Karma seems to be subject to statistical probability. For every nasty person who suffers an unpleasant fate, several more escape it – and meanwhile the good (or some of them) die young. So we’ll assume the venomous Leticia Lee passed away, Covid-positive, owing to scientifically explainable causes, and it is merely a coincidence that, according to the SCMP…
Her last public comment came on Saturday, when she took to Facebook to mock pro-independence activist Baggio Leung Chung-hang for seeking asylum in the United States…
She never had a chance to jump on the Extradite Jimmy Lai bandwagon being trundled out by Mainland academic Gu Minkang via Ta Kung Pao…
It was … questionable as to whether the Hong Kong judiciary was able to safeguard national security and adjudge cases strictly according to the law, said Gu… He cited cases in which the High Court had ruled against the Hong Kong government … Gu claimed that as residents were having doubts about some of their judges, “it would of course be reasonable and legal to hand Lai’s case in accordance with the law to the mainland judiciary to handle.”…
Gu further branded Lai as one of the “chief commanders of the anti-China gang that incites unrest in Hong Kong” and “the No. 1 traitor who colludes with foreign forces,” pointing to his meetings with the United States vice president, secretary of state, congressmen and other senior officials in the Washington government. If the judges passed down a light sentence for such serious offenses, the national security law would be left with no credibility, he wrote.
Nothing would encourage foreign forces to lose further faith in – and extend sanctions on – Hong Kong like sending Jimmy Lai to the land of forced confessions. And there are few single actions the CCP can take that would so seriously further inflame local opinion. You almost wish it would happen. It’s hard to imagine that the CCP would let their spite get the better of their common sense. Except maybe it’s not.
If they do send him over the border, expect some truly overwrought panty-wetting in the Hong Kong government’s press releases on the subject (above and beyond the Justice Secretary’s ‘perpetual truths’). Here’s a thread on the growing adoption of creepy CCP rhetoric in these official statements, and the full article measuring just how much the use of phrases like ‘so-called’ and ‘external forces’ have increased in the last year or so. It is regrettable that the survey did not cover the word ‘regrettable’, now routinely used to mask overt freaking-out when measured and legitimate criticism hits a raw nerve. The geeks who did this text analysis (somehow surveying 165,000 official releases) deserve a Gold Bauhinia Medal.
The government’s spin-doctors take a break from ‘so-called’ press releases and proudly present this faintly nightmarish scene…
Yes, that’s Carrie presiding. It’s almost as if someone relished maximizing the anti-pandemic social-distancing precautions in order to make the ritual even more visually disturbing.
In the mass Swear-In how are the participants confirmed as not having their fingers crossed, muttering blah-blah-blah or similar naughtinesses?
Xi’s underlings likely fear their boss’s wrath more than international sanctions if they made him lose face by letting Jimmy Lai get off with a light sentence, or walk. It’s policy by toxic masculinity. When things get to the competitive dick measuring stage, don’t expect common sense.
“It’s policy by toxic masculinity.”
Absolutely fantastic way of putting it!
Re. Letitia
https://youtu.be/z4uivPpzCGo
Swearing in ceremony: Reminds me of one of those futuristic, dystopian films where the Grand Leader cows the powerless minions into supplicating in order to keep their livelihoods. Wonder where might find a futuristic, dystopian film along the lines of “V for Vendetta” or even …. ?
In the picture of Curry Lamb you would at least think the set designers would at least be able to get the 2 flag sizes the same. It just looks so incongruous presented in that manner – like a (insert metaphor or simile)…
An excellent albeit depressing article on “creepy CCP rhetoric”. Another phrase I have noticed mentioned with increasing frequency by the Xianggang government, but is not mentioned in the article, is “in accordance with the law”. This is used, occasionally several times in one paragraph (see above quote from Gu Minkang), to imply that everything is hunky dory and there’s nothing to see here – move along now. Which past, present or future law they don’t say, of course …
@ Probably
It would be illegal. The national flag must always be above and bigger “in accordance with the law”.
@Probably
The mainland flag must legally be bigger than the HK flag whenever displayed together.
You might think that the communist party is compensating for some subconscious inadequacy; I couldn’t possibly comment.
I was rather partial to Leticia Lee. Nice cheekbones and a forceful personality always scores well with me.
Will we need to engage in such oath-taking if we are queuing up for a new Octopus card? One does wonder….
@Probably – The 5-star wotsit’s always displayed larger than the humble Bauhinia. Any set designer suggesting otherwise would find themselves up for dishonoring said wotsit.
The narrative presents Leticia Lee as being a ‘champion’ of the police. The reality was far more interesting
@Maugrim – please elaborate. I think we should be told.
Toph
Given whose dicks are in the competition, there shouldn’t be too much to measure.
@ Flagging popularity
Re: “The mainland flag must legally be bigger than the HK flag whenever displayed together.”
Both China and HK flags are the same proportions = 2:3 ratio (1.5)
For comparison:
Old Glory (US Stars & stripes) = 10:19 (1.9)
Union Jack = 1:2 (2.0)
Which is why the Union Jack “looked” smaller in 1997 ceremonies
The most wicked sin of flags we see since 1997 is when the China flag and Bauhinia are on the SAME freaking flagpole, guess which one is on top. Whoever came with that fookin’ clusterfook should be shot (in a civilised way, of course). Sepearate flagpoles!
“Resolutely according to law”. Top THAT!!
Karma or not, I don’t think Leticia (or anyone else) deserves a premature and painful death merely for “mocking” someone on the internet.
Especially when the person mocked is a twerp like Baggio, who threw away his well-paid Legco position by making a pointless pantomime out of his swearing-in.
@Pervert#4 – “I was rather partial to Leticia Lee. Nice cheekbones and a forceful personality always scores well with me.” I think I’ll lock up my goats now.
@ DinDanChe – “The 5-star wotsit’s always displayed larger than the humble Bauhinia.” Referring to our national flag as a “5-star wotsit” is surely “not in accordance with the law”. Where you live??
@ Chef Wonton What I meant was:
“When the national flag and regional flag are displayed at the same time or displayed side by side, the regional flag shall be smaller than the national flag, with the national flag on the right and the regional flag on the left.”
From the epically exciting: “Stipulations for the display and use of the national flag and national emblem and the regional flag and regional emblem”
https://www.protocol.gov.hk/flags/eng/doc/stipulations_e.pdf
You should see the history of absolutely childish gamesmanship in flag placement, size, pedestal height, etc in the table top flags for high level meetings at the DMZ in Panmunjom, Korea.
@Chinese Netizen ; Mostly males involved in these momentous debates of course, the women would have been confined to tea pouring duties. Never mind the quality, feel the width.