So Sam: Human Wave Attack

Human Wave Attack

Translated by Chen-t'ang 鎮棠, edited by K. Griffin, written by So Sam
Original: http://www.passiontimes.hk/article/03-30-2015/21967/ 

PLA's human wave attack during the Korean war.

Hongkongers are so forgetful. Whenever there is a breakthrough in our movement, there are people who will say “this leaves a bad impression on others”, and that our aim should be “to act justly and to love mercy” [Micah 6:8]. These are the people who changed their tacks as soon as the glass door of the LegCo was broken. The Berlin Wall did not fall by itself, and if Ukrainians dared not to break a glass, their very country would long be gone.

When two armies are involved in a battle, things get cut-throat. But when talk turns to the “human wave attack”, the KMT veterans will remain silent – they dare not remember the past. During the Chinese Civil War, the Communists used “human wave attacks”. They held assemblies where landlords and elders were killed. They forced innocent people to be at the frontline in battles so as to waste the KMT's ammunition – old and weak people, female and children were bound and forced to the front to be attacked by grenades. Trenches were exploded and filled up with bodies, and the Communist soldiers marched on. Some KMT soldiers did not want to shoot civilians, but as orders came, they did so with their eyes shut. The KMT base will all be taken to the Commies, with the slightest hesitation from the KMT soldiers.

Such tactics by the People's Liberation Army were said to be inspired by the Thoughts of Mao Zedong, but they were actually plagiarised from a battle in which the Soviet army crossed the Mannerheim Line and stacked many layers of bodies in front of its base. The Communists know, of course, that a coin has two sides. So in the 1979 Sino-Vietnam War, they ordered “Kill all those who march forward, irrespective of their age or gender”.

Mao Zedong once said, “A revolution is not a dinner party, or writing an essay, or painting a picture, or doing embroidery; it cannot be so refined, so leisurely and gentle, so temperate, kind, courteous, restrained and magnanimous. A revolution is an insurrection, an act of violence by which one class overthrows another.”

In the course of this action, it is either win or lose; if one succeeds, it's a revolution; if one fails, it is a riot. When active forces are suppressed, the entire movement can only die in silence. To fight for democracy and freedom under an authoritarian regime, you don't “morally impress your enemy”, you terminate your enemy.

Hong Kong is now in an invisible war. Being so gentle and temperate doesn’t help at all.

(Originally on the 28^th Issue of Passion Times [Printed Edition])

Tin Sum: The Battle Between Enlightened Hongkongers and the Authoritarian CCP Regime

The Battle Between Enlightened Hongkongers and the Authoritarian CCP Regime

Translated by Chen-t'ang 鎮棠, Edited by Billy Clarke, written by Tin Sum (田心)

Original: http://www.passiontimes.hk/article/03-26-2015/21990 

Despite his daughter still being in ill health, CY Leung has been spending a lot of effort and time in public forums recently. He directly asked voters to "vote them [pan-dems] out" – and he intimidated the public and anybody who might have differing views from his, stating that he is ready to tackle the next possible occupy movement.

And ready he is indeed: The police force has bought three water cannon trucks (worth $27 million HKD in total), three armoured cars (worth $14 million HKD in total) and they’ve employed 600 more officers, with new ‘guidelines’ issued (any suspected unlawful assembly involving three people or more can end in the participants being arrested). It also appears a blue ribbon police force has been formed. Under this regime, rule-breaking officers are above the law, capable of getting away with murder. The current order of the day in this Special Administrative Region is despotic establishment – as far from democracy as you can get.

As of yet, the police haven’t killed any protesters (though we’re not far off), and Hong Kong is still an international city. We can still draw attention internationally if there is any rough restraint or fatalities (like that which takes place across the border). The international eye is our last, and fading, confrontational tool.

For now, we can still retaliate against the crooked authorities in power, and we can still continue this war against these seeping forces that are iniquitously taking over. But if those politicians that we see in the news everyday continue their bickering and keep on with their minor quarrels focusing only on the rare occurrences of ‘violence’, then this will distract from the crux of the problem – and this could leave many in the city uninformed and distracted from the main issues facing society. Focusing on these few isolated incidents of real violence (which all occurred under suspicious exceptional situations) will give the government and police a reason to step up and become despotic. CY himself even boastfully stated this week that he handled the protests well as the PLA were not called in (which is in fact a hidden threat hinting at what could occur in future which also shows where his heart, and his pay check lies).  

The fight for real democracy is in a current mess and it needs to be sorted out, but there are still chances. If someone cheats in a game it won’t be long before justice will prevail, and right not Hong Kong is being dominated by cheaters. Hongkongers is in the midst of a crisis and people need to stop looking the other way and acting like it is not their problem. One day a big portion of the middle-class will flee (it is already happening) and their input to the city will disappear. Regardless of class, we need to all protect our interests and stand up together now.

