Prelude to Conflict: Asia, December 1

Taiwan’s landslide election was more historic than the Democrats’ whompping early November. The vote didn’t reject Taiwan’s KMT-Nationalist party as much as it rejected Beijing. One big factor ignored by media: Clearing HK demonstrators in Mong Kong two days before Taiwan elections solidified voters’ decision: The KMT’s de facto agenda of “Taiwan SAR” is unacceptable.

Taiwan’s Premiere “resigned” and President Ma “accepted” it. Rolling the head of the second in command is an old Chinese power tactic. Ma borrowed from the same playbook in his second election when he chose a new Vice President—the man who happened to be governor of Kaohsiung when the 24-year-old gasline was installed, which blew up a few months ago, killing 30 people, wounding 300, and turning one of the city’s beautiful streets into a WWI style trench. Even if Ma resigns as KMT Chairman, as Monday rumors claim, that would only embolden the East Asian culture of Taiwan, which loves the public beating.

What was the straw that broke the camel’s back? Arguably, Mong Kok. Beijing clearly does not understand the nature of international opinion and worldwide repercussions of internal policy, especially in beloved cities like Hong Kong. Communists don’t face elections. So, they don’t fear them as they should. And they don’t understand the stubbornness and strength of free people. HK’s Umbrella Movement was never going to bring freedom in HK, but it would wake up the region to China and bring strength to the East Asian neighborhood. This has been a thesis of the Prelude, something neither Beijing nor Hong Kongers seemed to understand. Beijing won the battle of Mong Kok and lost the war of the Pacific because they lost Taiwan—a small island nation with more people than 75% of UN member nations.

Were there other issues involved in Taiwan’s disgruntled election? Always. Food scandals involving KMT cronies, union problems with toll road workers, police brutality six months ago, a Kaohsiung street blowing up from a faulty KMT-governed propylene line—but these were all symptoms that the KMT was distracted from governing their own country because they were too focused on trying to accomplish Taiwan President Ma’s father’s death bed wish: to merge Taiwan into China.

But the KMT, Beijing, and President Ma’s deceased father weren’t the only ones to lose this past Saturday. Washington’s incompetence gleamed like a glaring zit once again. Look back to a comment from Richard Bush, former US envoy to Taiwan, as he expressed Washington’s continued support of Taiwan’s KMT. Washington’s refusal to reprimand Bush for his comments makes another thing clear: Taiwan’s vote also rejected Washington’s Pacific spinelessness, and Washington doesn’t seem to care, though, like Taiwan’s defeated KMT, Washington has lots of care for Beijing.

Thanks, HK and Taiwan, for teaching America what it means to stand for something. The next and bigger whompping will be two years from now.

Brilliant editorial…

Taiwan must develop self-reliance

Taiwan Elections

KMT trounced

A changed political landscape

Outlook bleak for KMT: academics

Ma to resign as KMT chairman: reports

Premier quits after landslide KMT defeat

Taiwan Local Elections to Give Glimpse Into Voters’ View of China

DPP wins mayoral race in Taichung with landslide

Ma, KMT rally in central Taiwan

…The big rally in the big district, days before it flipped.

Sunflower Articles

In Search of Sunflower Seeds in Hong Kong

Don’t judge the Sunflower Movement by local election outcomes

China

Examining the One Country, Two Systems model

…coming up next week.

China’s media market through the eyes of western media conglomerates – then and now

…Interesting, on media history and China, examining two studies.

Hong Kong

LIVE: Police use hoses to drench Occupy protesters outside Hong Kong’s government HQ

Caught on camera: Protesters dish out beating to suspected undercover police officers

Lawyers question police clearance of Mong Kok protest site

Police force arrests seven of its own over alleged beating of Occupy activist Ken Tsang

After 60 days, final push to remove Occupiers is over in just a few hours

…they said it was over last week… It ended in Mong Kok, but it wasn’t over in Central

HK police clear protest camp, arrest student leaders.

Joshua Wong: Students won’t try to retake Mong Kok after police show of strength

After Mong Kok Occupy clearance, students vow to target government buildings

…the big difference and the fatal flaw: Top government buildings were the Sunflower Movement’s first target, for Umbrella’s government buildings were close, but still secondary. Umbrella’s targeted a park first, then blocked main roads when denied entry.

How Hong Kong’s democracy protesters overplayed their hand

Hong Kong journalists face police anger in Mong Kok

Joshua Wong pelted with eggs outside court after being banned from Mong Kok

Occupy supporters and police clash as Hong Kong protests escalate

Big Changes

Taiwan’s ‘Innovation’ Challenge