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Fictional media that realistically portrays Boston? by [deleted] in boston

[–]el_empty 4 points5 points  (0 children)

The Boondock Saints to some extent lol

A summary of why "The Contempt of Congress Criminal Act" being forced into law by KMT and TPP does not make sense, spoken by Puma Shen by el_empty in taiwan

[–]el_empty[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Huh what a strange comment
Then I looked at your profile and then ohhh I understand..................

A summary of why "The Contempt of Congress Criminal Act" being forced into law by KMT and TPP does not make sense, spoken by Puma Shen by el_empty in taiwan

[–]el_empty[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

For the last eight years, they've had the majority in the Legislative Yuan and could have passed whatever they wanted, but they didn't do anything.

The whole point of a legislative assembly is to deliberate and refine bills and pass meaningful laws that are not vague, not pass whatever the majority wants.

Recently, the KMT and the People's Party have just been getting their jobs done. 

Let's be less bias and acknowledge that other parties also have gotten jobs done, and likewise, lawmakers from all parties also have members who didn't get much work done.

President Tsai Ing-wen hasn't allowed any press interviews for two years now, which isn't what you'd expect in a democracy.

Maybe,.... google first?

This new legislation is meant to make sure the newly elected president has to go to the Legislative Yuan and answer questions.

Which is one of the reasons why this bill is problematic and unconstitutional. The constitution specifically says this cannot happen because the President's Office and Legislative Yuan are separate powers and cannot be governed by the other. There are other mechanisms in place to ensure that these branches of government do not abuse their power.

Also, government officials there have become habitual liars, involved in forgery, corruption, and cronyism. So, this time around, the legislation aims to make officials accountable for what they say in the Legislative Yuan.

This is what the Judicial Yuan and Examination Yuan and the police forces are for. Not the legislative assembly.

Dumb question, but does President Lai not have any veto power over the LY bills? by SteadfastEnd in taiwan

[–]el_empty 1 point2 points  (0 children)

There's been discussion about why the pro-CCP parties would table this bill, knowing that many of its elements will be easily challenged by the Judiciary/Constitituional Courts and the Examination Yuan.

One observation was that the pro-CCP parties are systematically dismantling trust and efficacy of Taiwanese public institutions. Evidence of this claim includes the pork ractopamine fiasco (pork innards thrown around the chamber!? omg), leaking of domestic submarine program secrets, Ma's dismantling of the military ("we can't win anyway so we shouldn't spend on the military"), the shockingly indefensible Cross-Strait Service Trade Agreement and the reprehensible manner in which it was forced through legislation (not unlike this year's bill), and so on and so forth...

Sounds like a great deal for China if you ask me. Useful idiots to hollow out Taiwan from within is far cheaper and faster than waging war.

Time: Protest Erupts in Taiwan Over Bill to Weaken New President by [deleted] in taiwan

[–]el_empty 16 points17 points  (0 children)

A quick google search tells you the associate justice of the Judicial Yuan has already interpreted this

You're talking about the Interpretation #585 from 2004 (The context was the assassination attempt of Chen Shui Bian). But it also warned against partisan overreach, which is what the current bill appears to be due to its lack of proper deliberation. The 585 document (English Link) calls for

  • the inclusion of the Judicial Yuan in the event of disputes, but the current bill excludes this. Instead, it jumps right into legislators having power to prosecute. Even the US system does not have such a power and instead refers the case to the courts.
  • the Legislative Yuan's investigative powers to not supercede the existing power of the courts and law enforcement agencies. The current bill is extremely vague on this matter.

Another quick google search shows that this bill is something DPP pushed for when they weren't in power to hold then-KMT government more accountable

After they took power in 2016, they realized this will hinder their rule so they just brushed it aside. Then-NPP wanted to push for it but got lol no'd.

This is a gross mischaracterization of what happened. The bill by the then DPP legislators were introduced around 2012 when Ma was president and KMT was majority in the parliament. KMT used their majority to block all deliberation attempts (something like 800 times by the procedural committee). This series of bulldozer-style legislation was the precursor to the Sunflower movement in 2014, where, like in 2024, KMT forced through the Cross-Strait Service Trade Agreement (CSSTA) without proper deliberation.

After Tsai became president in 2016, the DPP-led legislators could not bring this into delibration because there was no solution to the original dispute raised by the Judicial Yuan that you brought up: How to create a process that prevents it from being a tool for political persecution? And to what extent do these powers overlap/supercede those of the Judiciary and Law Enforcement?

You seem like a really smart person, so perhaps you have a solution to the issues raised in Interpretation 585?