Kwok: If Jesus was born in this day and age in HK

If Jesus was born in this day and age in Hong Kong

Translated by Chen-t'ang 鎮棠, edited by B Clarke, written by Kwok Chun-fai
Original: http://www.passiontimes.hk/article/03-29-2015/22057/ 

On reaching Jerusalem, Jesus entered the temple courts and began driving out those who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves, and would not allow anyone to carry merchandise through the temple courts. And as he taught them, he said, “Is it not written: ‘My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations’? But you have made it ‘a den of robbers.’”

Mark XI: 15-17

High Priest: “That country bumpkin from Galilee, Jesus, is not peace-minded, and he does not have an analytical mind. Silence is golden, and Christians should learn from Christ – when he was killed, he didn't moan or groan.”

A ‘neutral’ citizen in Jerusalem: “I wish the House can be a house of prayer for all nations [Isaiah 56:7], rather than a place where people buy and sell. But when Jesus becomes so violent and pushes people's things onto the ground, then he is wrong. If there are more peaceful ways to achieve justice, I will definitely support him.”

A blue ribbon supporter in Jerusalem: “I am of course against this. What am I actually against though? I don't know. When someone supports something, someone has to be the opposition!”

A ‘mainstream’ citizen in Jerusalem: “Preventing someone from making a living and their daily bread is akin to killing their parents. I am in the retail business, so stop bothering me with your mess and just let me go to work. What, standard working hours? 24 working hours per day now? Ah well, whatever, not much different from how it is now.”

An economist: “Cleaning the House will cause a 350 billion loss for Jerusalem per day. How did I calculate it? Who cares? Cleaning the House may also cause the stock market to plunge as well as the property market. I am thinking whether I should include the spread of the Ebola virus into this.”

An ‘expert’: “After Cleaning the House, the retail industry has become weaker and there are less sales coming through. What Jesus did will affect how tourists perceive Jerusalem. Less and less Individual Visit Scheme visitors are coming through now, and the impact will soon be seen. The international image of Jerusalem is currently under threat.”

A resident around the House, Jerusalem: “When there were lots of transactions taking place in the House, there were a lot of animals, pigeons and goods brought by the traders. We were constantly bothered and hit by those animals, with the goods getting in the way - and this affected our lives. The things in the House have become much more expensive as a result of speculation, yet nobody heeds to our complaints. The House should be a house of prayers for all nations. We want to pray normally. Now I thank Jesus for giving us back our normal lives.”

Executive Council Member of Jerusalem: “Because Jesus does not allow people to get things and pass through the House, the other two roads have been fully saturated. We have just passed the bill of constructing a third pathway (‘third runway’). We allow white elephants to pass through all the time. This might not solve any problems or bring good to the people in the House, but the price is dirt cheap – 141.5 billion! Though everyone will have to pay for this eventually, trust me, you will get advantages from it for sure.”

Chief of soldiers: “Our soldiers will not play tricks on Jesus. Purple robe? A crown of thorns? [John 19:2] Oh c'mon! We exercised minimum force like a caring mother would and we got the job done. The Chief Executive of Jerusalem has thanked me in public. Trust me, everything is as normal. It is about some 160 days, so please be more patient.”

Chief Executive of Jerusalem: “We will set up a 'Bye-bye Jesus Committee'. We are serious, because he wants to be the king of the Jews. It is absolutely reasonable to believe he is backed by the 'external powers', for a person who 'has no place to lay his head' [Luke 9:58]. We have received reliable information, saying that the Jesus asked people to follow him and seek first his kingdom [Matthew 6:33]. Getting rid of local awareness and those terrorists who support independence are of the utmost importance. Long live Caesar!”

Jesus was resurrected three days after his death – too furious.

日媒：港人憎恨大陸人 處處影響是主因

日媒：港人憎恨大陸人 處處影響是主因

Translated by Kumono Shota, written by Okamoto Yuuba (岡本悠馬)

(CUP Magazine: How to distinguish a mainland Chinese)

2015年3月17日，新浪微博以「香港人討厭中國人的理由」為題投稿，申訴香港人因受香港人口6倍的中國旅客，生活環境受到壓迫的情況。

世界訪日旅客數為1200萬人，而中國大陸訪港旅客則高達接近4000萬人。日本國土為38萬平方公里，香港則連1000平方公里也未達。人口成700萬的香港，面對近乎6倍的旅客到底是怎麼一回事，你明白嗎？

雖說中國旅客帶動香港經濟，但大企業、資本家以外的一般市民能得到什麼程度的恩惠，則不得而知了。另一方面，一般外出因擠逼而變得不便，無疑影響日常生活上。中國旅客的住宿、飲食、購物、移動等的消費，佔香港本地生產總値（GDP）4%也沒有。「中國旅客走了，香港經濟就會垮塌」是荒唐的說話。

