Behold, a voice crying out in the wilderness!

I sometimes wonder if I am the reincarnation of John the Baptist when it comes to Hong Kong politics. I don't normally believe in reincarnation but, when it comes to local politics here in Hong Kong I certainly know how old locust breath felt. He had a rough time of it until Herod Antipas beheaded him. It is tough to preach to a stubborn and recalcitrant generation who resist doing the hard work of making straight the way for the Lord, or in this case resist making the hard political decisions that would lead to a better Hong Kong.

The issue of Universal Suffrage here in "The Pearl of the Orient" is a good example. I can't believe that I am the only one who notices that there is a problem in the way various members of the political zoo are braying, roaring and barking. The local politicians are using the term "Universal Suffrage" wrong. To be fair, both the pro-government and pro-democracy camps are missing the point. But then they were all educated by the colonial government to follow instructions and repress any independent thought so maybe that is to be expected.

Here is the deal. We already have Universal Suffrage. For those offices for which we are allowed to vote everyone who meets the qualifications to vote can vote. The vote is not coerced or corrupted. Elections are honest and fair in Hong Kong. Indeed, in Hong Kong the requirements to vote are in some ways quite lenient. Permanent residents who are not citizens can vote in district council elections. You don't see that in many places. What the two sides are really arguing over is not Universal Suffrage but which offices in the government are elected and which are appointed. This is a worthy topic for political discussion but it isn't Universal Suffrage. Rather it is the scope of Universal Suffrage. Granted, some of this is the fault of the lowest common denominator newspapers. Reporters are the dumbest of the dumb except in Hong Kong where they are dumber. It could be that the politicians have it right and it is being reported wrong. I don't think that is the case.

This is not a trivial point because since the two sides have the question framed wrong they cannot be expected to ever solve the problem satisfactorily.

Most nations with a representative government have some high governmental offices that are appointed rather than elected. Supreme Court Justices are appointed in the US and serve for LIFE. The house of Lords in the former UK (Now the EU province of England)are not elected. Yet, people do not say that those countries do not have Universal Suffrage. Rather than shouting about Universal Suffrage in front of microphones and making silly threats or throwing cardboard microwaves, what the two sides here need to do is sit down and discuss which offices SHOULD be elected, which MUST be elected and which should NOT or MUST Not be elected. Then, they need to come up with a procedure to appoint those offices that are not elected that allows the population to see that the appointments are just and reasonable.

I feel like John the Baptist, standing in my camel hair robe, rough sandals and leather belt lifting my voice and crying from the wilderness: "Why must the CE be directly elected?" If Gordon Brown was not directly elected to the office of PM the HKCE needn't be either.

Instead of threatening to quit maybe the pan-democrats should ask "Do we need a directly elected CE?" Is it possible that an indirectly elected CE would serve as well? Honestly, I have more problems with the functional constituencies and endless appointed Secretaries of bric-abrac than I do with the CE. How about letting the Central government simply appoint the CE but Legco has to approve any ministers, Secretaries or Czars he/she/it/they appoint?

How about a legco that can override the CE in a meaningful way?

How about removing de facto lawmaking powers from bureaucratic flunkies who are not elected?

I think that the proposal submitted by the CE office for political reform in Hong Kong is a good place to start. It may not be where you finish but it may be a good place to start. It expands the pool of people who select the CE. It makes the body more representative of the population and is generally a step in the right direction. Take the government's proposal as a starting point.

Admit it is an improvement if only a small one and go from there.


Here is a question for the pro-democrats:
Long hair Leung was directly elected, would he be a better CE than THBT? Or, could and SHOULD some governmental body protect us from ourselves, at least a little bit? Would Albert Ho or Emily Lau actually have less problem with the governmental policy if Long Hair were elected CE of Hong Kong? Would they honestly believe that he wouldn't be worse than THBT? If the CE is directly elected then that possibility exist. We may think that THBT is a bumbler but at least he understands the job, is able to mollify the central government and keep the PLA tanks from rolling down the street.



