The typhoon Morakot (莫拉克颱風) hit Taiwan on 8/8/2009. It was the worse typhoon to hit Taiwan in the last 50 years. Some 150 people lost their life and 491 people listed as missing. The whole southern part of Taiwan was devastated. Ma’s government was caught flat footed.
Ma was trying to savage his image as a capable leader to the foreign press. So Ma granted CNN an interview in English on 8/17/09. Ma is very proud on his mastering the English language. You should go to the following Youtube website to listen to the interview.
(CNN) “How do you respond to people blaming your government response was all too slow to begin with and then when it did get underway it was just not enough?”
(Ma) “… Certainly I would take the full responsibility, because, after all, I am the president of this country. How can we do so many for the last three days compared with so few for the previous 4 days? Because it was the weather…….”
(CNN) “What do you actually mean that you would take the full responsibility?”
(Ma) “………. I would find out and try to punish the people who are responsible”
Did Ma just say that he is taking the full responsibility and then he is going to punish the one who is responsible? Now here is the very best example of a president of a banana republic.
Following link is the 5 Youtube on Ma’s foreign press conference on 8/18/2009. It would take time to watch all 5, but 5/1, 5/4 are worth watching
Picture of Ma’s deep bow everywhere he went to express his “sorry”. Ma said he could sympathize with people who lost love ones in the typhoon, because he just lost his father four year before in 2005. Ma’s father collapsed at his female student’s (or 乾女兒) house while teaching her something (Some said that they were playing hide-and-seek; some said strip poker). Ma’s father was rushed to the hospital and died two days later. He was 86 years old. Rumor had it, that Ma’s father was not quite a saint and Ma was relieved that his father did not live long enough into 2008, when he would be running for the presidency. Ma later said that he spent an extremely meager amount about NT 70,000 on his father funeral and burial, which was quite a news then. My aunt just buried her dog and it cost more than that. Well, actually that is not a bad way to go as a male species.
馬英九鞠躬致歉
The official count of Ma’s deep bow stands at 27 as of 9/17/2009. The unofficial tally should be 31. On the 4 times, due to the bowing time was less than 10 seconds. Ma insists those 4 shall be disqualified (自動失效). Now Ma is sporting a new digital wrist watch; he had parted with the old watch that his father-in-law gave him 30 years ago. ( http://big51.chinataiwan.org/xwzx/bwkx/200801/t20080119_574881.htm ).
This digital watch, after 10 seconds, will sound an alarm to let Ma knows that the show time is up. I was wondering that was there some Japanese blood in Ma’s ancestors? Ma’s bow looks more like a Japanese that a pure- blood Chinese. I was corrected by a friend; he said if I ever saw how Ma knelt (下跪) than I should have no doubt Ma is 100% Chinese. He assures me that I shall have much chance to witness while Ma and Ho meet in the future.
People doubt that Ma spent any effort on rescue operation the first 3 days after typhoon hit. Ma still withheld the information about his whereabouts on the first 3 days. We only knew that he was in a wedding party the very first night. After the wedding party he went to the rescue coordination center and sat for an hour. From the picture he looked very tired and bored. I would not blame him, because, after all, he had nothing to do there. Very interesting, he was not the only one who had nothing to do besides sitting behind a desk in the rescue center. (I wished I had that picture to show you)
Ma at the Rescue Coordination Center (台灣災害應變中心) the very first night when Morakot hit. August 8, 2009
Allegedly this was the very first and last personal effort Ma spent on the rescue operation. Ma was calling the Taipei city fire department to send some of their rubber pontoon boats down when Ma’s first visiting the disaster area. (Ma was the Taipei city mayor before) Ma might be the only one who does not know he has the whole armed forces under his command. Ma must also have figured out that several rubber pontoon boats were sufficed for the rescue operation because Ma refused the offering of help by many foreign countries. Truly to his style, Ma later claimed that he did not give the order not to accept the foreign aid. He only found this out after reading the newspaper that someone at the state department (外交部) gave this order. I am sure that this “someone” would be highly rewarded. God bless Taiwan and this banana republic that Ma would continue to read the newspaper everyday.
This is a better picture and in a better time. Ma and his wife were on the telephone fundraising event for the 2008 earthquake victims in China. Ma’s personal donation was NT 200,000. Ma, through his press secretary, hinted Ma did make donation to the victim of typhoon Morakot but refuse to give the amount of his donation. Someone speculates the amount is NT 633 and is paid for with his國務機要費.
As an engineer, I could make the following observations:
If the Ma’s Morakot donation is >>>> (much larger than) NT 200,000
Could be the reason why Ma is asking for his next year’s 國務機要費 be increased by the amount of NT 10,000,000.00.
Surely will piss off the Chinese if larger amount is announced. China might add a dozen more missiles aiming at Taiwan.
Ma does not like giving donation, unless he is caught embezzling. So far he has not being sued for anything yet.
If the Morakot donation is = (equal) NT 200,000
This would be contrary to his claim that “He a 100% Taiwanese, dead or alive” (我燒成灰都是台灣人). That might imply he is 50% Taiwanese and 50% Chinese. (半馬半騾).
If the Morakot donation is <<<< (much smaller than) NT 200,000
Most reasonable conclusion; best keep it as a ROC state secret.
DPP might think so; but very difficult to prove.
If the Morakot donation is = 000,000.00 = None , Zero, Zilch
This would be the same Item 3. (他, 馬的, 燒不燒,都是中國人)
I have to make one last observation. If Primer Wu (吳敦義) were trained as an engineer, he would learn to think through the whole lying process (very similar to the reasoning for the above observations) and it should make him a much better liar.