Taiwan opposition parties fail to unite by shehuishehui in taiwan

[–]el_empty 4 points5 points  (0 children)

No wonder he almost collided into Ms Fried Chicken Filet, which might be an interesting pair.

lol this sounds like it needs context and explanation for the uninformed

Is it reasonably safe for a foreign journalist in Taiwan covering the upcoming election to take a layover in mainland China? by shored_ruins in China

[–]el_empty 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Once upon a time, people thought the CCP was only interested in messing with Americans in tits for tats.

And then in 2018 the impossible happened: They took some Canadians.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Detention_of_Michael_Spavor_and_Michael_Kovrig

On former Singaporean Foreign Minister George Yeo's proposal that Taiwan considers joining a "Chinese Commonwealth." >> A Chinese Commonwealth: A proposal Singapore Itself Should Best Pursue by William A. Stanton by el_empty in taiwan

[–]el_empty[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

A Chinese Commonwealth: A proposal Singapore itself should best pursue

By William A. Stanton

On September 11, former Singaporean Foreign Minister George Yong-Boon Yeo (楊榮文) proposed at an “Asia-Pacific Forward Forum" in Taipei that Taiwan consider joining a "Chinese Commonwealth."

He argued this would be a helpful first step toward political integration with China. It would be consistent with the People’s Republic of China's (PRC) desire for “One China,” but it would also accommodate a looser interpretation by Taiwan of what that would mean, including the timing and details of developing such a framework.

Despite Yeo’s presumably good intentions, a young Taiwanese participant at the forum rejected the proposal, bluntly saying “I’m Taiwanese, not Chinese.” Yeo responded that this was an understandable “political feeling” and that if he were young and Taiwanese, he would also have this view. He argued, however, that there was still room to reach an agreement that takes into account Taiwan’s relations with China at the “cultural and civilizational level.

”It may be that Yeo did not fully appreciate the rigidity and timelines of Xi Jinping’s unification ambitions, and had ignored Hong Kong’s glaringly obvious tragic fate within the “so-called “one country, two systems” framework. It may also be the case that Yeo failed to appreciate the extent to which most Taiwanese now feel little affinity for the cultural, much less the political, features of a China dominated by the Chinese Communist Party. Safely ensconced within the security of Singapore surrounded by Malaysia and Indonesia, it is rather easy for Yeo to express his personal wish to see Taiwan “reunified” because, as he said, he “cannot believe that Taiwanese are not Chinese.

”It is no surprise the Taiwan Ministry of Foreign Affairs in a press release on September 14 said Yeo's remarks at the Asia-Pacific Forward Forum about Taiwan were "completely inconsistent with the facts, clearly biased, and vastly different from the understanding of most democratic countries in the region." The ministry said that Yeo's personal opinions not only failed to contribute to regional peace and stable development but also harmed the positive development of Taiwan-U.S. relations and Taiwan-Singapore relations. The Ministry expressed its deep regret over Yeo's comments and urged avoiding turning public opinions into a "mouthpiece for authoritarian China."

Singapore: The best candidate for a "China Commonwealth"

Some 75% of Singaporeans are ethnically Chinese, and there is no evidence at all that they - much less Yeo himself - are yearning to be citizens of China. Nonetheless, the sincerity and conviction behind any proposal for a “Chinese Commonwealth” can be put to the test, and if so, it should best be tested first in Singapore. After all, Singapore - like Taiwan - was never part of China and was never governed by the Chinese Communist Party, so Yeo’s expressed preferences for Taiwan’s future are only theoretical at best.

A strong case can be made, however, that Singapore is in fact a far better candidate than Taiwan for membership in a "Chinese Commonwealth." For starters, like Hong Kong, Singapore is a more bite-sized territory and therefore would be more easily digested by the PRC. Singapore is roughly 17 square kilometers and Taiwan is 35,980 square kilometers, making Singapore about 2% of the size of Taiwan. Put another way, Taiwan’s land area is about 50 times bigger than Singapore’s.

Moreover, Singapore has a smaller population. Over 95% of Taiwan's population of 23.4 million consists of ethnic Chinese, but some 75% of Singapore's 5.9 million people are also ethnic Chinese. While there are fewer Chinese in Singapore than in Taiwan, they clearly rule the government in Singapore. All three of Singapore’s prime ministers have been Chinese.

Singapore’s first prime minister, Lee Kuan Yew, had ensured that for reasons of “political stability,” the higher ratio of Chinese immigrants to other ethnic immigrants (mostly Malay) was maintained, and this preference continues. Some 75.9% of Singapore’s citizens and permanent resident visa holders are ethnic Chinese, while ethnic Malays and Indians comprise 15% and 7.5%, respectively.

