Growing signs of impatience… Chief Executive manqué-to-be Christine Loh warns that following the district elections the ball is in the administration’s court. It must seize this opportunity (the one that disappeared behind clouds of tear gas on Sunday) to take action to solve the city’s political crisis. Even the SCMP, in yet another whiny editorial bemoaning oh-so awful radical vandalism and arson, manages to squeeze in some criticism of Carrie Lam’s inaction.
It is undeniably true that the Hong Kong government has, for the last six months, been as lifeless as the stuffed waxwork taxidermy thing in the glass case at the Mao Mausoleum. It is also true that, left to her own devices, Carrie would be responding to the ongoing calamity with a sort of barely noticeable dithering.
But, as the lady has managed to indicate discreetly, her hands are tied. She would love to get up and do something utterly useless and indecisive – but she’s not allowed to. Beijing insists that the problem be solved through force alone. After 11,000 rounds of tear-gas, 5,000 arrests, a constitution-warping and counterproductive face-mask ban, the probably-irreversible dissolution of a service-oriented police force, a collapse in tourism, partial shutdowns of the transit system, and the total alienation of most of the public (plus Taiwan’s), Beijing remains adamant that crushing and suppressing is the only way.
Last week, the screw tightened with possible civil-service loyalty tests. This week, it’s purging the private sector.
And so we approach Month Seven, wringing our hands and lamely reciting the eternal delusion that only after the violence stops can ‘dialogue’ (whatever it might mean, between whomever) begin…
Can’t wait for Reactor’s hot take on this this morning.
Mr Hemlock
Have you yet seen the turkeys crossing the road with “leadership needs responsibility”. My 2 pen y worth that CL needs to be shown it.
I do not do Twitter but if you give me a number will whatts app it to you, failing all else.
Plus why no column on 689 being the father of the HK independence movement? Classic. “create” to destroy.
Noooo….. not Christine Loh; imploring the IPCC to fully exonerate the police? Hopefully few are fooled by her oh so very reasonable and diplomatic tone, or her “track record” as legislator and environment thingy. In the competence stakes she’s not much further ahead than namesake Henry Tang.
I would love to know the names of the three hedge funds that will no longer hire Hong Kongers referenced to in the twitter link.
I’m hearing reports that the big accounting firms are not hiring any native Hong Kongers this year.
I’ve been hearing that big financial firms have been looking askance at local graduates for years. Partly because of stories about lunatic helicopter parents tagging along on job interviews, and partly due to the classist belief that a kid who grows up in a public housing estate can’t possibly be worldly or sophisticated enough to hack it in international finance. The pressure for political correctness simply reinforces existing trends. I’ve met my share of expat managers who believe that the locals are coddled, useless, and devoid of original thought. The last few months have demolished that stereotype several times over. I think it’s got to do with the way postcolonial subjects have been taught to relate to authority figures. You go blank and wait to be told what to do so that you don’t offend anyone higher up.
At this rate Reactor #4 may get himself hired ?
Perhaps not.
In fact, Ms Loh said that the Government should “seize the window of opportunity”. I’d like to see a picture of that.
Anthony Neoh is a full member of the establishment. To apply Sir Humphrey the most important decision is the identity of the chairman as,to the result you seek.