KMT Moots New Job-Creation Program

What, didn't you see this coming?

1)  Record number of Chinese tourists in Taiwan

     AsiaOne.com reports:

Daily tourist arrivals from China hit 4,600 [on March 22/09], according to the newspaper [the Economic Daily].

2)  [KMT] Legislator proposes bill to decriminalize prostitution

Hey, a lot of average Joe Ho's love their ho's.  And think of the damage to Sino-Taiwanese relations if some two-bit sheriff somewhere were to turn around and ARREST them for it !

Now the thing is, I'm actually pretty libertarian on prostitution and drug legalization issues.  So ideologically-speaking, I ought to be applauding the KMT on this one.

But the timing is rather suspect.  And just because I'm libertarian on this doesn't mean I can't be cynical about it as well.

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UPDATE:  I should note that Taiwan's Chinese Nationalist Party isn't all of one mind on the issue:

KMT Legislator Lee Hung-chun (李鴻鈞) said Cheng’s proposal was “controversial.” It would be unreasonable to seek to legalize the sex trade while, at the same time, the National Communications Commission was banning TV commercials that accentuated women’s breasts, he said.

THERE'S the problem in a nutshell.  Too many KMT politicians are pro-China; too darn few of them are pro-Cleavage.

UPDATE #2:  I understand the new tourism slogan will be, "Taiwan:  Touch (A Lot More Than Just) Your Heart"

UPDATE #3:  Heh.  Some hardware geeks from Australia agree the Yao Yao and Shu Shu ads should be banned -- not because they're exploitative of women, but because their voices are so annoying.

UPDATE #4:  Another heh.

UPDATE #5:  "Doctor, you forgot your calipers."  The immortal scene from The Aviator.

Comments

[Passing By]

It's crazy that they can simultaneously censor ads that are fairly puritan compared to other stuff out there, but legalize prostitution.

I wouldn't mind criminalizing being a john but legalizing being a prostitute.

But yeah, your implication of encouraging sex tourism is right-on... I'm not sure Taiwan wants to attract that kind of crowd.

Cheng is funny for bringing up this law because she stepped down as KMT spokeswoman over allegations that she had an apartment given to her for her use by a rich boyfriend.... the implication being that she was being "baoyang", given a monthly salary in exchange for being a rich Taiwanese dude's girlfriend.

[The Foreigner]

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