擁有一簽多行（多次簽證，multi visa）的，大部分是深圳居民。中國大陸內，未開放前往香港旅行的地區仍然很多。但是擁有一簽多行的人，則每日前往香港。走水貨的問題也因他們而起。

中國人到香港生育，使用花大錢把香港身分證弄到手中。結果，本土的孕婦不能到公立醫院生育，即使轉到私立醫院，也因大量中國人而導致費用高昂。即使出生後，也因中國人的搶購導致買不到奶粉，而政府的一人兩罐的決定（限奶令）就更令他們不滿。中國人花數千萬港幣投資，取得香港身分證，但很多人並不住在香港，而是從大陸注入大量資金，在地產炒賣。此舉導致本土市民變得買不起樓房。

在港中國留學生人數已經上升至接近1萬人，而香港政府亦從庫房中提供高額獎學金給他們。可是，很多學生只是把香港當作踏板，畢業後前往歐美，而不在香港工作，更遑論納稅。這導致每年都壓迫着香港學生的學位。本土學生會怎樣想呢？

另外，中國旅客不遵守公共規則。網絡上的資訊跟現實不同，實情並不如網絡所指的嚴重，只有少數，但都有壞影響。香港地鐵並非完全禁絕飲食，即使是本土居民也有人吃麵包喝飲料等。但是，港人不會旁若無人。中國旅客在座位上攤開食物，然後親子都亂拋垃圾，惹起香港人反感。

以前香港曾吸收來自中國大陸的非法移民，故此並不是一直都排斥着中國大陸的人民。可是，主權移交後接近20年，就產生了對立。到底有沒有人去想想香港人的利益正被侵害。這是一個應予深慮的問題。

全文：http://news.livedoor.com/article/detail/9919239

Yu Jie: Arrogant Headmaster, Arrogant Chinese

Arrogant Headmaster, Arrogant Chinese

Translated by Chen-t'ang 鎮棠, Written by Yu Jie (余杰)
Original: http://hk.apple.nextmedia.com/news/art/20150317/19079443 

Zheng Qiang was raving a few days ago at a press conference of the Chinese NPC about "the overseas Chinese students saving universities in Britain":

I've returned from Oxford. All their professors are saying the truth: if the Chinese education system did not nurture such a good batch of youngsters, around 20% universities in Britain would be closed - this is true.

So a headmaster from one of the poorest provinces can finally hold his head up high to the "empire on which the sun never sets"!

A Qing dynasty official, Lin Zexu once claimed that "gweilos" from England were but vampires who did not know how to bend their knees. When the arrived, they could be easily attacked. Headmaster Zheng was similarly bursting with pride – so what’s the big deal, Oxford and Cambridge? "If we did not provide flocks of overseas students, your skeleton in the closet – the dilapidated, once-great empire that you have become – will be shown for all to see!"

Post by Hong Kong Columns - Translated.

Somebody doctored a photo of the "Two Meetings" - replacing the banner with "Parents' Meetings of Chinese Students Studying in the West". Quite accurate. Are there any official's children not studying in "evil capitalistic" countries with "ulterior motives"? Whether the offspring of Zheng studies in Guizhou University or abroad is worth our doxing?

[Translator's note: Tsinghua University was "first a preparatory school for students later sent by the government to study in the United States" - Wikipedia]

Top-notch institutions in China, such as Peking University or Tsinghua University, have become the "preparatory schools" for students before they go on to study in the US or Europe. The younger generation of China has never ceased to study, work and live in the West, and contribute to the growth of the West. This is a sign of failure for China’s entire higher education and social system. It is not something headmasters should feel proud of, rather, they should feel ashamed.

Post by Hong Kong Columns - Translated.

Zheng's logic is that of the almsgiver who hands out gifts with condescension.  This attitude is prevalent among Chinese elites and spreading like a cancer. They grab milk formula, daily necessities and luxuries in Hong Kong, arguing: "We are here to spend and give you job opportunities, how dare you not welcome us? Even if we urinate, defecate, jump red lights, and shout whenever we want, you should tolerate us." Chinese elites think Hongkongers would only live on air were it not for the Individual Visit Scheme. Yet "living on air" will not be as a "death" sentence – unlike that facing those kids whose parents are unable to buy quality milk formula so have to drink tainted formula, which makes them become big-headed babies. Does the Chinese dream of Xi Jinping include big-headed babies?

Chinese elites also go to Taiwan to buy fruits and seafood. All purchases have a political undertone. They think when they buy Taiwanese products, Taiwanese people should be grateful, or wish for "reunification" immediately. Yet the Sunflower Movement has shown the will of the younger generation, leaving Chinese leaders to reveal their true colours: "If we don't buy your fruits and seafood, you will suffer!"