Until Next Time
Fai Mao
The Blogger who has a sudden craving for wild honey

The Cost of Dissent

I am surprised that this story is still in the news. Normally this kind of thing is quickly swept under the rug in favor more pressing concerns like the business ventures of the THBT's increasingly distant relatives.

As I said in a previous post on this; I am having a hard time sympathizing with this dissident. He KNEW he was a wanted man in China. He WAS travelling under fraudulent documents. The government MUST obey the law.

If the officials in the HK immigration service had looked the other way in this guy's case and the mainland had found out about it then we could kiss any thoughts of universal suffrage goodbye. Indeed, we could probably have kissed the basic law, the SAR and the special privileges and freedoms (At least when compared to the rest of China) we enjoy in Hong Kong away

It is just that simple. The dissident should not have tried to enter China to see his family. Was he so dumb that he didn't think his family would still be under surveillance? Why did he even come here? Why not cross the border in Macau?

I'm sorry the politicians who are trying to make a stink about this are wrong. Even if they, like me somewhat support what the dissident claims to stand for. The immigration department, when they discovered who this guy was probably had no other choice but to return him to the PRC.


Until Next Time
Fai Mao
The Blogger who supports governments obeying the laws

Fruits and nuts

Did I miss something here?

Long Hair Leung is throwing plastic bananas at THBT. Why?

In the US calling an Asian person a "Banana" (Yellow on the outside white on the inside) is a a racist and derogatory term.

Long Hair could have a place in the political conversation in Hong Kong. However like many far leftist he cannot see that his desired end does not justify his means.

He just needs to move to Cuba or somewhere where they already have a people's Paradise.

Until Next Time
Fai Mao
The Blogger who would rather not talk about Long Hair Leung

I'm back!

The really pretty-looks-25-years-younger-than-she-is-smart-and-loving wife and I just got back from an early summer vacation in Thailand. Thailand is a really interesting place. It has a great climate, friendly natives, good beer, cool things to see, nice beaches, a fair amount English and Chinese speakers, and low prices. It is probably my favorite place in Asia outside of Hong Kong and one of the few Asian countries I can see myself retiring to at some point. If they could just get their political shenanigans under control.

However, give me the doofi in yellow shirts who were upset that a man won an election with a bare 70% of the vote any day. I'd also take what is happening in Honduras any day to what we have happening in Hong Kong today.

Today is "Repatriation Day" in Hong Kong. We've been officially a part of China again for 12 years. This morning we had the paid, rent-a-mob parade in support of the government. I know many of the marchers were not from Hong Kong because they were all speaking Mandarin rather than Cantonese. This afternoon we will have the various 800 groups that want to protest that the government isn't giving out enough handouts or are upset at this or that or something else. They are probably locals and will be marching the same route under the mistaken hope that someone in the government will care. I think that both groups have missed the point. Neither one see the real benefit Hong Kong could be to China or the real threat facing Hong Kong from China.

Don't misunderstand. The Chinese in general and Hong Kongers in particular are reasonably unbothered from the government. While the odious British were here they were their normal alcoholic, antisemitic, pompous, racist, elitist, atheist, snobby selves. So I am not yearning for a return to British rule and laws that prevented Chinese from owning land or housing in certain neighborhoods and such. We are freer now than when the Bloody British were here. Indeed, the Chinese are, on the whole, as non-threatened by their government as any Western nation. I know there are some ideologues that will dispute that but it is really true.

I am, however; upset that the British didn't do a better job preparing Hong Kongers for self government. One need look no farther than the remaining corps of "civil servants" the British left us with to know that they didn't want anyone with tilted eyes and a bridgeless nose to ever think for themselves. Tung Che Wa, our first CE was incompetent because he was an out and out toadie for Beijing. He had no governmental experience. Since he inherited his money he had no real business experience either. He was the son of a wealthy tycoon and the civil servants and the PRC played him like a tin fiddle. When he lost his usefulness they discarded him. Probably the worst thing you can say about him was that he was outsmarted by Anson Chan. My God, how embarrassing is that? But, just when we thought it couldn't get worse it did. Donald Tsang, The Human Bow Tie (THBT) is worse. He is not only an obsequious toadie but if possible more incompetent than Tung ever was. He is also to stupid to know what an obsequious toad he is and to arrogant to admit it if he did. With Tung Che Wa I always got the impression that he knew he was a figure head and in over his depth. In that regard Tung Che Wa was a tragic figure. THBT thinks he is man for the job. I would agree if he believed his calling was to be a circus clown.

