The Troublemaker: Chen Shui-bian Reconsidered, Part 2

Guest essayist Nicholas Haggerty investigates the corruption scandal that engulfed his presidency and makes the case for a pardon.

Dear all,

We hope you’re well! As we expected, Nick Haggerty’s exploration of former Taiwanese president Chen Shui-bian, who was arrested and convicted for charges of corruption, ignited some passionate responses. We’re collecting a batch; please don’t hesitate to add your take. In the meantime, here’s a glimpse: one reader writes that Chen was a traitor whose greed made him betray his party. Another writes, “Although my dad was not very fond of him by the end of his term, he believed that he was treated unfairly by the KMT. My family see the imprisonment of Chen Shui-bian and many of the DPP cabinet members after they left office as political persecution.” And a third shares a recollection that still troubles her: “Each time he was charged of another count, I heard firecrackers. I realized that the joy that people had of locking him up was synonymous to the excitement of Chinese New Year. That’s politics: one man’s suffering can be another man’s moment of triumph.”

This much-anticipate…