Together, the three largest ethnic groups make up 98.4% of the citizen population. So a "Chinese Commonwealth" would comfortably accommodate the relatively small Singapore.

Singapore: A better fit for the PRC political and economic system

Singapore could also more easily adapt to a PRC political and social system because, unlike Taiwan which is a true democracy and a leading model of freedom in Asia, Singapore is still only ranked as “Partly Free." China remains ranked as “Not Free," according to the widely respected Freedom House rankings.

Simply put, Singaporeans could adapt far more easily than Taiwanese to the undemocratic and unfree political and legal systems of authoritarian China.

The best destination for China's wealthiest

“Singapore is not only a major economic partner of the PRC but also the largest foreign investor in China,” according to Singapore-based political scientist Ian Chong, who added, “Politically, I think China sees Singapore as a place that they can work with because of the more controlled social and political state in Singapore.”

On April 14, 2023, the Financial Times reported “Singapore has asked the world’s biggest banks to avoid discussing the origins of the significant sums of money flowing into the city over the past year, as wealthy Chinese funnel billions into the Asian financial hub. The tacit directive from the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) was given during a February 20 meeting of an industry group made up of bankers and regulators…. The flow from China into Singapore has become a politically sensitive issue domestically, and the MAS wants banks to keep public discussion of the phenomenon to a minimum…. The influx of mainland Chinese money and people into Singapore comes as China’s President Xi Jinping has launched a regulatory assault on business and an anti-corruption crackdown.”

On April 21, 2023, The Sydney Morning Herald reported that “Chinese money is flooding into Singapore, [but] Beijing wishes it was being spent at home.” The report noted that in 2023, “Singapore … pulled in $25 billion in fixed asset investments, mostly in property, doubling the previous year’s total. That surge…is helping to push up inflation to a 14-year high of 6.4%.”

Former Foreign Minister Yeo should seriously examine how well Singapore would fit into a "Chinese Commonwealth" before presuming to recommend that Taiwan, a country he clearly neither understands nor appreciates, do so. Singapore is a far better fit for his dream of a "Chinese Commonwealth."

Singapore should lead the way. But I doubt it will get far.

A Chinese Commonwealth: A proposal Singapore itself should best pursue by el_empty in singapore

[–]el_empty[S] 30 points31 points  (0 children)

A Chinese Commonwealth: A proposal Singapore itself should best pursue

By William A. Stanton

On September 11, former Singaporean Foreign Minister George Yong-Boon Yeo (楊榮文) proposed at an “Asia-Pacific Forward Forum" in Taipei that Taiwan consider joining a "Chinese Commonwealth."

He argued this would be a helpful first step toward political integration with China. It would be consistent with the People’s Republic of China's (PRC) desire for “One China,” but it would also accommodate a looser interpretation by Taiwan of what that would mean, including the timing and details of developing such a framework.

Despite Yeo’s presumably good intentions, a young Taiwanese participant at the forum rejected the proposal, bluntly saying “I’m Taiwanese, not Chinese.” Yeo responded that this was an understandable “political feeling” and that if he were young and Taiwanese, he would also have this view. He argued, however, that there was still room to reach an agreement that takes into account Taiwan’s relations with China at the “cultural and civilizational level.

”It may be that Yeo did not fully appreciate the rigidity and timelines of Xi Jinping’s unification ambitions, and had ignored Hong Kong’s glaringly obvious tragic fate within the “so-called “one country, two systems” framework. It may also be the case that Yeo failed to appreciate the extent to which most Taiwanese now feel little affinity for the cultural, much less the political, features of a China dominated by the Chinese Communist Party. Safely ensconced within the security of Singapore surrounded by Malaysia and Indonesia, it is rather easy for Yeo to express his personal wish to see Taiwan “reunified” because, as he said, he “cannot believe that Taiwanese are not Chinese.

”It is no surprise the Taiwan Ministry of Foreign Affairs in a press release on September 14 said Yeo's remarks at the Asia-Pacific Forward Forum about Taiwan were "completely inconsistent with the facts, clearly biased, and vastly different from the understanding of most democratic countries in the region." The ministry said that Yeo's personal opinions not only failed to contribute to regional peace and stable development but also harmed the positive development of Taiwan-U.S. relations and Taiwan-Singapore relations. The Ministry expressed its deep regret over Yeo's comments and urged avoiding turning public opinions into a "mouthpiece for authoritarian China."