Yet, THBT is also a tragic figure. He is a product of the "Yes Sir," "No thank you" British colonial system that removed any ability to think from his psyche. That fact means that unless he is replaced with a PLA general the next Hong Kong CE will probably be as bad or worse and can only be marginally better. A PLA general could at least get the water pipes fixed and building codes enforced. Holy Cow; THBT's Tai-Tai still manages the family finances and makes him take a bag lunch to work. The guy can't decide what color tie to wear on his own.

That brings me to the link on my title. Martin Freeberg had a brilliant post on his blog titled:“We Are Under the Thumb of Idiots”(Scroll Down) All I can say is, Martin, try living in Hong Kong! We've got lots of experience being ruled by those who still need to be told what to do.

That is a shame. Hong Kong could be the greatest gift ever received by the Chinese people. Hong Kongers could have taught the Chinese what it means to be free. Not free in the sense of choosing your career or little things like being able to own your property (In some ways China is freer in those things than Hong Kong.) but free. Freedom is not simply a lack of rules but the ability to challenge rules. Hong Kong could have taught China that the mark of a civilized society is not having a "Harmonious Society" but one where people can respectfully disagree each other and the government. Freedom and harmony are mutually exclusive in this sense. When the PRC says "Harmony" it means control. Instead we whine that the government isn't giving us enough cash to cover our poor financial decisions.

The greatest threat to Hong Kong is that it is populated by officials like THBT who cannot think for themselves and only do as they are told. If THBT politely stood up to Beijing just once, even if it meant loosing his USD $40,000 a MONTH salary and said: "I am not less patriotic because I think you are wrong and I want you to reconsider your position and live up to the Chinese constitution" to his Beijing puppet masters then I would donate money to have his statue erected in Chatter Garden. That is the lesson that the PRC needs to learn. That citizens can disagree and still be loyal citizens. It is a lesson that the British should have prepared Hong Kong to teach to greater China. The Britdogs couldn't see past their beer and bank accounts and Hong Kong and China are worse for it. I am worried that next year, or the year after, the DAB won't have to rent a mainland crowd.

Yet, there does not appear to be any serious opposition to the governmental group think. If the best we can do is keep trotting out Long Hair Leung to curse and throw fruit at other legislators we are doomed.

Thailand is looking better all the time. I hope yellow or red shirted protesters don't close the Bangkok airport when it is time for me to leave.

Until Next Time
Fai Mao
The Blogger who really does like Hong Kong despite how it seems

And Hilliary Clinton is really the daughter of Bigfoot

Conspiracy theories; you have to love them. Except that you have to wonder about the people who actually believe this stuff.

Even if Angela Merkel, the Chancellor of Germany WERE the daughter of Adolf Hitler by artificial insemination, using frozen seamen and the youngest sister of Eva Braun, so what? Really, so what? My father is a retired engineer, I am a librarian. he is 6'2" and I'm 5'11". I live in China and he lives in West Texas. I drink beer and whiskey but don't smoke and he is a teetotaler who loves cigars. I don't even have a driver's license and he has not only a license but a Cadillac Escalade SUV. Genetics only makes up part of who we are. Education, experience and choice make up the rest. Being the biological child of criminal is not proof of your criminality.

To be fair, these kinds of theories abound throughout the entire social and political spectrum. Lots of US democrats believe all sorts of ridiculous things about Dick Cheney, Karl Rove and G.W. Bush. You need try no harder than doing a search on the "Real cause of 9-11"to see that this is true. These are roughly counter balanced by the people who think Hillary Clinton is the handmaiden to the Anti-Christ, the daughter of Big-Foot and a Space Alien who was really adopted and raised as human.

