Apart from me, my amah and the next-door neighbour’s pet cat, it seems everyone in Hong Kong has now allegedly been smeared by Chief Executive candidate CY Leung’s team. If inoffensive, mild-mannered pro-Beijing stalwart Tsang Yok-sing gets mud flung at him, is anyone safe?
The mud, predictably, is thin and watery. And we can say the same about the attempts at negative campaigning mounted by CY’s rival Henry Tang’s camp. The Great West Kowloon Corruption Scandal looks decidedly feeble, as does the Fanny Law Gangster-Infested New Territories Dinner Outrage. However, the latter – while undeniably desperate – looks more professional: the naturally pro-Henry New Territories godfathers trick CY’s people into dining with bad elements, the media make a fuss, and next thing Henry is asking for police protection from triads and whining about how CY is undermining our core values. Before you know it, Hong Kong University students are spending funds protesting what the press are calling CY’s gangster link.
Last-ditch smears can work, and it looks like they could be Henry’s only hope. There are 10 or so days to go; Beijing seems to have been struck dumb, some of Henry’s nominators are quietly starting to regret backing him, while his hard-core fans are loudly forecasting that a third of Hong Kong business will evaporate under CY. Now all we need is someone to start a rumour that CY Leung was really born in Kenya.
As with the birther movement in the US, anti-CY sentiment is a broad spectrum, stretching at one end into parlous states of mental health. A hard-working local politician has received evidence of this, as no doubt have all sorts of people and organizations with public contact details. Behold ‘Peter Wong’, Chief Commander, Overseas United Front Work System of the CPC Central Committee; Chief Representative, Advisor, Central People’s Government Central Military Committee; Founder Director, Overseas General Office of the CPC Central Committee. No less. (Complete with yahoo.com.hk email address. There is, so far as I can see, no ‘Overseas’ General Office – just a plain regular one in Beijing, which oversees party discipline. The mailing address is a – probably non-existent – 4/F.)
The titles and names vary but, in essence, he has been tasked by the highest authorities in China to save Hong Kong (and Taiwan and the Mainland) from the evil forces behind CY Leung. What seems to have tipped him over the edge is the Apple Daily suggestion that Vice President Xi Jinping favoured CY. Fans of deranged mouth-frothing in the context of elaborately constructed fantasy worlds will find his (English) output here and here, and some Chinese with rough translation here, with the world’s most amazing ‘cc’ list at the end. Unless, of course, he and his colleagues are for real (or someone has a warped sense of humour). A little light reading while we’re waiting for something sane to happen.
- Click to hear ‘Psychodrama City’ by the Byrds!
CYL shouldn’t worry about the Hong Kong University protesters. In my time, I have met more than a few students and graduates from the “Esteemed Institute”. The impression I’ve formed is “Thick as Pig Poo” and/or “Decidedly Limp”.
Yes, the Tang camp have outdone themselves with the gangster nonsense. So much so that is I’m becoming concerned that the jackass Tang ultimately may creep across the line first on 25th March. A more chilling thought is who would he appoint as Chief Secretary. The creepy Sirrrr David Li appears to have been grafted onto Henry’s right shoulder recently. Would this one-time alleged insider trader be tempted to take a five year sabbatical from his beloved Bank of East Asia to manipulate glove puppet Henry? You bet.
Joseph Yam seems obvious choice to look after the purse strings.
In the other camp Fanny Law, love her or loathe her, is at least ballsy and as CS to CY they present a significantly more dynamic and appealing leading duo. Well, everything is relative.
Like my good self, CY is principally a citizen of the night but some people would call it Hungary.
By the way I found out why the greatest grand infrastructure project by the Hong Kong government is running over budget. We call it the Transylvania Twist at home:
1. Invent a useless facility and deliberately submit an underestimate of the cost to get approval.
2. Build a quarter of it so they can’t back out. Then ask for more more money.
3. Er…
4. That’s it!
Remember. Fangs are always what they used to be!!
Aha, at last some fresh evidence, or at least some new allegations. I’d be tempted to believe most of what Tsang Yok-sing says, and his claim that the three smears could only have come from CY’s supporters does make some sort of sense.
One could have predicted that the third government of most of HK, aka the kuk, would be dragged in: now we just need a more substantial foreign subversion shock horror story than Henry’s bimbos to complete the picture — at which point, necessarily within the next week, the stage will be set for a divine intervention, or rather for a miracle from somewhere near Heavenly Peace Square.
I’m sure read a recent press statement by Fanny Law that she has no intention to become CS ( or take any other such top position ) if CY wins. But these days truth blends so much with stranger-than-fiction that I’m not sure what to believe any more:
Oh yes………. some good news for once ! The West Kowloon Arts Hub will only cost a mere $16 Billion more than estimated. Fantastic !
I was expecting the cost over-run to to be well over $100 Billion
PS : David – crooked banker/ inside trader – Li as CS ? I would prefer the PLA come in and run HK rather than that . ( At least the PLA would do something about the illegal parking – like running their tanks along the Wyndham Street kerb sides every few hours or so)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FQ-8xj8CUZw
The stink being kicked up by HKU’s students may have a more sinister side to it. David Li often plays the role of Father Christmas to the institute, specifically he’s a Pro-Chancellor (whatever the hell one of those is). What’s the betting he’s behind the agitation plus he’s tossing in the cash (HK$300 k) for the newspaper ads? Someone should have a delve.
