Yunlin Magistrate Su Chih-fen led fishermen in her south-central county in a protest in front of the Executive Yuan after two fires hit a sprawling petrochemical complex in less than one month. Su went down on her knees, begging Premier Wu Den-yih to take full political responsibility for the industrial disaster. Wu traveled to the county's Mailiao Township the next day in a gesture to show the government's resolve to iron out controversies over industrial safety in the Formosa Plastics Group's naphtha cracker complex and the possible hazards to fishermen's stocks and residents' health due to water and air pollution caused by the complex. Su's subservience to Wu, however, has distorted the nature of the industrial accidents and has also made light of responsible politics. In modern politics, even the common masses should not need to beg to officials by kneeling. Su's gesture did not befit her status as a county chief and served only as a wrong demonstration that reminded the public of the meaningless shows put on by politicians. In the face of major industrial mishaps, both the central and local governments have responsibilities to bear and rights to institute. Putting on political shows or throwing dead clams and oysters might have spooked the ruling Kuomintang, but it was an out-of-date joke in the eyes of the Taiwanese public. (Editorial abstract -- Aug. 1, 2010) 