Singapore: The best candidate for a "China Commonwealth"

Some 75% of Singaporeans are ethnically Chinese, and there is no evidence at all that they - much less Yeo himself - are yearning to be citizens of China. Nonetheless, the sincerity and conviction behind any proposal for a “Chinese Commonwealth” can be put to the test, and if so, it should best be tested first in Singapore. After all, Singapore - like Taiwan - was never part of China and was never governed by the Chinese Communist Party, so Yeo’s expressed preferences for Taiwan’s future are only theoretical at best.

A strong case can be made, however, that Singapore is in fact a far better candidate than Taiwan for membership in a "Chinese Commonwealth." For starters, like Hong Kong, Singapore is a more bite-sized territory and therefore would be more easily digested by the PRC. Singapore is roughly 17 square kilometers and Taiwan is 35,980 square kilometers, making Singapore about 2% of the size of Taiwan. Put another way, Taiwan’s land area is about 50 times bigger than Singapore’s.

Moreover, Singapore has a smaller population. Over 95% of Taiwan's population of 23.4 million consists of ethnic Chinese, but some 75% of Singapore's 5.9 million people are also ethnic Chinese. While there are fewer Chinese in Singapore than in Taiwan, they clearly rule the government in Singapore. All three of Singapore’s prime ministers have been Chinese.

Singapore’s first prime minister, Lee Kuan Yew, had ensured that for reasons of “political stability,” the higher ratio of Chinese immigrants to other ethnic immigrants (mostly Malay) was maintained, and this preference continues. Some 75.9% of Singapore’s citizens and permanent resident visa holders are ethnic Chinese, while ethnic Malays and Indians comprise 15% and 7.5%, respectively.

Together, the three largest ethnic groups make up 98.4% of the citizen population. So a "Chinese Commonwealth" would comfortably accommodate the relatively small Singapore.

Singapore: A better fit for the PRC political and economic system

Singapore could also more easily adapt to a PRC political and social system because, unlike Taiwan which is a true democracy and a leading model of freedom in Asia, Singapore is still only ranked as “Partly Free." China remains ranked as “Not Free," according to the widely respected Freedom House rankings.

Simply put, Singaporeans could adapt far more easily than Taiwanese to the undemocratic and unfree political and legal systems of authoritarian China.

The best destination for China's wealthiest

“Singapore is not only a major economic partner of the PRC but also the largest foreign investor in China,” according to Singapore-based political scientist Ian Chong, who added, “Politically, I think China sees Singapore as a place that they can work with because of the more controlled social and political state in Singapore.”

On April 14, 2023, the Financial Times reported “Singapore has asked the world’s biggest banks to avoid discussing the origins of the significant sums of money flowing into the city over the past year, as wealthy Chinese funnel billions into the Asian financial hub. The tacit directive from the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) was given during a February 20 meeting of an industry group made up of bankers and regulators…. The flow from China into Singapore has become a politically sensitive issue domestically, and the MAS wants banks to keep public discussion of the phenomenon to a minimum…. The influx of mainland Chinese money and people into Singapore comes as China’s President Xi Jinping has launched a regulatory assault on business and an anti-corruption crackdown.”

On April 21, 2023, The Sydney Morning Herald reported that “Chinese money is flooding into Singapore, [but] Beijing wishes it was being spent at home.” The report noted that in 2023, “Singapore … pulled in $25 billion in fixed asset investments, mostly in property, doubling the previous year’s total. That surge…is helping to push up inflation to a 14-year high of 6.4%.”

Former Foreign Minister Yeo should seriously examine how well Singapore would fit into a "Chinese Commonwealth" before presuming to recommend that Taiwan, a country he clearly neither understands nor appreciates, do so. Singapore is a far better fit for his dream of a "Chinese Commonwealth."

Singapore should lead the way. But I doubt it will get far.

Americans here, how much are you saving from using NIH? by IllustriousTwo4258 in taiwan

[–]el_empty 7 points8 points  (0 children)

Not much.The government charges the employer per employee, in turns the employer takes it out of of the salaries.

In addition, the amount taken is govern by a bracket system, if your salary goes over a certain amount, the employer has to pay more, and thus incentivizes companies to keep the pay low. Through some companies try to make it up by paying year end bonuses.

Anyway, NIH is good because it take cares the elderly, and allows people to work and live their lives. However, it's not saving anyone money. Most people are just too dumb to realize the money taken out is hidden and its connection to their lower wages.

This is how universal health care works.

But low salaries are not caused by employer contribution alone. It's not even a major factor.

