Tsai Ying-wen Beware, Taiwan Independence is “Just Business”

Tsai Ying-wen Beware, Taiwan Independence is “Just Business” 
China Times Editorial (Taipei, Taiwan, ROC) 
A Translation 
October 5, 2016

Executive Summary: Tsai Ing-wen must be careful. Do those who surround her consider Taiwan independence nothing more than an investment? If so, when their business is done, nothing will remain. No ideals, only opportunism. Their unfounded allegations are as changeable as the wind. They can turn on one in the blink of an eye. They can live high on the hog, with their nonsense treated as profundities. But allow them to become Taiwan independence icons, allow them to act as ideological police, or spokesmen for deep green orthodoxy, and the road ahead for the DPP government will be a rocky one indeed.

Full Text Below:

DPP Chairman Tsai Ing-wen told party members she intends to "strenuously resist China [sic]”. Since then, Chen era political rhetoric has experienced something of a revival. People who were once objective and rational have suddenly changed their tune and become overnight converts to Taiwan independence. May are afraid they will not be perceived as sufficient pro-Taiwan independence, hence condemned as as “Com symps”. Former academic turned talking head Peng Wen-chen is a good example. A fellow pundit has described Peng's pro-Taiwan independence rants as "good business".
                                                                                                                                                                       
So “Taiwan independence is good business”, is it? That is truly ironic. Taiwan independence was once a political movement, an ideology. Alas, in 2005, then President Chen Shui-bian publicly conceded that changing the name of the nation to the “Republic of Taiwan” was impossible. "We cannot kid ourselves. We cannot kid others" he said, “Impossible means impossible”. From that moment on, “Taiwan independence” was demoted to a symbol, a tool, and an ornament. It became nothing more than a litmus test of one's loyalty to the green camp. This was especially true following the change in ruling parties. Overnight, many became Taiwan independence champions. Fearful of being insufficiently "green", they rushed to prove their allegiance to Taiwan independence. Many reaped generous benefits from their newfound loyalty. For them, Taiwan independence was indeed good business, and a profitable investment.

The biggest benefits were low overhead, large profits, and low risk. For example, one need no loner brave Military Police truncheons and tear gas. One need no longer lie down in the streets, or sit alone in prison cells. Some even opposed Taiwan independence in the past. But none of that matters now. One need only shout Taiwan independence more loudly, act more ruthlessly, and behave more boldly than the next person. One need only seize the nearst bully pulpit, and instantly acquire countless followers. Whatever nonsense one spouts will be applauded. Whatever lies one utters will be given unwarranted credibility. So it was during the Chen Shui-bian years, when many suddenly discovered a newfound “love for Taiwan". They never spoke of Taiwan independence in the past. But suddenly they find themselves shouting it louder than anyone around them. They even put others under the microscope, to see if their commitment to Taiwan independence measures up to their own.

The Taiwan independence business is so good, someone is always ready to do it. Most of those who choose to engage in it are high profile green camp talking heads. The overwhelming majority of them have contributed nothing to Taiwan independence. More than a few hail from the blue camp. They have shifted with the political winds and suddenly turned green. Even a casual search will reveal many who are "suddenly blue, then suddenly green". They adopt certain media channels as a their base of operations. They hold forth on any and all topics. They rely on “advertising fees” to survive. Their annual salaries approach 10 million NTD. They criticize the blue camp, and make excuses for the ruling green camp. They act as go betweens for certain factions. During elections they appear at all the rallies. Ruling green camp freshmen must kowtow before them. They reap an embarrassment of riches. How is this not good business?

Take Peng Wen-cheng for example, who has recently exploded on the scene. He was never considered pro-Taiwan independence in the past. Now however he is "planting the seedlings of genuine independence". His profile is higher than that of anyone around him. His high profit investment enables him to get away with much. For example, he can get away with fabricating falsehoods, including falsehood relating to the Mega Financial Services controversy. From start to finish, he leveled hurled wild accusations against Chou Mei-ching, King Pu-tsung, and Ma Ying-jeou. All of his allegations were eventually proved false. Yet he offered no apology. It is hard to believe he taught journalism in school. For example, he can also get away with McCarthyite character assassination, accusing some journalists of being "Chinese media", or "pro-Chinese media". He has regurgitated these tired green media tropes verbatim.

He can get away with all manner of wrongdoing. He violated legal ethics when he hosted a long running TV program. He coerced NTU into endorsing him, thereby undermining the school's public image. Under pressure from public opinion he was eventually forced to resign. Was he motivated by a desire for revenge? In any event, he directly intervened in NCC personnel appointments, and put the DPP government on the spot.

