2011年11月2日 星期三

中國介入台灣八爪章魚政府選舉/ Teachers Are Overpaid


蘋論:中國介入台灣選舉

中國介入台灣選舉早已不是新聞。根據過去失敗的經驗,北京的操作手法越來越細膩綿密,將來勢必製造更多的工具可資「干涉台灣內政」。唯一可以挫折北京這項企圖的只有台灣的選民。

曾射飛彈軍演亂台

中國第一次公開介入台灣選舉是1996年的大選。江澤民政府在台海舉行軍演,並發射2枚飛彈分別落入基隆及高雄的外海,恫嚇台灣選民的意圖昭然若揭。總理朱鎔基甚至上電視橫眉豎眼、滿臉橫肉地恐嚇台灣人民說:「解放軍不是吃素的。」云云,造成台灣選民極大的反感。
美國唯恐台灣選民在槍桿下投票,也不願讓中國得逞,以免今後習以為常地以準武力干涉台灣選舉,又擔憂兩岸擦槍走火釀成大戰,柯林頓總統遂派遣2支航母戰鬥群進駐台灣東海岸進行實力嚇阻。中國才灰頭土臉地鳴金收兵。李登輝因而高票當選。
在後來的3次大選中,中國都非常小心,因為知道他們是反面助選員,只會造成反效果。馬2008年競選時,藍委還公開向北京喊話,要他們不要介入。 有趣的是,這次大選中國又公開地介入助馬。首先是宋楚瑜宣布可能參選時,中國國台辦喊話要宋顧全大局,不要攪馬的局。現在宋決心參選,中國便要求原來宋的 金主們不得挹注資金給宋。
本期《壹週刊》在專文「張榮發、王文洋縮手-北京斷宋楚瑜金脈」的採訪中,引宋核心幕僚的談話說,包括長榮集團張榮發、宏仁集團王文洋、義聯集團林義守、遠東集團徐旭東、聯電集團曹興誠,都在受到中國直接、間接的「關切」之下棄宋而去,原因是他們都在中國有龐大的企業與利益。
宋遭斷奶,募款困難,遠不敵有龐大黨產的國民黨,也在小型募款方面不如民進黨,今後只好選擇不辦大型造勢晚會,採取非典型選戰策略,常上電視,以維繫選情熱度。
北京厭惡宋,認為遭宋背叛。2004年連宋搭檔競選失敗後,連、宋先後去北京,中國給宋與連一樣的高規格接待,十分禮遇,沒想到宋此次竟不理會中國的關切,執意競選威脅馬的連任,令北京相當失望。

越打壓越致反效果

但北京越打壓宋,越有反效果,只能徒呼負負。中國干預台灣選舉自以為理所當然;今後隨著美國實力的相對減弱,中國介入台灣選舉只會更明目張膽,台灣選民惟有大勇不懼,不理會中國的干預投下自主的一票,才能讓中國在干涉台灣內政時更謹慎小心。



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蘋論:八爪章魚政府

最近,政府有點古怪,盡做些不重要卻容易引爭議的小事。莫非是選舉到了,不能不做點政績,但又不能做大事以免出大紕漏,所以只好小鼻子小眼了。政府因此遭人嘲笑「管太多、管太細」也不足為奇。

前天教育部下令禁止師生戀,已招來管太多、違背人民的《憲法》權利之譏。教育部日前通過《補習及進修教育法》修正草案,規定短期補習班不得招收未滿6歲兒童,包括教學英語、圍棋、珠算、心算、速讀、書法等技藝;但舞蹈、美術等藝術才能方面的補習則可以。
這項規定昨披露後又招來家長和補習界一陣痛罵。書法不可以補,但國畫可以,標準何在?若請國畫老師教書法,可以嗎?英語禁教,但舞蹈可以,那請舞蹈老師用英語教舞呢?由此可見,政府擬定公共政策的馬虎與隨便,充滿前現代的不可預測性。
有些學者認為6歲以前的兒童不應學習與邏輯有關的才藝,因為太小無法理解邏輯以致學不會,反而會妨害心智發展,影響以後的學習態度與興趣。但是也有學者認為,現在兒童心智發展較前提早,早學容易熟練,沒有壞處。
科學上既無定論,也就沒必要下令禁止。何況,6歲前並非義務教育,不歸教育部管,歸父母管,父母認為可以讓孩子學什麼,是父母的權利與自由,教育部最好別插手。
政府也干預企業界的無薪假。勞委會祭出4大對策:限制門檻、通報輔導、 祭出罰款、肥貓凍薪,使得勞動市場變得僵硬而毫無彈性,不但影響投資意願、妨害企業自主,也違背自由市場的機制與規律,對外資來台投資尤其具有嚇阻作用。 林百里因此批評政府管太多、管太細,像是勞委會要去仲裁或干預企業裁減多少人,好像在管國營企業。還有立委竟提議企業應對無薪假復職的員工分紅加薪。

管太多似共產主義

管太多、管太細的政府,就像共產主義政權的中央計劃經濟,從人民的尿布、性行為……一路管到棺材。法務部前天也把女性的結婚年齡從17歲改為18歲,雖說18歲較成熟,並無不對,但屬於干預人民自主權,沒事找事,也遭社會圍剿,認為政府多管閒事;更何況成熟的定義很難下。
政府不能為了選舉表現政績,就無所不管;彰顯的不是勤政愛民,反而是管太多、管太細,彰顯了政府的權力濫用與慌亂無能。



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美國老師沒周休七天 薪資仍被人嫌高

Conservative Think Tanks: Teachers Are Overpaid

New study claims that teachers would actually make less if they opted for non-classroom jobs.

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There are a just a few inalienable truths in life and, for many, one of them is that school teachers are underpaid—but that's just not the case according to two leading conservative think tanks.

In a new report that is unlikely to make any friends on the other side of the political spectrum, the Heritage Foundation and the American Enterprise Institute argue that not only are teachers not underpaid but that, when factoring in things like job security and benefits, they're actually substantially overpaid, earning 52 percent more than "fair market levels."

Part of their argument is based on the groups' findings that the wage gap between teachers and non-teachers is at least partly due to the fact that the former, on average, have lower cognitive abilities than those private sector workers with similar educational backgrounds.

"Public-school teachers earn less in wages on aver­age than non-teachers with the same level of education, but teacher skills generally lag behind those of other workers with similar 'paper' qualifications," the authors write.

The American Independent has more:

The authors point to research spanning 50 years indicating degrees in education are easier to obtain with high marks. They include a recent study by economist Corey Koedel in which he examined grade-point averages of graduates at three large research institutions, and found education majors finished with an average GPA of 3.65, while math, science and economics majors graduated with a 2.88.

The think tanks also claim that contrary to what would be expected, workers who switch from non-teaching jobs to teaching jobs receive a wage increase of roughly 9 percent, while those that do the reverse see their wages drop by roughly 3 percent.

As expected, many progressives and teachers around the country went nuts upon reading the report, vehemently objecting to its findings, which conflict with what they say their own studies show.

"Not only should we question the reliability of this study, but we should also consider the source," Kim Anderson, director of advocacy for the National Education Association, told the Independent in an email. "The study is funded by the very same groups that are trying to eliminate the right of workers to have a voice in their workplace all together."

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