safety was superior to Mainland China's. On his personal whim, he banned Ractopamine. As it turned out however, the people on the Mainland died from highly toxic Clenbuterol. The Chen Shui-bian government in its befuddlement, had banned Ractopamine treated U.S. beef imports. The government had never before banned U.S. beef imports. The Chen government took office in 2000. The public continued to ingest Ractopamine treated US beef for the next six years. The ban made no sense whatsoever. It merely created friction between Taipei and Washington. The Chen Shui-bian government responded to Washington. In 2007, it informed the World Trade Organization (WTO) that it was allowing the import of US beef, pork, and organ meats, on condition Ractopamine residues did not exceed 50 pbb. It also ordered quarantine agencies to "inspect pork but not beef." As a result, consumers on Taiwan ingested at least 100,000 tons of Ractopamine treated beef.

The DPP bent over backwards to abet the import of U.S. beef products. But as soon as it fell from power, it did a complete about face. It totally disowned its own policy. It now referred to U.S. beef as "poisoned beef." It now demanded a "zero tolerance" policy on Ractopamine. Eventually this farce reached its climax. The DPP staged a brute force, five day four night long occupation of the Legislative Yuan podium. It threatened to draw blood. It vowed to resist "poisoned beef." It swore to protect the lives of fellow citizens.

The U.S. beef imports bill passed its third reading on the 24th of this month. Suddenly we heard nothing more from the DPP about "shedding blood to resist poisoned beef." Suddenly, events took another turn. The United Nations Codex Alimentarius (CAC) voted on July 5. It set a 10 ppb limit on Ractopamine residues.

The DPP used this vote as a pretext to backpedal. Its behavior was ludicrous and shameless. First the DPP referred to U.S. beef as "poisoned beef." It demanded a "zero tolerance" policy. The DPP used the CAC vote to miraculously relabel "poisoned beef" as "approved beef." Suddenly the DPP no longer considered the 10 pbb approved by the CAC "poison." It no longer demanded a "zero tolerance" policy. Yet the day before, it denounced the 10 pbb called for by the KMT as "poison." It demanded a "zero tolerance" policy. The CAC has long been the EU livestock industry's political barricade against U.S. beef imports. The DPP knew this. It also knew Taipei's political situation. It knew we could not afford to play the same game as the EU. Suppose the CAC failed to arrive at a conclusion this year, just as it failed to arrive at any conclusion for the past four years? Would the DPP have occupied the Legislative Yuan podium in perpetuity?

The DPP has packed up its sleeping bags and decamped from legislature floor. It has abruptly changed its tune. It now says "The party has agreed to adopt international standards, and remain apace with the international community." The past six years have been a mockery. They have torn society apart. They have forced society to pay an inestimable social cost. In fact, the "international standards" were already in place. Over 100 countries and 300 million U.S. consumers already amounted to "international standards." The CAC standard was merely a belated reaffirmation of the existing standard. The entire process was a monumental charade. The real reason it occurred was that the DPP has no standards. For six long years, the DPP treated the public like idiots and played them for fools.

The U.S. beef imports issue is a classic example of DPP absurdity. ECFA is another. Between November 2nd and November 7th, 2008, ARATS President Chen Yunlin visited Taiwan. The DPP waved banners reading "Communist bandits, go home!" They launched a seven day long protest. They eventually occupied the lobby of a luxury hotel. Protestors outside threw Molotov cocktails, rocks, and even human excrement. They injured 164 police officers. Even the ambulances could not keep up. Since then, the DPP has continued to launch large scale demonstrations and protests, opposing direct links, Mainland tourists visiting Taiwan, and ECFA. It refers to these as "Trojan Horses," as "forfeiting sovereignty and demeaning the nation," as "pandering to [Mainland] China and selling out Taiwan." But when Tsai Ing-wen ran for president this year, she did a 180 degree about face. She declared that "The DPP accepts ECFA, in toto." She declared that "if the DPP returns to power, it will continue the cross-Strait policy of the previous administration." What was this, if not another U.S. beef imports farce?

First the DPP vowed to "shed blood resisting poisoned beef." Then it agreed to "accept international standards." First the DPP denounced ECFA as "pandering the [Mainland] China and selling out Taiwan." Then it vowed to "continue the cross-Strait policy of the previous administration." First it drew blood from police officers in the streets of Taipei, in November 2008. Then it occupied the Legislative Yuan podium in June 2012 and held an impromptu slumber party on the Legislative Yuan floor. Why is the DPP able to insult the public's intelligence? Why is the public on Taiwan willing to tolerate such abuse from the DPP?

Actually, inconsistency and flip-flopping is part of the DPP's makeup. When it was in power, it sang the praises of the Kuo Kuang Petrochemical Plant Project. When it found itself out of power, it reneged on everything it said. When it was in power, it supported the Number Four Nuclear Plant, and rushed to meet construction deadlines. When it found itself out of power, it sang the praises of a "nuclear-free homeland." When it was in power, it proclaimed the "Five Noes." When it found itself out of power, it changed its tune and spoke of "one country on each side." Every one of these is an iteration of the U.S. beef imports farce. Only the name of the play has changed. Only the scenery has changed. The plot is the same. If the DPP is not reneging on its word, then it is throwing up a smoke screen. Such is the nature of the DPP.