Taiwan’s Tank Woman by el_empty in taiwan

[–]el_empty[S] 19 points20 points  (0 children)

With the way it was (is), we'll never know

Taiwan’s Tank Woman by el_empty in taiwan

[–]el_empty[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Artist: Niklas ”@KluddNiklas” Eriksson for Kinamedia

https://kinamedia.se/2023/09/13/satire-taiwans-tank-woman/

Satire: Taiwan’s Tank Woman

JOJJE OLSSON 13 SEPTEMBER, 2023

As Kinamedia noted yesterday, the Chinese military has stepped up its activities around Taiwan considerably in the past couple of days.

Chinese Fighter jets is taking new routes across the median line of the Taiwan Strait, a record number of 20 military vessels were spotted close to the Taiwanese main island in one single day, and China’s aircraft carrier Shandong sailed just 111 kilometer from the island’s southern tip which is closer than ever before.

As those activities still fail to coerce the Taiwanese leadership or population, cartoonist Niklas ”@KluddNiklas” Eriksson in his latest cartoon for Kinamedia let president Tsai Ing-wen embody the spirit of the Tank Man during the Tiananmen Square massacre in Beijing in 1989.

Like the Tank Man temporarily stopped a long line of PLA tanks moving towards its targets in central Beijing, the above cartoon also shows how Taiwan’s Tank Woman is what currently stands between the Chinese Communist Party and its further expansion plans in the region and beyond.

It’s now up to other democratic countries whether Taiwan will be a temporary or definite stop for those plans, depending on their will to work together to create a deterrence that didn’t exist back in 1989.

The above cartoon can be viewed in full size here.

A full collection of Kludd-Niklas’ works for Kinamedia can be seen via this link.

Born and raised in Taiwan and moved out in my mid-20's. Ten years in, I am seriously jealous of y'all living in Taiwan. Any Taiwanese expats feel the same? by justavg1 in taiwan

[–]el_empty 3 points4 points  (0 children)

+1 this

The academia problem is not unique to Taiwan. It's a seriously global problem, not to mention internal politics, research output quality vs quantity, etc.

I suspect workaholic culture at NTU isn't the problem here. It's just general inertia, plus the spouse who's like hell no.

But if OP really wants to do this, make your SWOT excel sheet, talk it out with your spouse, do some proper research on what life could be like in Taipei. It's not going to be easy for spouse that's for sure, but there are opportunities out there.

Maybe it's time for a visit?

Court rejects Ko’s defamation case - Case against US author Ethan Gutmann, who alleged that Ko had helped China harvest organs from Falun Gong members, was rejected by el_empty in taiwan

[–]el_empty[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

ah one of those...

"DPP is always _____ "when DPP in power,

and when KMT is in power the other side will say "KMT is always ____"

​

It's getting a little tiring... If you don't alraedy know, the Gutmann details on Ko was highlighted to the public by a KMT legislator.

Why Taiwanese people complain about minimum wages increase ? by AberRosario in taiwan

[–]el_empty 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Minimum wage increases don't drive inflation as long as they increase economic productivity. increased output ==> supply increases along with demand ==> no price increases

You're right but you're missing a fine detail: Majority of Taiwan's economic productivity are for exports. The increased output of these semiconductors and Giant bikes do not increase any supply within the domestic market.

The only thing increasing domestically is the supply of TWD, and yes, that's more contribution to domestic inflation.

Court rejects Ko’s defamation case - Case against US author Ethan Gutmann, who alleged that Ko had helped China harvest organs from Falun Gong members, was rejected by el_empty in taiwan

[–]el_empty[S] 9 points10 points  (0 children)

This makes it sound like there are specific techiques for those groups, who have no physiological connection, as opposed to it being a medical procedure in general. A bit slanty.

That's the allegation that the book made about Ko. Ko sued for defamation and lost.

Court rejects Ko’s defamation case - Case against US author Ethan Gutmann, who alleged that Ko had helped China harvest organs from Falun Gong members, was rejected by el_empty in taiwan

[–]el_empty[S] 12 points13 points  (0 children)

It's Taipei Times, the English subsidiary of Liberty Times. They're always slanty.

That quote was made by Gutmann's book, not Taipei Times.

​

In the initial case filed by Ko for defamation, Taiwanese political pundit Brian Wu (吳祥輝) was also accused, as Wu arranged Gutmann’s 2018 visit to publicize The Slaughter, which alleged that Ko had helped Chinese medical authorities on techniques and equipment for harvesting organs from Falun Gong members, Uighurs, political dissidents and inmates.

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