China is not the almsgiver of the world, and the world is not the prostitute of China. So you are rich, huh? Buy more paper offerings, and create more smog then!

Astrophel Lim: What's More Unabashed than Labour Party Help Immigrants Get CSSA?

What's More Unabashed than Labour Party Help Immigrants Get CSSA?

Translated by Chen-t'ang 鎮棠, Edited by Karen L., Written by Astrophel Lim
Original: http://www.passiontimes.hk/article/03-19-2015/21844/ 

Having an anchor baby is a choice after all. [Translator's note: In Hong Kong, "anchor babies" are often referred to as "doubly non-permanent babies", indicating both their parents' lack of  permanent residence in Hong Kong, but in mainland China.] Those mainland pregnant women deliberately did so, some passing through the customs at the last minute and refusing to pay the hospital bill that comes, and there are others giving birth at the border or trying to get themselves imprisonment here.

Aiming at HKSARG welfare system, they leave no stone unturned. The worse part is that completely are they never planning on how to raise a baby, and somehow in they eyes, it becomes the government's responsibility offering CSSA to them.

Some say, the kids will have no hukou approved by the mainland China in this way. [Translator's note: "Hukou" is the household registration in China.] Well, please go back to China and fight for your rights of one. Same with those "establishing-democratic-PRC" aspiration, please leave it to your great nation.

Allowing such situation is the grey area of our current system. Some kids from mainland China have a legal guardian in Hong Kong, but still they apply for CSSA. I couldn't help but wonder then what does "guardian" stand for. Doesn't it supposed to be taking care of that kid?

Their parents insist them living in Hong Kong, and even help them find a guardian for daily life. Okay, fine. I can take this. Then isn't the current arrangement fair enough for them? [Translator's note: Current arrangement — When doubly non-permanent kids have a need to apply for CSSA, they need a guardian to do it for them, and they should live with the guardian said.]

Either Fernando Cheung quit or fail from the election, it doesn't count for anything. His problem lies on the way of thinking and the betrayal against Hongkongers. He supports the re-allocation shift from the locals to the others. Politically speaking, all of that is not a fault of one, and only a collective punishment will do.

Why? Simple enough. Even if Fernando Cheung quit his job, problems won't disappear in a flash. Many resources from the NGO are deeply linked and intertwined with LegCo seats or panels or committees. To embrace the variety of stances in issues, one and another politician within a party should be allowed to think and act differently. Only in this way can it root out the deeply planted pernicious practice and remove the links between injustice and politics.

This is why I am not calling for a boycott against, but the entire Labour Party — unless all of their major members make it clear about their stances on the new arrival issues, especially this CSSA case, or else the entire party deserve not a single vote. Honestly, who of them ever does something meaningful? Lee Cheuk-yan called for "construction of democratic China. Cyd Ho went to Shanghai for constitutional reform discussion and then wore the T-shirt "vindicate Tian'anmen Massacre". Tricks only.

Relgitsjg: OK, History Is JUST Repeating Itself

OK, History Is JUST Repeating Itself

Translated by Chen-t'ang 鎮棠, Edited by Karen L., Written by Uncle Relgitsjg (史兄)
Original: http://www.pentoy.hk/%E6%99%82%E4%BA%8B/r412/2015/03/19/ok-history-is-just-repeating-itself/ 

"Higher demand for Hong Kong internal resoureces will be generated if it is able to attract more users. Given the lack of talent and land, the government should import talent and turn to land reclamation." 

It happens. One solution for all. So as they think.

OK, history is JUST repeating itself:
1. It always costs over 10 billion HKD to build infrastructure X.
2. Effectiveness of infrastructure X remains dubious.
3. Be it the mainland China or Hong Kong side, the "success" of infrastructure X somehow must rely on the system's cooperation or compromise.

The 3rd runway — to build or not to build?
Thanks to the economics training back in the day, I do learn some ways of thinking from Steven N.S. Cheung. To answer this question, let me raise a simple one first.

Why bother?
Assume all the problem of flight directions or aerospace can go for good, and the runway do deliver its ability for more frequent flights as expected, then what's in it for Hong Kong?
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Tourists.
Tourists.
More tourists.
Flocks of tourists.

I couldn't help myself LOL while typing the above lines.

Is Hong Kong lacking tourists? Do we have any more capacity left for accommodating tourists?

