Ma Ying-jeou, the Excuses Keep Coming
Sunday June 08, by Jerome F. Keating Ph.D.
There is more to being president than making promises and taking pictures. Does anyone remember Ma Ying-jeou's touted "long stay" in the south; the one where he spent a brief time with the people there to supposedly show his sympathy and understanding? That was the same stay that the infamous "farmer's daughter" incident came up and Ma's spin doctors tried to create a cultic image only to have it blow up in their faces. Well the touted long stay has turned into a short, very short memory.
Barely weeks after Ma's inauguration, Taiwan's south was recently hit by torrential rains and flooding, ruining crops etc. Ma sympathetic response to their plight was, "Sorry, I have no time for this," I hope to get more press mileage and photos by participating in the Dragon Boat Festival in Taipei. It gives me a chance to show off that I am a sportsman, but maybe next year.
Yes the election is past, and in justification, Ma with his standard doublespeak, dodged presidential responsibility and put the onus on the Constitution and the Premier. You see, according to Ma, the Constitution designates that this it is the Premier's job and Ma would never want to violate the Constitution. Is it Ma's job to send the Premier to the south? Well the Constitution does not obligate him there either and Ma would never violate the Constitution.
- Does the Constitution say that Ma should participate in the Dragon Boat Races? Well no, but that's different, there are a lot of photo opportunities there. What about the large financial cost of providing an extra 200 special service people to guard Ma while he is in the races in Taipei? Well that is unfortunate, but the taxpayers should be willing to bear it because it shows that Ma is "out with the people"
- the people in the north not the south.
Poseur, artful dodger, image seeker? This is the Ma we have observed over the years, always ready with an excuse for his actions, skin deep in his commitments. Here interestingly enough while Ma's secretary took the fall for his misuse of state funds, it is the Constitution that is to blame. It's not Ma's job. And the people in the south who voted for Ma because he supposedly cared for them? Well read the Constitution; you got what you voted for, or what you accepted the bribes for.