President Ma Ying-jeou called a news conference Jan. 5 in which he accepted the Legislative Yuan's decision to reinstate a ban on the import of six bone-in beef products from the U.S. The matter has not really come to an end, and it is feared the consequences are just beginning. It is deplorable that the issue has gone this far, and many people are curious why Ma is the only loser and what made him lose even the support of the pan-blue lawmakers in the legislature. All criticism of Ma points to his lack of communication and the inaction of the National Security Council and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. No one in the government has ever explained its policy-making process on the U.S. beef issue. How can a government fear communicating its moves to the people or coordinating them within its agencies? Although the president said the executive and legislative arms have to jointly assume the responsibility for the fallout from the U.S. beef dispute, the truth is that he stands alone without backing from the Legislative Yuan and the lawmakers. Over the past 18 months, public opinion has repeatedly asked the president to act decisively and swiftly and open his mind to tolerate dissent by putting aside personal pros and cons. This is not only a matter concerning himself, it is also an issue regarding the country. From now on, the president must listen to the voices of the legislature and communicate with the public before making major policies. By Flor Wang) 