The problem of Hong Kong does not lie on the demand side, but it's the domestic supply that hits a bottleneck, which has been revealed through several representative signs—

1. The unemployment rate of Hong Kong is 3.3%, almost attaining full employment. Such rate has reached the rock bottom since 1997. Vacancies of jobs in the market are desperate to be filled, especially in industries related to tourism, like catering and hotels. The situation applies also in fields such as engineering and construction. A little experience will do for job changing. If you don't buy that it's not easy to hire people, bring a friend who speaks Chinese and pay a visit to some Cha Chaan Teng to see how long the dish-washing workers and waiters have worked in there. 10 years later, it will be time for the post-WW2-baby-boomer-generation to retire. The labour force then will be expected to drop. By the time, supply will overtake demand, in a more aggressive manner;

2. Rent of shops and industrial buildings has skyrocketed. What reflects the true demand of end users (merely counting the rent might include speculation) is the vacancy rate and rent.  Do trust yourself over me. Pick a district where you are familiar with, and think, how many shops has survived since 2005. The barber's I-have-been has a no-future story. The owner, also a barber started first his practice as a disciple in a ground floor barber's in Cameron Road, and became a boss of an upstair barber's in Prat Avenue. The rent surged. He had no choice but to move to another upstair store in Hankow Road and to share the rent with other tenants. And now in return for a place for hairdressing business, he has to share the money with others. The places he used to rent has become restaurants and upstair stores;

3. Infrastructures have reached its limits. The MTR is so damn cramped; everywhere is filled with tourists even at 10 or 11pm; restaurants in tourists areas reject non-diners to use their washrooms; all scenic spots are but people — those from mainland China. Even I have a huge favour over Donald Duck, I only went to Disneyland HK for three times — free ones. Besides ugly Donald Duck souvenirs, another reason I am not willing to pay for it is fairly simple. If I were to give away few hundred dollars for special experiences such as cramping and shoving with Chinese people and having my queue cut by these barbarians, I would be nuts.

We need more tourists? No, you don't seem to find a single empty shop in the street or empty cable car in Ocean Park. And no, it's not like there is any problem of our airport's capacity or that it takes a cannot-bear long time to get on flight. C'mon! Airport expanded, then what? Will the tourists enjoy their time in such a crowded place? Cramping on an MTR train with flocks of passengers? Or return immediately after shopping in the brand name shops in the airport closed area?

Whether the High Speed Rail or 3rd runway "succeed" or not, once it's passed, we're doomed—

"Higher demand for Hong Kong internal resoureces will be generated if it is able to attract more users. Given the lack of talent and land, the government should import talent and turn to land reclamation." Some naively believe the suggestion of property development in country parks are means testing the water. What? Are you sober? Now we are talking about 141.5 billion HKD for the 3rd runway, and they just passed it in ExCo, why would they still be scared of building something else in countryside?

Be rest assured, they won't succeed for this one (the 3rd runway does have better chances to be successful, compared with the high-speed rail, like around 40% vs 0.0001% and tell you what, I am very serious about the percentage). But you see, watching it fall would not be a pleasant scene after all.

Prepare for the worst — no one uses the 3rd runway, and in this case losses are expected. In order to cover the costs, or at least suffer less, Hong Kong might have to sacrifice some of its aerospace, or allow China to have "co-location arrangement" in Hong Kong regarding the high speed rail [Translator's note: by "co-location", China might exercise its control in Hong Kong]. If it fails, the bad side will only go further — they gain more excuses to import "talents" or implement land reclamation with the idiotic hope to achieve "supply creates demand".

These white elephants — cost overruns of one and another infrastructure projects will eat up our 700 billion fiscal reserve bit by bit. Imagine that poor Hong Kong might need to issue debts for survival, and China will buy in the bonds. Time will come as if your balls are in his hands. He can clench his fist and crunch them, but all you can do is to say "yes". (Dongjiang water is an example). Even if he allows civil nomination or independence, there's nothing to be happy about.

141.5 billion, huh?
We are not talking about the number of sperms.

Infographic: Hong Kong vs Macau - Tourist figures

Infographic: Hong Kong vs Macau - Tourist figures

Atsuna: HKers Are Educated Illiterates, in Lu Xun's Words

Hongkongers Are Educated Illiterates, in Lu Xun's Words

Translated by Chen-t'ang 鎮棠, Edited by Vivian L., Written by Atsuna
Original: http://www.passiontimes.hk/article/03-02-2015/21495 

[Translator's note: Lu Xun was a famous leftist writer during the first half of the 20th century in China. His works are mostly written in Chinese, and you can find the English translation here.]

Lu Xun's stories are littered with rotten-to-the-core characters--they are either ignorant illiterates, or educated elites who are so fraught with envy one can almost see the green-eyed monster jumping out of the page.

Lu Xun gave up medicine to be a writer because he wanted to rescue the Chinese populace from the age-old depravity by offering stark social criticisms through literaray works. Set in early 20th century China, Lu Xun's stories -- where men wear cheongsams, and struggle over whether to cut or keep their queues (the long pigtails) years after the Qing domination had fallen -- were written to pointedly criticise and mock the society and its people for their crooked ways. It was a time, it seems, that bears little resemblance to our present day Hong Kong--Hongkongers never believe that eating a bread soaked in blood can treat tuberculosis, and we are much stronger than conceited the anti-hero Kung I-chi who is a student of the traditional teaching and a downright loser in all aspects of life--but are we so far from Lu Xun's world?