I think the sad thing about all of this, in a political sense is that it prevents supporters of particular political persons from dispassionately examining their candidate's position. Because it becomes far to easy to simply say; "Those Fruit-Loops, what do they know?" when confronted with actual positions, problems or contradictions in their candidates position.

But then; what do I know? The local Chinese here think I'm a CIA spy because I think the Olympic medal total by the PRC looks suspiciously like steroids were used by the entire Chinese team. So obviously, I can't be trusted.

Until Next Time
Fai Mao
The Blogger who doesn't believe that history is a conspiracy.

10 reasons NOT to vote either one

The Legco election coming up in Hong Kong between Anson (Got her Fangs on) Chan and Regina (Broom-Head) Yip to replace the un-mourned Ma Lik who died this summer is getting close. As is the norm in political campaigns they are each doing their best to gain the votes needed to win the election. Strangely, I've not heard either of them give any really solid reason why people should vote for one of them over the other. They appear to me to be kind of two-peas-in-a- pod though Anson is a little more wrinkly pea.

Well be that as it may; here are the ten reasons in rank order why I don't think Hong Kongers should vote for either of them.

1. Neither one believes in a democratic Hong Kong
Regina Yip was in favor of Article 23 While most sins are forgivable, this one isn't in a political sense. No one, not one person in Hong Kong except hard core DAB members should vote for the Broom Head simply because of her involvement in supporting this issue.

Anson Chan was a high ranking Civil Servant for decades under the British government and never to my knowledge was very vocal about anything but advancing her career. Can you really say you are pro democracy when you willingly worked for a government that was determined to not allow it?

We need leaders in Hong Kong who long for a government of the people and by the people not of the party and for the Motherland.

2. They are both Running Dogs
Old Anson was almost the private lap dog for the British Imperial government for many years. I'm not sure a lap dog isn't a lower animal in this case than a running dog. Regina seems to want to be Hu Jintau's personal poodle in Hong Kong. Both of them are tied to powers outside Hong Kong that would like to either regain or establish an inordinate amount of influence over Hong Kong.

We do not need officials in Hong Kong who are excessively tied to either Beijing or London

3. Neither one knows the difference between an "Administrator" and a "Bureaucrat"
I'm sorry, but Anson Chan's assertion, taken as a compliment by Regina that both of them have many years of administrative experience is a horrific example of the wrong mentality exhibited by officials here. Governments don't administrate anything. Most of the time the best that a government can do is to mismanage anything. More to the point I think that most locals here feel that the Hong Kong government is what we'd have called in Texas, a "good - ol'- boy club." It may not be, but it certainly looks to me as though the main purpose of a Hong Kong 's bureaucrat's existence is to simply ensure that their extremely highly paid, cushy, more benefits than Bruce Wayne on a good day job remains their job.

We need fewer officials who want to grow our government by greasing the bureaucratic skids


4. Neither seem to have clear understanding of economics
At best they see a social problem and throw money at it to make themselves feel better. I've not heard either of them speak about how the mortgage defaults in the US will affect Hong Kong, problems with the dollar peg and currency rate. Taxation issues; or anything that deals with the dollars and cents of governance.

We need leaders who have and who can communicate a clear and coherent monetary policy.

5. Both come from wealthy, pampered backgrounds and have never really known what it is like to live as a normal person in Hong Kong
This one is pretty self explanatory. Not that being wealthy is a sin in and of itself. But some wealthy people do a better job connecting with normal people. Warren Buffett, for example, sent his kids to public school and lives in a house that is worth about USD $150,000. He drives a low-end luxury car. Neither Miss Broom or Mrs Fangs On have ever lived anywhere except in the lap of luxury. Even the time Regina spent at Standford in a small apartment would be a luxuriously high life to many university students.

We need leaders who understand what the average person who lives here experiences.

