Prelude to Conflict: Asia, September 8

The Taiwan military rhetoric of last week was compounded by a food oil scandal affecting many large Taiwan food suppliers. The ultimate effect will hurt the pockets of the de facto pro-Beijing KMT Nationalist party controlling Taiwan. As the spirits of HK and Taiwan strengthen together, from valuable mistakes, Beijing faces a new weapon: human resolve.

The Japanese development of not being solely dependent on the US for defense came with consideration: A nation needs more than weapons for defense; it needs ethics, values, and a narrative. The region is realizing that this conflict won’t be fought in one single battle, but every day, with small run-ins and decisions to become strong or to bow to the big bully of the Pacific.

Regional

Top US security adviser expected in Beijing

…Strategically at the same time as the West plans to move against ISIS in Iraq.

Political Cartoon: The unfairness of “fairness” between China and Taiwan in trade agreement, CSSTA, illustrating why the Sunflower movement’s takeover of Taiwan’s Legislature made some sense.

Tokyo expands its options beyond the US-Japan alliance

Taiwan

Military widens combat exercises

…To simulate an attack from China next week, just announced, including drones and cyber warfare…

Ma addresses nation’s role in S China Sea

…In line with Taiwan’s peace-making approach to disputed islands. This in contrast to the military rehearsal simulating a Chinese invasion next week.

Taiwan’s fate not up to its people: Hau Pei-tsun

…If he’s right, it will only feed the US messiah complex and provoke conflict with China… though, being in the bag for the Chinese empire agenda, he probably can’t see that much. Imperialists, like this guy, often fall in love with their own propaganda and don’t understand how they come across to others.

Democracy viz Beijing/Taipei

Occupy Central activists practice being hit by high-pressure water hoses

…Practicing for when Beijing does to Hong Kong what Taiwan did to itself.

‘Dear President Xi, please give us true democracy’, says Occupy Central in open letter

…Showing that the pro-transparent democracy movement in HK is attempting every line of diplomacy.

Taiwanese groups press for passage of asylum bill to help Hong Kong activists

…More support from Taiwan

HK activists fight China vote limits

HK activists fight back after China vote decision

…Making headlines in Taiwan, while the same day…

Activist groups rally behind HK protesters

…Because, if Hong Kong falls, Taiwan is next. The dirty big secret that Americans are unaware of is that, after Taiwan, California, not even Hawaii, would be next.

Youth protesters pan rules for elections

…to lower the referendum voting age to 18, demonstrating the Beijing style of Taipei’s history, governing against the will of the Taiwanese people.

HK activists slam ‘shameful’ UK comments

…Meaning that Beijing and Hong Kong may be going at it for a while. If there is intervention from the West, it would be after Beijing responds to Hong Kong with too much strength.

Taiwan Food Scandal: Why Taiwan is becoming stronger than ever

The best overview of the issue…

Oil Theatre

How about that? Bail equals one month’s salary for a high school teacher. It’s like they are begging him to flee. If he flees, he can’t testify that everyone in the supply chain knew what was going on, and he can then be scapegoated by everyone. And the big brands can keep their brand images intact. Which is the most important thing, of course.

…Which, of course, implicates the controlling KMT Nationalist (and pro-Beijing) party exploiting its control of the courts to save its crony companies. Finally, Sunday…

Court detains suspect in oil scandal case

…Giving the suspect the power to flee, apparently, wasn’t an option once the public saw what was going on.

While cases of corruption have erupted in the past in China, those cases mostly involved other countries complaining about China. This case was unusual because of how much this issue hit home for the unusually highly health-conscious Taiwanese population, both young and old.

So, Taiwan learns a hard lesson of conscience this week, about how all the little lies and cutting corners of Asian culture affect so many others. The effect on this will strengthen and mature the conscience of the Taiwanese, which will result in the island nation being nearly impossible to be ruled by anyone but themselves. While the elitists of Beijing believe that only brute power can conquer, ethics-believers know that a strong conscience, aware of one’s fellow man, makes a society strong and that this is China’s biggest weakness.

FDA releases list of affected companies

Pingtung prosecutors say implicated man could flee

Chang Guann ‘sorry’ for tainted lard oil

Semi-comic moment:

Eat fresh, avoid oils, experts say (in response to the Taiwan food scare)

…Basically the same conclusion as Dr. Chauncy Crandall, author of “The Simple Heart Cure”, who explains that inflammation caused by processed food, not cholesterol directly, is responsible for heart conditions.

Firms start removing tainted oil products

…Interestingly, this only seems to affect products that had oil that was not healthy anyway.

Consumers’ Foundation bastes minister, FDA

…the people point to the KMT-controlled administration gives a loop-hole to a large company to escape a heavy fine (the KMT owns stock in many large companies, even though it is a political party), while the KMT administration finds someone else to blame…

New firm targeted by FDA in probe

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