The aim of education is to enlighten. In Lu Xun's time, education was a privilege. Even if one had a chance to study, it's hard not to be influenced by the traditionalistic backward thinking that was severely outdated in the 20th century society.

Decades of modernised education has virtually eliminated illiterates in Hong Kong, yet a vast number of "educated illiterates" remains in our midst.

In Lu Xun's Medicine, when the jail warden hears the anti-Qing coup leader proudly exclaims, "The great Qing empire belongs to the People!", his only concern is whether he can squeeze some pennies out of the revolutionaries about to be executed. Blue ribbon thugs snarled at mentions of "Hong Kong nation-building" as they find the notion "rebellious", still many sought profit out of the Umbrella Revolution by signing up to the pro-Beijing camp's troop of "amateur thugs" to put on a show in the Mong Kok occupy camp.

Lu Xun taunted the cannabalistic teaching (吃人的禮教) of the old-school feudalistic ideologies in A Madman's Diary. Decades have passed, yet these ridiculous doctrines lived on in reincarnated form here in Hong Kong.

Generations of Hongkongers have been hopelessly bound by the curse of The Great Unity of the "Chinese people" and the pan-democrats' infallible dogma of "Peace, Rationality, Non-Violence and Non-swearing".

The self-deceiving loser protagonist in The True Story of Ah Q professes in "spiritual victories". Despite being synonymous with idiocy, the "Ah Q mentality" continues to be practiced by many in Hong Kong. Even the Umbrella Revolution ended in failure, Hongkongers rejoiced in their spiritual victories when the singer Common mentioned Hong Kong in his Oscar win. As if that was not enough to sate their need to feel good about themselves, they have whipped up an endless string of frivolities to "commemorate" their "hard-fought victory".

Kung I-chi knew how to write the four different forms of the character 回 (hui), for this he is happy as a clam because it makes him the only one who is "knowledgeable".

Leftards (note: faux-LEFTist reTARDs) hail themselves as "knowledgeable" people as well. They like to use jargons to confuse rather than to use valid arguments to win over opponents. When they are losing ground in a debate, they move thegoalposts just as Kung I-chi does, living out his famous saying, "Taking a book can't be considered stealing!". That's why Occupy Central™'s "volunteer lawyers" said they were not obliged to help protesters arrested during the occupy protest.

People of this generation have had much more education than the generations before us. We may not have read as much as it is good for us given our busy lives, yet we should be way more knowledgeable than people in Lu Xun's time! Why are people in this day and age still exactly the same as Lu Xun described?

When there are few choices in life, people become more ignorant. Local author Isaac Sit said,

"If people allow the rulers to decide what is most suitable for them, they become subjects who inevitably grow more and more stupid. If free choice is allowed from the start, people might make wrong choices, but they would learn from their mistakes, and gradually grow smarter."

North Koreans think of themselves as the most blessed nation in the world. Chinese are less delusional, but still think "China has risen because of the Party's right direction" without realising that if it was not for the Great Party, modern China would have advanced to the level of other developed countries decades ago, and not the newly rich with morals of barbarians that it is today.

We have allowed ourselves limited choices since childhood when our parents and teachers always say, "Do as you're told. Don't ask questions." It's only after you are all grown up that you realise you no longer have much choices in how you lead your life, whether it's choices for food and entertainment, or bigger issues like career and government. But you find yourself powerless over the status quo.

Hongkongers might want to read, but everyone has to work their arses off to pay for mortgage. When overtime is the norm, the diligent workers hardly find the time to read or be inspired by the works of Lu Xun, or at the very least suffer the awakening that Lu Xun had already berated characters exactly like themselves 100-odd years ago.

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Contemporary Chinese Literature Tidbits: Ah Q Spirit/Mentality

Post by Hong Kong Columns - Translated.

Atsuna: How Konggirl Became Konggirl

How Konggirl Became Konggirl

Translated by Markus Chow, Edited by Chen-t'ang and Kathy Griffen, Written by Atsuna
Original: http://atsunawai.blogspot.hk/2013/02/blog-post.html 

"Dear teacher, my daughter is not coming to school today, as she was framed yesterday and she was too hesitant to voice out," a mother said slowly, "if this goes on, I am afraid she would be scared of going to school!"

 

Wow, is that a threat? Then I am afraid I might as well be scared of going to work!

 

This incident started out when student A accused student B (daughter of the above mother) of leaving textbooks in a drawer, which is against the school rules. Though I think the rule itself is rather redundant,  students go to school after all to be disciplined –  ahhh no, to learn about discipline – so I had to keep a straight face and to punish her.

