Okay, cleaning isn't happening.

Well, it is, but interesting things keep popping up on my computer.

Speaking of China, according to Wikipedia the latest elections on Taiwan show a net win for the KMT, or Nationalist party. Their "Pan-blue" coalition picked up seats in the legislature despite their recent narrow defeat in the presidential elections. The KMT (the successors of Chiang Kai-Shek) are loosely "right" but pro-unification, whereas the DPP (represented by President Chen Shui-Bian) are "left" but pro-independence. Of course, the scare quotes on "right" and "left" are there because these issues are a lot less clear in Taiwanese politics. For that matter, "pro-" or "anti-unification" label are grossly simplistic. The KMT may be pro-unification, but that's mainly because of Chiang's insistence, until the day he died, that he ruled all of China. These days, they're as independence minded as any other Taiwanese, but don't want to rock the boat. Similarly, the DPP make a public show of wanting independence, but want to avoid the Chinese bombardment and invasion that would come with it. Can't say that I blame them.

The West Wing has done a series of episodes lately about Taiwan and China. Like so much of the West Wing lately, these episodes have made me miss the days of Rob Lowe. However, they have done a nice job of encapsulating the problems with the PRC and Taiwan. Not an easy situation. I just wish we had a real president in office, and not C+ Augustus, as Charles Pierce calls Dubya.