In the interests of making this a happy Friday, a reminder that Hong Kong’s growing authoritarianism is a very watered-down version of what the Mainland is going through in Xi Jinping’s rectification campaign.
Obviously, if this were the Mainland, there wouldn’t be an independent Bar Association warning of threats to rule of law, and it wouldn’t be electing evil foreign human-rights-pushing elements to head it. Joshua Wong and his fellow activists would have vanished, and their names would have disappeared from any media. The lawyers who defended them would be in jail rehearsing their televised forced-confessions for subverting state power, and the families of all concerned would be followed and intimidated wherever they were in the world.
The new Secretary for Justice would not have unauthorized building works, but billions in real estate, shareholdings and other assets secretly stashed away in a variety of English-speaking democracies. Christians would be distressed when the government pulled down their ugly churches, rather than eagerly inviting developers to do it. Muslims would be tracked by CCTV and forbidden to let their kids attend mosques.
There would be no Google, YouTube or Twitter, and bookshelves and media content would dwindle as ‘Western’ culture and values were replaced by patriotic positive energy. It would be a crime to suggest (among other things) that Communist forces played only a small role in fighting the Japanese in the war. There would be no women in senior government positions.
On a brighter note, golf courses would be eradicated.
For what it’s worth, Leninist Mainlandization of Hong Kong is not even 5% complete. The Communist paranoid control-freak wimps still daren’t even impose simplified characters. Maybe Chief Executive Carrie Lam could stress this – the cup is still 95% full – with a big smile and cheer everyone up, rather than look so depressingly resigned about overseeing relentless stagnation.
I declare the weekend open with a ray of sunshine in the form of early 1970s Ethiopian popular music, before Marxists brought Red Terror and starvation to the country – a mesmerizing jazz/North African/dash-of-minimalist hybrid.
“On a brighter note, golf courses would be eradicated.” Mission Hills?
Philip is awfully nice but as you know, the road to Hell is paved by well-meaning Liberals like you, Philip and Alden Pyle.
There are still places for White men to go and practice law. They should go there and stop messing with Asia.
The hope of what remains of the CIA spy network is to cause as much have in Hogn Kong and elsewhere before replacing good progressive government run by nasty Communists with rotten government run by US stooges.
Get off it, Buster.
I think CY Lam’s look of depressing resignation is because she knows what the cup is 95% full of.
If you look closely you can almost see her lips moving to her coping mantra — “Lie back and think of England… Lie back and think of England…” — as she desperately tries to find her happy place: Surrey.
Hallelujah, praise the Lord Almighty for the cup that isn’t quite overflowing but still bubbling. Praise Him. (Have you stopped drinking the hemlock?)
Imagine being a Labour lefty a la Arthur Scargill or Michael Foot (who looked like Catweasel on a good day) when you were in your 20s and still being exactly the same, but worse, when you are 60. That would demand introspection, with or without the help of a good bottle of St Emillion.
Old Newcomer: Right!
Mark Thyme: What?
Joe Blow: Why?
Adams: Fuck off!
@Red Dragon – I think Joe Blow is referring to a certain expat blogger who keeps advising Hemlock to leave Hong Kong but shows no sign of taking his own advice.
Excellent summary of what’s still to play for. Five per cent mainlandisation was too much for me, but sincere best-of-lucks to those of you sticking it out in hapless, hopeless, hypocritical Honkers.
Thanks, O.N. The penny has dropped.