A rumbling political mudslide has severely damaged the image of Taiwan’s government and President Ma Ying-jeou, who, probably realizing how serious the crisis is, has called together several Chinese and foreign press meetings to repair the damage. Not only has domestic media roundly criticized the out-of-control situation, several famous international media organizations have used the term “helpless” to describe the relief efforts of the Ma government. The Ma government brought this upon themselves, and they should take this criticism to heart.
But if journalistic organizations such as CNN brazenly investigate whether or not Taiwan’s leader should step down with so-called “internet surveys,” and politicians and media organizations incite political conflict by wildly manipulating this news, is this not a bit over the line?
It is one thing when CNN’s journalists pass judgment on the performance of the Ma government, but publicly questioning the hundreds of millions of internet denizens as to whether the President of the R.O.C. should step down is quite another.
How would Americans feel, if, during Hurricane Katrina, journalists sent by Beijing media on China central TV’s web site publicly held a survey asking “should the U.S. president step down?” And why is CNN not conducting global surveys as to whether the Italian prime minister should step down over scandals, or if Japanese Prime Minister Aso should resign over misrule? CNN should be ashamed of its unprofessional, un-journalistic survey, and apologize to the Taiwanese people.
In fact, the U.S. government is very careful about maintaining a clear distance from Taiwan: the Department of State emphasized that disaster relief provided is strictly “humanitarian aid,” and the military never boasted about sending helicopters to transport materials.
So aren’t the attempts of a number of politicians and media figures to use CNN’s overstepping internet survey toward political ends equivalent to viewing the U.S. as a colonial power? Can the ridiculous actions of a media outlet of the U.S. even be viewed as infallible law?
The criticism over his government’s helplessness and impotence [in the face of this disaster] should certainly be cause for Ma Ying-jeou and his team to do some deep self-examination. But neither CNN nor any other foreign media is qualified to remove him from power.
Taiwan is a sovereign, independent nation, and only its voters have the right to decide who their president belongs to!
“How would Americans feel, if, during Hurricane Katrina, journalists sent by Beijing media on China central TV’s web site publicly held a survey asking ‘should the U.S. president step down?”
As an American, I wouldn’t have been offended by this at all.
Actually, I am American too, and this wouldn’t have offended me either…well, perhaps this article is proof that in regards to certain issues, Taiwanese reporters are a bit petty and get their feathers ruffled easily…