So, another freak show is about to come to an end. The title of a recently released Yahoo! article is "Taiwan ex-president Chen given life term for graft". This is a rather detached unemotional title.

The first sentence is "A Taiwan court on Friday sentenced former President Chen Shui-bian to life in prison after convicting him on graft charges on Friday, a spectacular fall from grace for a man WHO RODE TO POWER ON PROMISES TO END DECADES OF CORRUPTION (is this a joke?) and deepen the island's de facto independence". So here's an interesting question. Why was Chen loathed in Taiwan? Was it really/truly because of his corruption (embezzlement of US$3.15 million during his presidency between 2000 and 2008 from a special presidential trust fund, receiving bribes of at least US$9 million from a government land deal, laundering some of that money through Swiss bank accounts and forging some documents) or was it because HE HATED CHINA SO MUCH AND CHINA HATED CHEN TOO? The latter possibility is far more likely.

The next 2 sentences are also significant and can be examined/analyzed together: "The conviction, which will automatically be appealed, marks a watershed in Taiwan's turbulent political history and a test for the island's still evolving democracy". Taiwan is truly in a tough position here. Becoming closer with China could mean denying the financial crisis which, if Taiwan's leaders do it, would just be a flat lie and ignorant, but on the other hand, if the DPP had its way (i.e. if Taiwan were to declare independence), Taiwan may be obliterated by PLA troops and bombs...and then, EVERYONE loses. That would be even more catastrophic. "It also sets the stage for a conflict between the ruling Nationalist Party, which favors closer ties with China and the pro-independence Democratic Progressive Party, WHICH CHEN HELPED FOUND IN 1986". The fact that Chen was one of the founders of the Democratic Progressive Party should make him even more hated by mainland Chinese authorities. This would not be significant in Taiwan alone (i.e. if mainland Chinese opinions were not being considered) because the DPP and the KMT (Nationalists) have been going after each other for such a long time now.

Chen chose to stay in the suburban Taipei jail where he has been held since December as a three-judge panel convicted him on a wide range of corruption charges. This reinforces that Taiwan still has some Communist elements and is indeed close to China. Normally there should be 1 judge and 12 people on the jury. This time, there were only 3 JUDGES. And considering that Taiwan is now close to China, where under Communist law, the government, police or other authorities are always right, Chen basically had no chance to defend himself and he didn't. In fact, when Chen was arrested, HE SHOWED OFF HIS HANDCUFFS, leading to the explosion in media coverage of the Chen saga/fiasco in mainland China, Hong Kong and of course Taiwan.

Former first lady Wu shu-chen was also convicted "on related graft charges" which also landed her a life sentence. The phrase "related graft charges" is vague and again, it is too obvious that there has been too much media attention on this case and all we've heard/read are statements from mainland Chinese media/government authorities and Chen is basically sucking up to them. In other words, Chen isn't even trying to defend himself.

First, let's see what the authorities are saying. According to Taipei District Court spokesman Huang Chun-ming, "Chen Shui-bian and Wub Shu-chen were sentenced to life in prison because Chen has done grave damage to the country and Wu, because she was INVOLVED in corruption deals as the (former) first lady". Again, this is vague, but in Communist societies, vague statements from government officials are sufficient.

And what has Chen been up to? According to Chih Yen-lieh, an official at the jail where Chen is being detained, "His mood is stable and there is no emotional change". We know that Chen shui-bian is still defiant.

So, what are commentators saying about this latest chapter in the epic battle between Chen, mainland China and incumbent Taiwan president Ma Ying-jeou, the man who Chen is essentially accusing of organizing/running a smear campaign against him? Opinions are sharply divided. According to Liao I-Ming, a political scientist at the National University of Kaohsiung, "NEVER has any official charged with corruption in Taiwan ever been sentenced to life in prison". Well, in that case, Chen has a dubious distinction. "Chen may feel (that) the verdict is unfair BECAUSE HE IS NOT THE ONLY POLITICIAN TO HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN CORRUPTION ACTS IN TAIWAN'S HISTORY". Yes, this is true, but just because someone else commits a criminal offense doesn't make that criminal act right. So Liao I-Ming most likely is a DPP (Democratic Progressive Party) supporter.

"But fellow political scientist Liao Da-Chih of Kaohsiung's National Sun Yat-sen University said the judges' decision APPEARED TO REFLECT TAIWAN'S PREVAILING MOOD which turned sharply against the former leader in the last 18 months of his presidency AMID ALMOST DAILY ALLEGATIONS OF NEW CORRUPT ACTS and growing tension with China AND THE UNITED STATES". This tension between Chen and the US is what the Chinese Communist Party wants us to believe. According to Wikipedia, "During (the) summer of 2003, Chen flew to Los Angeles, Houston and New York City where he met with members of the US Congress. The mayor of Houston gave Chen a key to the city and gave him cowboy clothing". OK, why did the mayor of Houston give Chen a key to his city if Chen was on bad terms with the US? "His trip to New York was the first for a head of state from Taiwan as there was (an) unwritten agreement between China and the US that no head of state from Taiwan would be allowed to visit New York or Washington DC". OK, surely this is ONLY CHINA'S idea. So heads of state from Taiwan visiting the US can go to Las Vegas, but not New York City or Washington DC? After all, there is potential for corruption in Las Vegas as well with all the gambling that goes on there. What about Atlantic City? There are casinos there as well. The bottom line is: CHINA was probably more alarmed/nervous about the possibility of Chen promoting his pro-independence ideas than his corruption, but as it turns out, corruption has landed Chen in deeper trouble, MUCH deeper trouble, than his pro-independence/anti-China stance/views/rhetoric.

OK so Chen has been disgraced, put down, bashed, we can use whatever words we like not including what Serena Williams said in her semi-final US Open loss, of course. However, current President Ma Ying-jeou is facing a popularity crisis too, INCLUDING A CORRUPTION ALLEGATION OF HIS OWN (prior to becoming president) not to mention his totally inept effort/response during Typhoon Morakot which slammed into Taiwan last month and killed at least 670.