Tsai Ing-wen must be careful. Do those who surround her consider Taiwan independence nothing more than an investment? If so, when their business is done, nothing will remain. No ideals, only opportunism. Their unfounded allegations are as changeable as the wind. They can turn on one in the blink of an eye. They can live high on the hog, with their nonsense treated as profundities. But allow them to become Taiwan independence icons, allow them to act as ideological police, or spokesmen for deep green orthodoxy, and the road ahead for the DPP government will be a rocky one indeed.

台獨只是門生意 蔡英文當心
2016/10/7 中國時報

民進黨主席蔡英文發表給黨員的公開信宣稱「力抗中國」後，扁政府年代盛行一時的政治語言瞬間大復活。一些過往自居理性客觀的人士也頃刻間變臉，成了「台獨基本教義派」，彷彿怕別人懷疑他們成分不夠「獨」，迫不及待到處「抹紅」，學者轉戰名嘴的彭文正恰是其中顯例，他近日在談話節目發表的諸多不堪言行，被另一位媒體人形容是「彭文正們之台獨是門好生意」。

「台獨是門好生意」，真是句有趣且反諷的隱喻，台獨或許曾經是一個政治運動，一種意識型態，但在前總統陳水扁於2005年公開坦承，將國號改為台灣共和國，「不能騙自己也不能騙別人，做不到就是做不到」之後，「台獨」就化變成一種符號、一種工具、甚至是一種裝飾，它成為在綠營內部測試忠誠度的溫度計，特別是那些在政黨再輪替後，冒出一堆所謂的「忽然獨派」，為了焦慮自已「綠」的成分不夠純，紛紛搶先表態挺「獨」，不少人也確實因此爭取到若干吃香喝辣的機會，對他們而言，台獨當然是筆好生意，也是值得的投資。

這種投資的最大好處，就是成本低且利潤高，而且毋須承擔太多風險。譬如說你不必像過去一樣，要奔走呼號、要忍受憲警的木棍與催淚彈、要躺上街頭、要坐黑牢，甚至過去還曾反對過台獨，但現在已經不重要了，只要喊得比別人大聲，比別人更狠、更大膽就夠了。重點是只要你搶到發聲平台，就能瞬間聚集一批速成粉絲，你怎麼胡說八道都有人喝采，還能享有超過比例原則的話語權，就像當年陳水扁執政年代的那些「忽然愛台派」一樣，過去從來不講台獨，卻瞬間叫得比誰都大聲，還高姿態檢查別人愛台灣的成分夠不夠。

就是因為這種生意實在太好做了，總是有人前仆後繼跟進，這其中最大的族群就是那些親綠名嘴，他們絕大多數不曾為「台獨」做過任何貢獻，甚至不少還是系出藍營，隨著政治風向瞬間將自己染「綠」。隨便考證一下，就不難發現其中「忽藍忽綠」還不在少數。他們盤據特定頻道做為山頭，什麼議題都能扯，也都敢扯，靠著領通告費起家，個個年薪逼近千萬，他們除了痛批藍營之外，還經常對執政的綠營說三道四，為特定派系喬事，選舉時還個個都出去站台，當政的綠朝新貴都得要看他們的臉色，這麼多的好處，又如何不是筆好生意？

就以最近爆紅的彭文正為例，他以前從不曾被歸類為「獨派」，如今不僅「根苗正獨」，而且姿態擺得比誰都高。他這筆投資的高利潤，呈現在他立即所取得的若干特權。譬如說，他享有胡亂編故事的權力，兆豐金的爭議，他一路從周美青、金溥聰扯到馬英九，故事情節編得天花亂墜，後來證明全是子虛烏有，他一句澄清道歉也沒有，還繼續在瞎編，很難想像他當年在學校還是「教新聞」的。再譬如說，他也享有扣紅帽子的特權，胡亂指控某些媒體是「中資媒體」或「親中媒體」，這些昔日綠營與媒改人士早就炒作過的舊語言，他又全套一一複製，樂此不疲。

他還取得胡作非為的特權，當年他一邊在台大擔任專任教職，一邊在電視台主持常態節目，違反法令倫理，還逼得台大以產學合作名義為他背書，台大的形象都為他一個人賠進去，在輿論壓力下才被迫辭去教職。不知是否挾怨報復，他就直接了當介入NCC人事，弄得民進黨政府都很困擾。

蔡英文真得小心啊，如果身邊的人只是拿著「台獨」當投資、當生意做，沒有什麼理念，只知投機，憑一張嘴翻雲覆雨、信口雌黃，什麼時候風向變了，隨時可能瞬間變臉反噬。讓他們吃香喝辣之外，還把他們的胡說八道當一回事，讓他們作為「台獨」的標竿或象徵，甚至讓他們擔任思想警察，成為深綠的代言人，那麼未來的執政之路恐怕會更辛苦。