 

B had insisted that she was innocent, while A had a witness confirming that there was a copybook left in the drawer. Only afterwards did I learn that the reason A kept pursuing this case was because the two of them had a rough history back in primary school. This kind of petty grudge is not exclusive to adults.

 

"But the other students can be witnesses...," I began, but my sentence was interrupted by the mother's forceful sincerity: "That is because they are conspiring against my daughter!"

 

I couldn't help but be a little stunned. Is that what we called the TVB syndrome? But before we go into that, let's not forget that schools are society in miniature. As much as we are all asked to "suck it up" at work, we were all at one time "framed" for something back in school, weren't we?  If you want to protect your child from any adversity, you might as well have to support her for the rest of her life.

But, this truth could not be stated. Instead I told the mother, "If you really can't put your mind to rest, I promise to follow it up. But you should also be aware that during punishment period, your daughter was not supposed to do anything else against the rules, but, she was reading during so..."

 

"Ehhh, reading is a good trait!"

 

Now I could truly understand how konggirl is made. It’s the world's fault if you don't get spoiled, you use your parents to bargain with the teacher from the time you are little, and you use "breaking-up" to negotiate with or blackmail your boyfriend. You insightfully spot other peoples mistakes, but are narcissistically ignorant about your own. You live under an "Emperor's New Clothes" kind of clouded flattery from your parents. You fight for gender equality for feminists, only because females are "more equal". You are conditioned to fight for your rights no matter if you are right or wrong.

 

This is some hardcore, heavy duty education.

 

B's mother replied softly, sensing my long pause, "Dear teacher, I know that my daughter might have made a mistake, but then she has always had a poor memory. Could you please not punish her for these petty things again?"

 

I clearly heard a collapse of logic. If one can avoid punishment by excuse of a failing memory, could we abolish all tests and assessments from now on? After all, students don't want to be lazy!

I pulled myself together and replied in a nice tone, "But this school policy is meant to protect your books from being stolen."

 

"Then I shall tell her not to report to the teacher, and I will buy a new one for her in such case."

"But I wouldn't want students to think that money could solve all problems." But then again, why not, if your dad is a property business tycoon or you are talking about how well-off he is.

 

"Then...." She hesitated, and squeezed out a perfect solution for us, "could you please help to put a memo on my daughter's desk for her? Or ask for a reminder from her classmates?"

 

The negotiating tone which she used to plan for her daughter horrified me. The reason why a kind mother often gives rise to a failed son, as the common saying goes, is not by excess love, but by robbing the child's right to autonomy. Kids are more observant than we would like to believe. The first thing we learn as babies is how to grasp people's attention with piercing cries, or to have adults do our bidding by a responding smile. Human beings are cunning by nature, but laziness is the result of spoiling. If our parents and everyone around us are so hell-bent on spoiling us, why not?

 

Almost all parents have misunderstood the purpose of education. The content of exams is really not that important, nor the daily input of information and knowledge. The real essence of education is the positive attitude honed in the routine. Albert Einstein once said, "Education is what remains after one has forgotten what one has learned in school."

 

Under an unlimited bombardment of tests and exams, I didn't feel that I became any cleverer, but the attentiveness and patience that I acquired remains and has stayed with me for life.

Hoi Yee Cheung: Dongjiang Water...AGAIN?

Dongjiang Water...AGAIN?

Translated by Chen-t'ang 鎮棠, Written by Hoi Yee Cheung (海意翔)
Original: http://www.passiontimes.hk/article/03-08-2015/21595/ 

Dongjiang water supply...AGAIN. Probably there aren't much left to be discussed between HK and China. I don't understand, really. Does buying Dongjiang water have anything to do with "blood is thicker than water"? It is just a deal, a transaction. Buying water does not have anything to do with "blood is thicker than water". We buy Thai rice, so "blood is thicker than rice"? We buy Japanese and Korean electronic appliances, so "blood is thicker than appliances"?

It is so brazen-faced to relate a transaction with "blood ties". Zhang Xiaoming said "try as much as possible to ensure clean water delivery to HK". For real? No! Dirty water, indeed. Also, isn't the seller responsible for "trying as much as possible to ensure delivery"? Thailand tries as much as possible to ensure rice delivery, too. Shouldered basic responsibilities and felt complacent? And ask us to be grateful? Is Beijing treating Hongkongers aTV staff? We ARE ENTITLED TO get this all. We aren't as silly as aTV staff.

But thank you for mentioning Dongjiang water all the time -- now we know the problem, which makes us all Hongkongers fools. You have reminded us that, we buy water and discharge them to the sea, that we spend 260 times more than Singapore buying water from Malaysia.

Zhang Xiaoming might change his words a bit, "Buying dirty water so expensively from us? Are you nuts? Oh right, we have 'blood ties', that explains it all!"

Why Do We Need Agriculture in HK?