Remember the U.S. beef imports farce. It reveals the true nature of the DPP. It enables one to understand the DPP's deceit. Because it is the one thing that never changes. Everything the DPP does is a variation on the U.S. beef imports farce. Our only question is, when will the DPP search its conscience and change its ways? When will it forsake its U.S. beef imports tactic and get serious about governing the nation?

勿忘美牛案:台灣政治的荒謬經典
【聯合報╱社論】
2012.07.27

美牛案三讀通過。後人應當記取台灣政治史上極度荒謬的這一頁,否則台灣人的政治智慧將永遠不得長進。

美牛事件在六年前就是從一個荒謬決策開端的。二○○六年,中國大陸發生瘦肉精豬肉吃死人事件;扁政府為顯示台灣的飲食管理高於中國,遂心血來潮下令禁止瘦肉精。誰知在大陸吃死人的乃是劇毒的「克倫特羅」,扁政府卻糊裡糊塗地把美牛使用的「萊克多巴胺」也禁掉了;在此之前,台灣對美牛從未檢禁,亦即扁政府在二○○○年就任以後,當時的台灣人至少已吃了六年的萊劑美牛。然而,無厘頭的禁令既下,台美的摩擦及交涉即交錯發生;扁政府為回應美方,在二○○七年通告世貿組織(WTO),台灣將在萊劑殘留容許量五十pbb的標準下,開放牛肉、豬肉及內臟進口,且又通令檢疫單位「驗豬不驗牛」,因此至少又有十萬噸萊劑牛肉進了台灣人的胃囊。

如此這般為美牛護航放水的民進黨,至下野後,竟陡然翻臉不認人也不認帳,改口指美牛為「毒牛」,堅持萊劑「零檢出」;最後將這場荒謬劇推至最高潮的是,民進黨五天四夜霸占立院主席台,揚言不惜流血,誓死抵制毒牛,捍衛國民生命安全。

然而,美牛案於二十四日臨時會三讀,已經完全不見民進黨「流血抗毒牛」的瘋狂嘴臉。事態的轉折,緣於聯合國「國際食品法典委員會」(CAC)在七月五日票決,訂定萊劑殘留容許量為十pbb。

民進黨藉此下車,非但荒謬,而且無恥。首先,民進黨將美牛指為「毒牛」,堅持「零檢出」;但難道民進黨只憑CAC的票決,就可把「毒牛」改認「無毒」?又難道CAC主張的十pbb不是「毒」,不必「零檢出」;而國民黨版原本即主張的十pbb就是「毒」,就須「零檢出」?再者,CAC一向是歐盟畜牧業用以對抗美牛的政治槓桿,民進黨亦明知此事,也知以台灣的政治處境,絕無跟隨歐盟的條件;然則,倘若CAC今年仍像過去四年一樣對此沒有結論,民進黨難道仍要占著立院主席台到天長地久?

民進黨剛收拾起立院地板上的睡袋,忽又改口「本黨同意採取國際標準、與國際同步的立場」;這是何其荒謬的六年,撕裂了社會,付出了難以估計的社會成本!然而,「國際標準」其實早已存在,百餘美牛進口國及三億美國人皆是「國際標準」,CAC的「標準」反而是遲到的「標準」;這場翻天覆地的荒謬劇,最根本的原因其實是在民進黨完全沒有「標準」,把全體國人當作瘋子白癡而戲弄了整整六年!

美牛案是民進黨的荒謬經典,其實ECFA何嘗不也是異曲同工?二○○八年十一月二日至七日,海協會長陳雲林來訪,民進黨揮舞「共匪滾回去」的大纛,一連發動七天的抗爭;最後鬧到占據酒店大廳,在街頭丟汽油彈、石塊、排泄物,砸傷了一六四名員警,連救護車都不夠用。此後,民進黨又不斷發動巨型示威抗議,反直航,反陸客來台、反ECFA;謂這些皆是「木馬屠城」、「喪權辱國」、「傾中賣台」。然而,到了今年蔡英文競選總統,居然一百八十度改口稱「民進黨將對ECFA概括承受」,「若再執政將延續前朝兩岸政策」。這豈不是另一個「美牛案」?

從「流血抗毒牛」,到「同意採取國際標準」;從ECFA「傾中賣台」,到「延續前朝兩岸政策」;從二○○八年十一月台北街頭的警察濺血,到二○一二年六月立法院地板上的立委睡袋。民進黨為何敢於如此玩弄羞辱台灣人的智商?而台灣人又為何一再容忍民進黨如此蹂躪作踐台灣?

其實,出爾反爾、顛三倒四已是民進黨的DNA;在朝唱國光石化,下野一口否定;在朝促核四趕工,在野唱非核家園;上任唱「四不一沒有」,失勢改口「一邊一國」……。這些皆是一次又一次的「美牛案」,換個名目,換個場景,一次又一次地上演。如果不是出爾反爾、不是顛三倒四,就不是民進黨。

記住了美牛案這一部荒謬劇,即可看透民進黨的本性,並看懂民進黨的一貫伎倆;因為,萬變不離其宗,一切皆可謂是「美牛案」的異曲同工。我們的疑問是:民進黨何時能夠洗心革面,「超越」美牛案的荒謬?

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