Topic: So, Ma is the SCoaMF of Taiwan?

[Libertas]

http://www.weaselzippers.us/238558-president-of-taiwan-to-meet-for-first-time-with-president-of-china/

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/china-taiwan-presidents-to-hold-first-meeting-since-civil-war/2015/11/04/77b537d4-0890-4dbe-be66-0754440036f2_story.html

KMT must be desperate with the DPP gaining going into their election...a November stunt that I would think would backfire, but I am no Taiwanese political expert...

[AmericanPatriot]

Taiwan probably figures we're not worth a whole lot to cover their back.
May as well make the best deal they can while they can

[ToddF]

I don't have much to add to what I added there.  The left, led by students, are the ones agitating to be the most aggressive towards China.  The right, the remnants of the old dictatorship, the most accommodating.

Bass ackwards, I know, but welcome to Taiwan.  I'll let you know next year, more details. 

Sooner if the emergency company meeting just scheduled comes with incentives to leave earlier, which it might.  Retail in Obama's America has been in depression for years, now.

[ToddF]

http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan

I haven't seen headlines dominated by such a story since the Twin Cities Cecil the Lion coverage.

Yes, media there is a little more substantial than American media.

[Libertas]

So, you saying their media functions more as a real independent entity than the insanely biased crap we have?  Lucky bastards.

It is one of my few disappointments from the Reagan Era that we did not more firmly stand by Taiwan as it appeared Reagan early on wanted to do, I think the establishment types like Bush and people at State that were very establishment as well as heavily real-politic Kissinger types got to him and so a detente between us and the ChiCom's took precedence over doing the right thing with Taiwan, as well as allowing more resources toward ending the Soviet Union.  And with the establishment hacks that followed Taiwan was basically cast adrift. 

So that and not developing better ties with India IMO were enormous mistakes.

[ToddF]

Oh, they're biased.  They don't like Ma.  That's pretty easy to figure out.  It's just the lightweight crap that dominates American journalism isn't as prevalent.

And I believe Ma is doing it precisely because he knows Americans don't keep their promises, anymore.  That and Chicom cash has helped the Taiwan economy, feeding a real estate bubble that's in the beginning stages of popping.  No more Chicoms, pop goes the bubble.

[Libertas]

Yeah, but I bet our bubbles are bigger than their bubbles!

Not that that is a good thing...

 

[ToddF]

Where I'll probably end up a nice 3 bedroom, 1500ish sq ft new apartment with a view and all the amenities would cost $200-$250k.

You can rent that for $600 to $800 a month.  That's definitely a bubble.  There's very little return on investment, now, owning property.

In the TC it's been the opposite as rents went up as people lost their homes, and values went down.  $1,200 per month to rent something that one could buy for $120k or so.

[Libertas]

I know the upper middle class to upper class is doing well, my nephew the realtor has been doing a banging business.  It's everybody with less means that is in the suck...as one would expect given the crony-driven world be inhabit.