Why Do We Need Agriculture in HK?

Translated by Hong Kong Columns (Translated), Written by HK Potato (Chinese only)

Siu Kiu: Modern Chinese History Should Be Called the Era of "Red Peril"

Modern Chinese History Should Be Called the Era of "Red Peril"

Translated by Chen-t'ang 鎮棠, Edited by Kathy Griffin, Written by Siu Kiu (蕭喬)
Original: http://www.passiontimes.hk/article/03-01-2015/21448/ 

(Source: Reuters/VOA)

When the Communist regime is someday overturned, its years of rule may come to be regarded as the "Red Peril" in Chinese history.

This is not simply an opinion about the Communist regime, it is a fact. One of the localist slogans has been "to build a culture nation" in Hong Kong. But why "culture"? You have to look at the country across our border. The idea of building a "nation state" belongs in the last century. Now that the Cold War is over and we have seen the outcomes of countries dictated by the Communists, "building a culture nation" seems a more appropriate goal.

China was culturally dead at the moment when the Communists "founded" the PRC in 1949. From 1949 to 1978, all of China was immersed in an era of "extreme Communism". Extreme politicisation was prevalent, embodied by the push to uphold Marxism-Leninism or Maoism, combat Confucianism, pursue collectivism and economic equality, the Cultural Revolution, all sorts of political struggle. These activities in the name of a single political ideology strongly affected each and every aspect of life in China, including politics, the economy, society and culture. Even Confucianism, which had prevailed for thousands years of Chinese history, permeating social relationships from the family to the state, was completely denied and rejected. "Father is dear, mother is dear, but not as dear as Chairman Mao" was a popular slogan during the Cultural Revolution. China became (and still is) culturally dead.

How did the old China "disappear" from the world? We could make a satirical comparison with its neighbouring countries. In Japan, we can find many things that we would regard as “Japanese” in the qualities, traditions and architectures there. Kinkaku-ji or the Apartment of Tokugawa Ieyasu, for example, has been retained for its significant cultural heritage. Japanese soft power is embodied in the kimono, the traditional clothing of the country, which is seen as a symbol of elegance and decency in the eyes of foreigners. Japanese pop music culture is also still part of the global mainstream. In fact, the genuine strength of the country lies in its cultural influence. The rise of Japanese culture happened during the economic miracle era of the 1950s to 1970s. Similarly, Korean culture thrives in Korea (and beyond). You can "find the culture of the country in that country".

Do not think this is a matter of course. In a Communist country, the culture of the country can be completely eliminated. And this is what happened (and still is happening) in China. The current China is not a Sinitic China, but a foreign Communism regime, drawing its breath from Russian or foreign culture. In this China, all forms of traditional culture have been destroyed, including ethics, especially during the Cultural Revolution. The Chinese you see today retain the faces of Chinese, but they do not act as they would have in the past. A culture is defined not only by its tangible parts, such as the Lunar New Year (which is now called "Spring Festival"), but also its intangibles, such as one's cultivation. We have seen the qualities that are deep down Japanese - bushido, and the considerate character - especially in the Fukushima nuclear disaster. This is the collective character underpinning the culture of the nation. But what about Chinese? They are no longer cultivated and civilised as they were in the past. They only carry the selfish gene, and Confucian values no longer exist in their minds.

You can barely argue with Chinese people, as you are not on the same channel. A Chinese citizen might say, "I have my own reasons", "Political power grows out of the barrel of a gun", "Money talks", or "We have our own culture". In Hong Kong, we have a different culture – we do not eat dogs, they do.  They have re-interpretation for each and every word. Socialism, "with Chinese characteristics"; Rule of Law (法治), in China would be "governing the country according to law" (依法治国) and so on. Chinese culture has long vanished to thin air, leaving "Chinese-style" culture. It is not difficult to see who is more dependent on whom for safe food when it comes to grey goods smugglers. But they will say, "Without us buying things from you, you, Hong Kong, are dead." So when we talk about the issue of Hong Kong Independence as a nation, we have reason to support this idea of "build a culture nation".

The Chinese today are pathetic. Who is to blame? Probably the "Red Peril" of Communism, but really, the Chinese people themselves. Hong Kong is fortunate enough to have been taken by the British, so we could be slightly removed from the historical tragedy. The current China has nothing to do with Chinese culture anymore. Genuine Chinese culture, however, has been restored in our neighbouring countries. We can see influences of the Tang dynasty in Japan, the Ming dynasty in South Korea, the Qing dynasty in Taiwan, and the Song dynasty in Vietnam. When an ethnic Chinese (huaren) region wants to build its own nation and aim for real strength, it does not have to think this comes solely from rely solely  economic strength or military prowess – it can also come from a cultural foundation. Hong Kong has such a foundation and it should cherish it, or we will fall to the Red Peril.