Taiwan as the World Continues to Turn: Taichung Mayor Jason Hu Delights in Being King of Sleaze?

Wednesday November 03, by Jerome F. Keating Ph.D.

Taichung Mayor Jason Hu must be longing for the good old Carpetbagger, One-party State days of Chiang Kai-shek when Bo Yang could be given nine years for somewhat satirical Popeye cartoons he published. At issue is a recent campaign video Jason Hu's group put out about some twin sisters strutting their stuff and saying they were "Hu's girls."

After the video came out, Kuso Cat satirized it to accentuate the fact that Taichung under eight years of Hu, remains a city known for its sex industry and gambling. Who are Hu's girls? Hu's campaign people of course wanted the Kuso Cat scoundrels thrown in jail for stating the obvious about their leader.

If one watches the video, Hu comes off as the roly-poly Herod of Jesus Christ Superstar who seems to delight in being what some might call the king of sleaze. "Elect me for four more years and I will expand it into the county," he seems to say.

Anyone in Taiwan who isn't blind would also be conscious of how just months ago, an alleged gangster was gunned down in his offices while Hu's police force were playing mah-jong with him. This seems to be standard practice for Hu's boys in blue; so the Kuso Cat video satirized the reality of Hu's girls.

Yes, Jason Hu must be wishing for the good old days when anyone satirizing those in office, however true it is, could be tossed in the slammer. Will Hu's lawyers want to file a law suit? Or will they just send out some gangsters to rough up Kuso Cat?

That is one question, but the more important question is what do the voters of Taichung think? Maybe they delight in seeing Hu's Spice Girls? Maybe they like the excitement of shoot-outs between gangster rivals while Hu's boys dive for cover. You get what you deserve and Hu and Taichung seem to deserve each other.