Daily Lesson from Life 16 November 2008

"Taiwan's detained ex-leader rushed to hospital
Chen, on a hunger strike, had only drunk water since entering the detention centre. -Sun, Nov 16, 2008 AFP

TAIPEI, Nov 16, 2008 (AFP) - Taiwan's detained former president Chen Shui-bian was rushed to hospital Sunday, TVBS news network said in a live report.

Chen arrived at the Far Eastern Memorial Hospital in Panchiao city, 10 minutes after his ambulance left the Tucheng detention centre outside Taipei, it said, where he is being held on graft allegations.

Chen had only drunk water since entering the detention centre early Wednesday after going on hunger strike."

Each time I read about ex-President Chen's case I feel saddened. He is one of the classical cases of 'power corrupt and absolute power corrupt absolutely' IF we do not consciously remind ourselves that we are not super human and that we are leaders that had to be accountable to the people!

The lessons for me are:

1. do not believed that we are so special that we deserved special treatment and privileges just because we had been elected as leaders by the people! To be a leader, it has to be based upon good values like: for the betterment of the majority of the people, to do good instead of enriching yourself 'conveniently' along the way, be responsible to yourself for having high ethical standard of yourself and your family and friends!;

2. actively cultivate critics and make sure you listen to them. Allowed them to voice their criticisms. If they are not true, they will be responsible for it as the people will know who is lying and who speaks the truth! You have nothing to fear if lies are said about you. To quote the famous Chinese saying: If you have done no evil, hearing someone knocking on your door in the middle of the night does not worry you!;

3. be sincere about admitting mistakes. It is better to admit mistake as early as possible when you knew you had done wrong. If you dragged it on, it will be more and more difficult for you to create 1 more lie to cover the many other lies you told to cover the earlier gaps! It will make you look doubly bad when the whole truth is unearthed! Admit mistakes early and take corrective actions to change immediately is the best policy!

May ex-President Chen find his own piece of mind and reflect did he or did he not committed corruption during his Presidency and not dragged this episode into a so-called 'political persecution by the KMT, in collusion with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)!