Brain Fertilizer

...who happen to be politicians in Taiwan.

The writer of the article wants to lay this at the feet of 'democracy' in Taiwan, that incidents like this don't do anything to raise anyone's confidence in Asian democracy. I think that's a stretch.

I do think Taiwan is a weird place. I do think that based on the nature of the wounds, Chen Shuibian faked the assassination attempt right before the last Presidential election to drum up sympathy and win.* It seems to have worked.

But things like this are not why China won't embrace Democracy. It's all about power. And it's the same issue (power) that prevents Taiwan from uniting with China: if Taiwan is absorbed, what happens to all the people in the government? They lose power, and are quite probably blocked from aspirations of being top dawg in Taiwan, without having any chance to hold significant positions on the Mainland.

I know I'm getting off subject, but China won't ever accept democracy unless the current leaders are shielded from any payback, and Taiwan won't ever accept unification unless the current leaders are somehow integrated such that they can continue their ambitions.

*I just saw a report that said it was actually a failed attempt to assassinate Vice President Annette Lu gone slightly awry. The idea that once she's dead, he gets the benefit of the sympathy and the benefit of not having to deal with her as his VP. Intriguing thought.