Henry or CY? It’s a Hobson’s Choice, isn’t it? Or is it a Morton’s Fork? Or a Catch-22? Or maybe a false dilemma? [That’s enough loitering on the Wikipedia ‘Game Theory’ page for me].
Anyhow, please let the unelectable Tub of Lard get 250+ votes, and let the other two get less than the 601 required (with a fair helping of blank ballots). It’s the only reasonable result.
@ Mary: Lose-lose situation, negative-sum game, damned if you do…, caught on the horns of a d., or, in HK English, in a difficult position, often taken to mean faced with a choice ie one can’t procrastinate, pass the buck or spinelessly weasel away any more.
Or more like an Irish joke: if I was heading towards universal suffrage in 2017, I certainly wouldn’t start from here. Which proves that we won’t get it in 2017, since Peking can now say we don’t Deserve any Better. QED, or rather RIP.
In a way I really want The Horse to win because I’m hopeful that this maybe the catalyst that HK needs for “chinese riots with western characteristics” or “death by a thousand cuts” via the media of Horse and the the rest of the parasitic w@nkers that bleed us dry. The risk that this is unlikely to happen makes me want CY, the brute realist in me says why give a f@ck? It’s not like I have any real choice or say in how things are run in HK.
Still…….come the revolution!
The recent lack of opinion polls is possibly playing into ET’S hands. We need more showing him trailing miserably, otherwise the pro business camp on the election committee will have ample grounds to state that public opinion is unclear. He has to be stopped even if that does mean five years of CY. Last chance is for a massive CY victory in the Mickey Mouse vote on popvote.hk on 23rd March.
Although I shudder to think of ET becoming our next CE , daft -but charming twit that he is – it may be the best thing for HK just now.
That’s an alarming thought to arrive at after these past weeks during which, as I’m sure it’s clear to all on The Big Lychee- RTP is a CY man *
*But that was not always the case : 2 years ago I also viewed CY as the local evil visage of the “evil big BJ” same as the DAB.
But then a strange – dichotomy: I actually never really considered BJ as anything other than sincere and benevolent towards us in HK : what I really hated was their mindless abject acolytes and stooges here in HK. In my many years of travelling in China I have often voiced openly all that I think is right and wrong in China ( and HK), and always been greeted with agreement , because that’s what nearly all of China also thinks , including – I think- the majority of the top leadership. Just that the system itself has inbuilt momentum and cannot turn itself around overnight , even though the leaders know what must be done long-term.
So why do I respect CY ? Because he really does have his finger on the pulse of both HK and China ( at least – I HOPE he does !) and he is NO tycoon or party’s stooge ( that’s for sure !)
But I think his time has yet to come.
So I hope CY actually loses to the awful horse ( who will then have to preside over his sacrificial wife’s execution re the cellar) and who will then lead us into not half million but one million marches against the hegemony of the tycoons and govt, which probably BJ wants to kill off as much as we – the plebs – do
Then enery is forced to ‘resign’ in mid-term ( same as Tung was) , BJ calls a snap 1,200 election and CY steps in, triumphant – yes, but wiser by far than today in March 2012
So roll on enery / ET/ horse-faced tycoon stooge. Win and do your ‘best’ – which will in fact be the worst for HK and finally seal your fate in the annals of time, and that of the awful tycoons
( hic… ! I need another Newcastle Brown to see more clearly….)
The way things are going, I’d give CY an evens chance of lasting three years, and that’s with the help of the tanks.
The news reaches us yokels a bit slowly, so I’ve only just seen toaday’s Lai See by Howard Winn:
Uncle Henry’s doo-wop shop?
You couldn’t make this stuff up. Local blogger Hemlock has unearthed a song from the 1960s titled Uncle Henry’s Basement by a group called the Jesters who enjoyed fleeting fame as exponents of doo-wop. How long before we see the first local bar, cafe or wine store called Henry’s or Henry’s Basement?
I just realized that I misread today’s ( Tuesday’s ) Laisee….
I thought Laisee was referring to Fanny Law as CY’s future CS (if CY wins ) but not so if ET wins ( of course ).
I was obviously too much affected by what Hendrick wrote 🙂
But no ! What Laisee was in fact saying was : according to what a little bird told him, it’s gutsy Carrie Lam who who would refuse to work under Henery Tang as CS.
Now that’s a terrifying thought if the only remaining top civil service secretary with any balls and common sense would rather retire than work under the orrible orse.
The more I learn about this Peter Wong (Google his Chinese name 王耀萱), the more I’m disappointed that he may not actually speak for well-connected CCP insiders.
http://hk.dir.groups.yahoo.com/group/pmc020927/message/161
Watch Peter create peace in Diaoyutai!
http://hk.groups.yahoo.com/group/pmc020927/message/253
Watch Peter personally vet EC members!
http://hk.dir.groups.yahoo.com/group/pmc020927/message/193
I am sad to report this is the only existing correspondence using Peter’s title of “New Earth founder and the vast religions unification practice.”
Learn from history (and its puppeteers etc.)
Henry = YELTSIN; CY = PUTIN; Ho = GORBACHEV…
more seriously, what do you think of the M-Form Society (M型社會) since HK (China also) are headed in that direction?
RTP
I hadn’t seen yesterday’s Laisee. Just read it and now see the potential for confusion over my posting !