Simply Ridiculous

So Paul the Octopus flawlessly 'predicted' Germany's results in the World Cup as well as the final winner of the tournament. Cue Taiwan's very own impromptu and crude simulacrum:

Taipei Mayor Hau Lung-bin, second left, laughs during a session of the Taipei City Council yesterday as Chuang Ruei-hsiung, second right, and other Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) councilors try to get two octopuses to predict who will win the Taipei mayoral election in November — Hau or DPP challenger Su Tseng-chang.

PHOTO: HUANG CHUNG-JUNG, TAIPEI TIMES

Notice that Mayor Hau is smiling and laughing? Seems like a bit of fun right? Aside from the issue of using animals in such a meaningless and puerile stunt what comes next is simply politiking at its worst.

First, Mayor Hau quibbles over the 'result':

“Apparently, the octopus predicts that Su will win the mayoral election. Mayor Hau, with the forecast and your low support rate, I think you should be worried about the election's results,” Chuang said.

Hau played down the forecast and said he was confident he would win the Nov. 27 election.

“It's clear that he [the first octopus] chose my picture. He grabbed my box tightly,” Hau said.

Then he gets low down and dirty in the most hypocritical manner:

Hau also accused the DPP councilors of animal abuse after Chuang tried to affect the octopus' choice with a long stick.

“It's an act of animal abuse and you are killing the octopuses by putting them in an environment that is not suitable for them,” Hau said.

One minute its all laughs and a bit of fun, the next it's animal abuse. Prodding the octopus with a stick is abuse but why didn't he object right at the start? And what about animal abuse of all kinds that takes place in Taipei every day - to dogs and pets, in the destruction of the remaining green areas that support animal life in the city and in the markets that sell pets and animal products illegally? Others joined in:

Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Taipei City councilors later joined Hau in accusing the DPP councilors of abusing the octopuses and using the animals for political show.

“I think the question-and-answer session should focus on the discussion of municipal policies and Hau's performance. The octopus show is nothing but a hoax,” KMT Taipei City Councilor Dai Hsi-chin (戴錫欽) said.

Actually, I agree with Dai Hsi-chin (戴錫欽). Lets talk about the failed bike lane schemes, failed Maokong Gondola, failing extended Muzha MRT line and needless name change to 'Wenhua Line' not to mention renaming the Chiang Kai-shek memorial hall at the public's expense and painting of the KMT emblem on historical buildings.