And so a busy couple of weeks come dribbling to an end. The next week or two will probably, by contrast, be relatively quiet, as Hong Kong’s political ‘heavyweights’, co-opted tycoons, pro-Beijing shoe-shiners, Communist-worshipping zombies and all-purpose human annoyances go on their annual pilgrimage to the nation’s capital for the ‘two meetings’ of China’s rubber-stamp legislative and consultative bodies.
The soap-opera known as the Hong Kong Chief Executive election will continue. For those who missed the last few episodes: supporting actress Regina Ip has – as widely expected – finally been written out of the script. She is not happy, whining about her loyalty to the sponsors and no doubt bitter about how hard it is for women her age to land a decent role. But the truth is the producers never intended her rebellious character to remain in the show this long, overshadowing the duller leading members of the cast, notably star Carrie Lam, the wholesome girl-next-door, who is the focus of the fading and absurd drama.
How can you answer this question in just 600 words?
The article is fawning towards the unlikeable lawmaker – but in these strange times that is actually a somewhat seditious position to take. The ironies! Regina wins votes in the real, free democratic elections we have for the Legislative Council. She gambled, through energetic obsequiousness, on her no-nonsense style being acceptable to the Communist Party. Now she has ‘lost’ in a quasi-poll deliberately rigged to appoint someone safe and spineless. She would have been better off being a feisty and serious pro-democrat all along. So hard to sort out the injustice from the justice here.
Maybe there is hope for her yet. I declare the weekend open with a job-opportunity brainwave…
Hot water pouring, red coated sperm receptacles for septuagenarian goons with too much shoe polish in the hair!! Perfect!
Who needs absurd post-modern fiction when …
We have Hemlock casting his cynical and penetrating gaze upon the paradigm clash that is our local current affairs.
I suspect this must be a part of the CIA NOC training programme, under “how to assume the cover of a world-weary, jaundiced, ‘old China hand’-esque gwailo.”
Bloody yanks!
The irony is that any figures that show any spark at all of life, or even a smidgen of sympathy for non-Chinese ideas — Regina, Fanny, Donald, John — are those that suffer the most.
But on reflection it’s not really one, as revolutions happen when the regime liberalises, the CP’s united front “principle” means eliminating waverers and the simplistic local culture gives up in panic when faced with shades of grey.
Passez un bon week-end!
Why do I like you? Let me count the ways.
I well recall how forceful you could be
When you were pushing Article 23
In far-off, innocent, happy, loyal days.
I mourn the way your callous rivals squeeze
You, as if you do not matter, from the race.
Come, Regina, let me take their place;
Come, press against me softly, please.
I like the way your speech is plain and clear;
I like the womanly way you sometimes cried;
I think what talent we are going to miss;
And now perhaps the end is drawing near
I like your manner, calm and dignified.
I shall but like you better after this.
[with acknowledgement to Elizabeth Barrett Browning]
A mystifying character, Regina. She cries the communist abject mea culpa tears and then fucks off to ‘foreign powers’. Then she’s back, ducking down in a car, going into a Liaison fortress in the Mid-levels.
There’s a touch of John Le Carre about Regina.
I agree with Hemmers, she should move pan-dem and galvanise that motley bunch as a reconstructed Martin Lee.
He did it well in global interviews with limited wardrobe but high intellect and principles. Perhaps Regina is vice-versa.
But, no matter. Stick at it Ms Ip. After all these years, stand up for Hong Kong, unequivocally.
Puts a damper on the mood:
http://www.scmp.com/business/global-economy/article/2075515/blame-our-civil-service-second-class-city-hong-kong-has
Wouldn’t surprise me if Peter Guy is given the boot soon.
“…all-purpose human annoyances” – brilliant!