- What are the plans when ousting the president is completed?

Besides the obvious reasons, what are those people ousting the president for if there is no backup plan to make the government better? Because looking back in history, no matter who was the party in power, they were all corrupted one way or the other. So obviously, something is wrong with the system.

What is Mr. Shih’s plan for that if indeed his purpose of this rally is to clean up the government? And what happened to the money that people donated? I called the campaign HQ and their answer was, “We’ve been too busy putting up the rallies so no one has been able to sort out the book.”

Democracy is people power. And people really do need to think about what they are going on the streets for other than the reasons that politicians tell them.

You criticize local media and some foreign media for being one-sided and not doing background check. “It’s pathetic that the journalist didn’t bother to do even the slightest bit of background research into these claims. I’ve commented here on the partisanship of the campaign innumerable times, but the truth is always worth repeating.”

Well, Mr. Turton, I happen to read AP copies on this coverage very closely. Funny that in my opinion, the bias is toward Chen Shui-bian if you ask me and in many recent articles on the Anti-Chen protest, the number of protesters in their copies was almost purposely downplayed to cut the importance of it.

You said reporters should do background check, good idea. And perhaps you should start yourself. Can I ask if you also chose your “side” on the matter? Have you investigated why so many media people, as well as local people, feel so strongly about this incompetent government that has squandered six years of Taiwan’s precious time?

Just because local media covered the matters consistently, does it necessarily mean people are controled by it? And I think as a good journalist one should be very careful not to reduce media behaviour to just “partisanship.” Reporters’ job, like you said, is reporting truth. And if what reporters discover is that this government is cheating people, hijacking important national issues, and ignoring major projects that are good for the future direction of Taiwan but instead to profit their own pocket, reporters too want to do something about it because they are citizens. As you know, in the West, there are plenty of time journalists are taking the role as crusader. I am not say all journalists should be like that. But in some important issues, reportesr can’t help but must take side. Can you stay neutral reporting on Nazi activity when Hitler, a democratically elected leader, was mass-murdering Jews? When George W. Bush lies to the people to go to his so-called war in the Middle East, can you stand pat and just reporting on what Bush tells you to write?

Please look deeper into the matter, Mr. Turton, and see why so many Taiwanese are angry.