If China's the loser, HK's the winner
Translated by Chen-t'ang 鎮棠, written by Atsuna, edited by Yeung So-sanOriginal: http://www.passiontimes.hk/article/04-19-2015/22431
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| (Bloomberg) |
"Kong girls", "Kong kids" or "Kongformists" – are terms that amount to more than self-discrimination when used by Hongkongers. Every dog has its day. In the eyes of Chinese people, the Hong Kong brand has degraded from Chanel to Sasa or Bonjour; cheap but convenient; yet somewhat different from Chinese brands. But once the asking price is too high, Chinese people think Hongkongers are pretentious. After all, "mainland tourists are almsgivers of Hongkongers, and we should respect them" (quote from People's Daily).
"Kongformists" love being tortured, much more than Greater China morons. "Kongformists" are not zealous in slogans like "constructing a democratic China", but rather, over-sophisticated - "Why not pocket it first and stop messing around? When the communist party didn't hand sweeteners to you, you don't grab for them. Hongkongers should be minions. How would such a big nation listen to you? Probably they might send more troops down here!"
Facing such a big nation, Hongkongers naturally feel awestruck and fearsome. Because we grew up, hypontised, with messages like "Hong Kong is a small place without natural resources or much land". China, being populous, breeds excessive competition and, thus, an abundance of talent. Housewives like to compare their kids with high achieving ones from new immigrant families. SMEs bosses blame local graduates with mainland Chinese graduates in Hong Kong (not to mention using resources of HK). HKSARG has continuously nit-picking at Hong Kong's youth for not crossing over the border and developing businesses there. It seems that HKSARG has forgotten that there are over 8 million graduates every year on the mainland, busy striking backroom deals or building guanxi just for a job. How can we, spoiled Hongkongers, possibly do the same? We are bound to fail in this sense!
The rise of China makes a stark contrast to the fall of Hong Kong. If this is just about Hongkongers not being the eager beaver, that would be fine. But that's not the case. This is about the "drying up" of Hong Kong by pro-Beijing allies. Can you bear this? That is as ludicrous as the case when HKSARG curried favour from "the Motherland" to get "mother tongue teaching", but in turn pointed fingers in relation to the poor English standards of young people. The logic is no different to denouncing a woman because she is no longer a virgin after raping her.
HKSARG is not "picking winners" but "picking losers". "Picking winners" means government provision of tax incentives or other assistance to certain sectors, as in South Korea government support of its entertainment industry [1].
HKSARG is learning from the CCP in "picking losers". MTR purchases compartments and parts from China rather than from overseas as it has long done. One can count how many service disruptions it has caused every year. HKTV Network has suffered too, once highly acclaimed, we are now forced to watch CCTVB and aTV. When the tactics of Chinese Gong'an (public security officers) are learnt, Hong Kong Police has to try to “Chunfeng” an allegedly Chinese oil-spilling motorcycle.
A wolf in sheep's clothing, losers crowd out winners. Can Hong Kong stay standing? The Chinese often say, "without Chinese people, Hongkongers are doomed". This is true indeed.
The nature of Hong Kong has been eroded by the Chinese Communists. They try to re-mould Hong Kong into Xianggang, Guangdong Province. With a reddest 689 chief executive, the HKSARG now no longer flinches from siding with the Communist Bloc and its people, from policies to the speech from high-ranking officials. It has been rumoured that the law firms and financial institutions have been infiltrated with second generation of officials or rich people. The grassroot is full with Chinese immigrants as well.
China is a society which picks losers. When one has got guanxi and "father's shelter", one can get rich because he is able pay his way into a famous university. Hongkongers believe in "Lion Rock Spirit" , which encourages meritocracy and fair competition and only punishing the loser (for example, those who receive CSSA might be discriminated against as losers who refuse to work hard). This is not as absurd as "picking losers". The rules will likely be re-written in this generation.
The rise of China makes a stark contrast to the fall of Hong Kong. If this is just about Hongkongers not being the eager beaver, that would be fine. But that's not the case. This is about the "drying up" of Hong Kong by pro-Beijing allies. Can you bear this? That is as ludicrous as the case when HKSARG curried favour from "the Motherland" to get "mother tongue teaching", but in turn pointed fingers in relation to the poor English standards of young people. The logic is no different to denouncing a woman because she is no longer a virgin after raping her.
HKSARG is not "picking winners" but "picking losers". "Picking winners" means government provision of tax incentives or other assistance to certain sectors, as in South Korea government support of its entertainment industry [1].
HKSARG is learning from the CCP in "picking losers". MTR purchases compartments and parts from China rather than from overseas as it has long done. One can count how many service disruptions it has caused every year. HKTV Network has suffered too, once highly acclaimed, we are now forced to watch CCTVB and aTV. When the tactics of Chinese Gong'an (public security officers) are learnt, Hong Kong Police has to try to “Chunfeng” an allegedly Chinese oil-spilling motorcycle.
A wolf in sheep's clothing, losers crowd out winners. Can Hong Kong stay standing? The Chinese often say, "without Chinese people, Hongkongers are doomed". This is true indeed.
The nature of Hong Kong has been eroded by the Chinese Communists. They try to re-mould Hong Kong into Xianggang, Guangdong Province. With a reddest 689 chief executive, the HKSARG now no longer flinches from siding with the Communist Bloc and its people, from policies to the speech from high-ranking officials. It has been rumoured that the law firms and financial institutions have been infiltrated with second generation of officials or rich people. The grassroot is full with Chinese immigrants as well.
China is a society which picks losers. When one has got guanxi and "father's shelter", one can get rich because he is able pay his way into a famous university. Hongkongers believe in "Lion Rock Spirit" , which encourages meritocracy and fair competition and only punishing the loser (for example, those who receive CSSA might be discriminated against as losers who refuse to work hard). This is not as absurd as "picking losers". The rules will likely be re-written in this generation.
[1] But whether we should use "picking the winner" has become a controversy - some might agree "picking the winner" (as the cost of certain industry is big with a long reaping period, causing some investors stepping back), so the government use this as to balance the market failure; some others might think this is against the principle of free-market, and cause corruption and lining one's pockets.
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