Taiwan Tati Cultural and Educational Foundation

Chung-Hua Institution for Economic Research chairman Cyrus Chu (朱敬一) published an article in the Chinese-language United Daily News on April 19 entitled “Reducing taxes to save the economy is rubbish” (降稅救經濟是放屁!). The article fulminated against academics and politicians who support the nonsensical idea that the economy can be saved by lowering taxes.

Chu says it would be surprising if businesspeople did not want tax reductions, but if senior government officials think lowering taxes will save the economy, those politicians who mistake nonsense for the truth deserve to be blamed.

Former President Chen Shui-bian has been in jail for over 500 days on corruption charges while others found guilty of the same and other crimes were never jailed and walk free. Those walking free are from the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and People's First Party (PFP); Chen is from the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP). Chen has been denied the human right of proper defense and proper lawyer client privileges. His judge was replaced when he did not give the desired verdict wanted by Chen's opponents who work for Taiwan's current president Ma Ying-jeou. Many of those associated with the President Chen's case have been jailed in an attempt to force them to fabricate, create and/or provide incriminating evidence against Chen. No one involved with the numerous other corruption cases of the KMT and PFP have been treated this way. For the moment, however, let's leave aside the double standard of justice in Taiwan. There is time enough for that later. Today I just want to describe the conditions one experiences if he/she visits former President Chen.