Ma Ying-joke's Alternate Universe

Monday August 04, by Jerome F. Keating Ph.D.

Ma Ying-joke, the naive president of Taiwan continues to live in his own little alternate universe, a universe so distant that no one can figure out where he is coming from. If you remember that yesterday I posted on how Ma boasted of the great diplomatic coup his staff had achieved by getting China to agree to use the term Zhonghua Taibei instead of Zhongguo Taibei in reference to Taiwan in the Olympics. The reality was that all they had gotten China to do is to agree to honor what it had pledged back ages ago.

This was supposedly Ma's great accomplishment that China would honor what it should have been honoring anyway and go back to keeping its promises. My comment was that this great accomplishment would last only until China once again decided to violate its commitments. The words were no sooner out of my mouth and put into print when bang it happened. China went back to its old ways of using Zhongguo Taibei. China Central Television (CCTV) today described Taiwan's gold medalist in taekwondo as being from Zhongguo Taibei. So much for Ma's great accomplishment; but Ma is not worried; he will continue to make excuses, extend goodwill to China and speak of his great accomplishments.

Still in this alternate universe, Ma Ying-joke keeps on trying to emphasize how Taiwan's status in the world had allegedly deteriorated in the past eight years but he is now going to set it straight. The reality is that in Ma's two months, Taiwan has already lost so much. It has lost what it took twelve years of democracy to build up. Yet, unfortunately for Taiwan, the tale does not end here.

At a dinner to honor former foreign ministers Ma went on to try to convince us that his living in la-la land would promote confidence in Taiwan and strengthen its ties with allies. His policy would be to agree to disagree with China. Say what? First, isn't this what Chen Shui-bian had been constantly accused of, "disagreeing with China?" Second when has Ma ever disagreed with China? If anything he is always trying to placate and make excuses for China as China goes on its merry way. Someone must tell Ma that dreams, wishes and platitudes do not work in the international arena.

It still is not over. Ma also praised the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for its peaceful and calm response to the recent Diaoytai islands incident in June. Peaceful and calm? Blown out of proportion is more like it. Didn't Ma's Prime Minister postulate that Taiwan might have to go to war with its long time ally Japan? Does Ma ever listen to what was said or happened the day or week before? Does he believe that regardless of what was said, platitudes will solve the day? Does anyone know what universe Ma is in?