Rant: Ma Ying-jeou Is A Dirtbag

We all already knew that, but it's cathartic occasionally to say so.

Cartography Caper: China to Publish New Map of Its Territories

Expect lots of tendentious claims on that map, and I'm not only talking about the Senkaku islands.  It's almost like Beijing is actively trying to tick off its neighbors.   

Best comment yet: View from Taiwan - "Rumor has it the map will include the Andromeda galaxy, Ringworld, and areas to be named south of Gondor."

Taiwan: Security Issues Never Take a Holiday

While I've been obsessing about holiday recipes (naughty), Dignified Rant still has his eye on the ball (nice).

Free Advice: Hey, Beijing, Bullying Is Not a Foreign Policy

In terms of looking at China's foreign policy, consider these also the quotes of the day:

“Chinese assertion has backfired,” says Andrew Carr, an expert on Asia-Pacific security at the Australian National University in Canberra.

“They don’t see the connection between upping the tempo on the maritime operations and the fact that so many countries in the region are moving towards the very counter-containment strategies Beijing doesn’t want,” says Michael Green, former Asia director at the National Security Council ...

Seriously, what do you say about a course of action that makes Japanese rearmament look great even to Japan's neighbors?

Romney and F-16s to Taiwan

The Romney campaign has declared its support for selling the fighter jets to Taiwan. Well, GOOD.  As Dignified Rant also just said, "Have no doubt that Taiwan needs the planes and that we need Taiwan to have the planes."  

Is the Chinese Communist Party Doomed?

Professor Minxin Pei has a question: Is the CCP doomed?  It couldn't happen to a nicer bunch of people.  Still, here's a thought - change or die:

The answer to the question of how a one-party regime can manage its own political transformation to save itself is more interesting and complicated. 

Essentially, there are two paths for such regimes: the Soviet route to certain self-destruction, and the Taiwan-Mexican route to self-renewal and transformation.

It's Getting Crowded Around Those Senkaku Islands

Those little blobs of land and their surrounding waters are a big bone of contention between Beijing and Tokyo, and Taipei got in the act yesterday: some 40 Taiwanese fishing boats and 8 Taiwan Coast Guard vessels sailed into those waters and got themselves water-cannoned by the Japanese Coast Guard until they left (check out the news photo).  The Taiwanese Coast Guard was recently conducting drills out there.  Taiwan also claims the Senkaku islands, but generally speaking I'd say the Tokyo-Beijing catfight is of a higher order.

UPDATE: Photos from Japan's Kyodo News.  I give you one:

There's No Shortage of Idiotic "Analyses" About Taiwan

The always-fascinating View from Taiwan blog points to and then disassembles a fresh bout of idiocy that was printed in the New York Times.

Nordlinger in Taiwan

Jay Nordlinger of the National Review is in Taiwan and filing interesting reports.  Here's the latest (with links to previous entries).

Forgotten History: Taiwan in the 1950s

A cool collection of photos from a vanished world.

Chinese Radio Stations Flood Southern Taiwan with Propaganda

Via View from Taiwan, a look - or listen - at the airwaves of southern Taiwan.  Shout right back.

Fresh Thoughts on US-Taiwan Relations

Check out Michael Turton's latest round-up.  Apparently a lot of eggheads are reiterating that Taiwan is still a vital interest of the US.  Well, DUH, though of course one can never say the obvious clearly enough or often enough, especially when there is so much bad "analysis" of Taiwan out there.

Hello Kitty Monstrosity of the Day: the Airport Gate at Taoyuan International Airport

Finally, an airport setup that's even worse than JFK, Heathrow, or Chicago-O'Hare!

Hello Kitty Monstrosity of the Day: The Plane, The Plane!

Finally, something in air transport that's more awful than the TSA!

I think I've mentioned this Hello Kitty madness by EVA Air before, but this recent Wall Street Journal story about it refreshes all the horror.  The image gallery is simply ... unspeakable. I am happy to note, however, that the demented masterminds behind this did see fit to stock the plane with Hello Kitty-themed airsick bags.  You're going to need them, pal.

Hello Kitty Monstrosity of the Day: A Photo Gallery from Hell

I can't bear to look.  

Taiwan: Ma Re-Elected

UGH.  The Cine-Sib called to vent this morning.  We're not at all happy with this, Ma, or the KMT.  Still, voter turnout was estimated at more than 70% with about 13.5 million votes cast, and about 800,000 votes made the difference between Ma and the DPP's Tsai.  It would have been nice to have a woman president.  Still, here is one small consolation: James Soong fared miserably in third place.

The 2012 Index of Economic Freedom Is Out

We're not doing so well?  The US is out of the top tier at #10. What would Milton Friedman say?  By the way, the top tier rated "Free" consists of Hong Kong at #1, followed by Singapore,  Australia, New Zealand, and (the first non-Asian country on the list) Switzerland.  Taiwan is #18.  C'mon, guys, we can do better than that.

Happy New Year 2012!

2012 already!  Here's hoping it's a good one.  It's already startedwith a laugh as Dave Barry publishes his annual year in review and looks back at 2011.

Oh, and the Cine-Sib suggests this video of fireworks from Taipei:

Activists & Taiwan's Presidential Election

Hmmm.

Satire? Bad Joke? More on the New York Times "Let's Sell Taiwan" Op-Ed

Remember this?  Now the author says it was a satire or a joke or ... something.  Thanks for clearing that up, pal.  Pffft.  I second what Taiwan blogger Michael Turton says (as quoted in the linked article): 

Kane may have actually intended this as satire -- it certainly doesn't read that way, and there is nothing in his piece to signal the reader that he intends to satirize US Taiwan policy. Stupidity by itself is not a signal of satire, alas, the discussion about Taiwan issues is generally marked by stupidity and misinformation, especially in the media: almost every claim that he made in the piece has been advanced seriously in some major media venue. Thus a straight piece containing such abysmal nonsense in a major media outlet is not by itself unusual, considering the dreck that passes for analysis in the media. In writing "satire" Kane totally failed to understand the field, the target, the discourse context, and the audience.

Hear, hear.  Satire?  You're doing it wrong, Kane.  What might be even more infuriating is the sophomoric sort of "gotcha!" mentality that underpins this entire debacle.  People who take Taiwan seriously are not amused.  You get the "dirtbag du jour" tag.