6. Neither, to my knowledge has ever had a job except in government
This is kind of the same thing as number 6 except that how can we expect either one of these two to have clue about what the working conditions are like in Hong Kong when they've never done anything that would give them a clue? Oh sure, they hobnob with the odd billionaire tycoon now and again or other (un)Civil Servants but that doesn't give them a great deal of insight into work-a-day Hong Kong.

We need leaders who know how to work not, to borrow Anson's misappropriated term, "administrate."

7. Arrogance and Condescension
Both of these two ladies just drip with a holier-than-thou attitude. God, it makes my skin crawl! I just want to hit the mute button anytime either of them speaks on TV. Perhaps it is because I grew up in the US which is a lot less class conscious society than either the UK or the PRC but the attitude of "I'm the great and glorious one so far above you plebs." makes me nauseous. I'll say this about them. They've given me a whole new level of understanding of the causes of the French Revolution.

We need leaders who do not talk down to us. The Noble's Obligation is a French thing and shouldn't be a Hong K0ng thing.

8. Both view this election as stepping stone to the CE office in 2012.
I'm not sure that this necessarily a bad thing but excessive political ambition will mean that either of them will be more concerned about the next step in their career path than the job at hand. More than that, it appears to me that both of these women view the CE's (Mayor's or Governor's) office as their entitlement, something they deserve because of who they are. They've lost sight of the function of of elected officials. They believe they are Royals.

We need leaders today not in 2012 and we need elected leaders not Queens or Kings

9. Neither one has shown the ability to think creatively.
There is certainly a place in government, as in all professions for the clerk who follows the rules and grinds it out. But leaders should have a vision, a guiding star or a moral compass that they use to set their political direction and guide their approach to policy. Both these ladies appear to simply be opportunist.

Hong Kong needs leaders who lead through inspiration and because of their ideas, not a bureaucratic compromise artist.

10. The Hair.
Anson looks like she buys shoe polish to color her hair from the same place Jang Zhamin did and Regina really used to deserves the nickname "Broom head" given to her during the article 23 protest marches. Since her return from Stanford she's gotten even worse and her current hair cut makes her look more like wet-mop-head. Perhaps this is trite but appearances matter. Is it too much to ask of either of them to go to the Beauty shop and buy clothing that is neither for a twenty-something Wan Chai shop girl or a frump?

We need leaders who don't look like clowns on TV.


Until Next Time
Fai Mao
The Blogger who'd like to run against these two frauds

No Surrender no Retreat

I think it was Thomas Jefferson that said "The tree of Liberty is watered with the blood of patriots."

Until Next Time
Fai Mao
The Blogger who mumbles platitudes

The List

My few regular readers will remember that I like to do top ten list. This link is actually much more detailed than a normal top ten list and even has an addendum. I think that one of the reasons that I like a list of things is because I work with adolescents. Kids don't have the attention span or desire to know a whole lot of things in an in depth manner and providing a list like this is an easy way to pique interest in a subject.

While informative and funny something that I find disturbing about these list is that they are too Amero-centric. Holy Cow! if they'd looked at the SCMP what would they have found? The China Daily? The Singapore Straights Time? Both ATV and TVB obviously slant certain news stories in various directions but I doubt either would admit to such.

I agree with the author of these list when he points out that the Internet did NOT make journalist less reliable but actually exposed some of them as liars. Matt Drudge didn't somehow make Bill Clinton ask Monica Lewinski for oral sex and the existence of EastWestSouthNorth didn't cause the movie reviews in Chengdu to be censored. Both these blogs (I'm not sure either of these is a blog. They might more usefully be defined as news aggregation services) simply expose what is already there. I'd have a lot more faith in the mass media if they'd do a better job of policing their own and admit they've had problems with trying to push an agenda. Every field has bad apples.

It kind of makes me uneasy when I read about media moguls and prominent journalist arguing for the censorship of the Internet , and make no mistake, that is exactly what Marvin Kalb was advocating in 1998 in the printed quote at the beginning of these articles. How can they advocate a "Free Press " and a controlled public Internet? I guess it is the old "Free speech for me but not for thee" syndrome.

Until Next Time
Fai Mao
The Blogger who doesn't really trust Newspapers