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Alien abductee
Joined: 08 Jun 2014
Posts: 527
Location: Kuala Lumpur
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 Posted: Sat Oct 04, 2014 12:26 am Post subject: Ongoing Protests in Hong Kong |
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| Looks like the protests might be going on for awhile. How is this affecting the daily lives of any of you who live in Hong Kong? One complaint I've seen repeated is the inconvenience because roads were being blocked. I was in HK 28-29 September and at one point needed a taxi to get to Mong Kok, but the driver wouldn't take me there because of the number of protestors. Ended up rerouting a bit, but for the most part I used the MTR so little difficulty overall. But I imagine dealing with the protests day after day is different. Anyone at all concerned about what they'll do re their employment in the event things get more serious? Prolonged police presence on the streets? Violence? Curfew? People's Liberation Army comes on extended visit? Is the fact that Hong Kong might not be as "democratic" as expected enough to make you leave? Any thoughts at all on this social issue? |
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profM
Joined: 18 Jun 2005
Posts: 481
Location: in political exile
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| Posted: Sun Oct 05, 2014 11:45 pm Post subject: |
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I'm from the mainland forum and have a comment to make. First of all, it is interesting to note that no comments have been added. None of the other teachers wants to say that the students are causing problems nor say the students are right to fight for control of the Hong Kong mayoral candidates.
I helped lead the takeover of Queens College of the City of New York during the Vietnam War. I led the occupation of the Administrative Building and we held the entire campus for weeks. We were trying to stop the Vietnam War.
The Hong Kong students are fighting for a false value. Electoral democracy in Hong Kong cannot work the way they idealize it. There is too much foreign intrigue from outside and too much corruption everywhere. The problem of university ants everywhere in China is affected by world conditions, over-population, technology, outsourcing and so on.
The Hong Kong students need help with their futures, but changing the mayor selection process or getting the exact mayor they all want will not change much. Mankind is at a very challenging juncture and the students cannot change anything in Hong Kong. It wouldn't do any good. It would complicate things. That being said and left open for argument of points at some future time, let me point out that the U.S. system is corrupt and fraudulent and I am a connected system insider with a stunning read about an America falling, falling from scandalous corruption of the U.S. presidency.
Tell the Hong Kong students to read my free book:
http://www.lulu.com/spotlight/occupythewhitehouse |
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CEB
Joined: 30 Oct 2013
Posts: 41
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| Posted: Tue Oct 07, 2014 4:19 am Post subject: |
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| Nobody posted a reply to that question because this forum sucks, not because they are opposed to the protests! |
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RiverMystic
Joined: 13 Jan 2009
Posts: 1986
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| Posted: Tue Oct 07, 2014 9:15 am Post subject: |
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| CEB wrote: |
| Nobody posted a reply to that question because this forum sucks, not because they are opposed to the protests! |
Thanks for putting the Prof in his place. It really is irritating when drop-outs from western countries in the PRC start lecturing people in HK about their values. The Prof knows nothing about HK. He just got annoyed because this was pointed out to him on the China off-topic forum. In fact I told him that the HK forum was not typically a site for political discussions, but it seems his hearing is fading badly. |
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RiverMystic
Joined: 13 Jan 2009
Posts: 1986
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| Posted: Tue Oct 07, 2014 9:21 am Post subject: Re: Ongoing Protests in Hong Kong |
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| Alien abductee wrote: |
| Looks like the protests might be going on for awhile. How is this affecting the daily lives of any of you who live in Hong Kong? One complaint I've seen repeated is the inconvenience because roads were being blocked. I was in HK 28-29 September and at one point needed a taxi to get to Mong Kok, but the driver wouldn't take me there because of the number of protestors. Ended up rerouting a bit, but for the most part I used the MTR so little difficulty overall. But I imagine dealing with the protests day after day is different. Anyone at all concerned about what they'll do re their employment in the event things get more serious? Prolonged police presence on the streets? Violence? Curfew? People's Liberation Army comes on extended visit? Is the fact that Hong Kong might not be as "democratic" as expected enough to make you leave? Any thoughts at all on this social issue? |
The social issues which lie at the heart of the protests will be around for a long time, so expect a prolonged period of irregular instability in HK. It's not lack of democracy that is really driving this: HK has never had it. It's just the erosion of rule of law, and decreasing freedom of speech combined with the increasing wealth gap, which is by far the worst in the developed world. Imagine being a student who has slaved his guts out to be one of the 18% who can enter university! only to be faced with the prospect of entering a society where the average wage for working in a worker-rights-free society, eighty hours a week for forty years at $HK9000 a month - but a crappy apartment costs the best part of 2 million, and rising fast.
Like I said, this isn't going away fast.
The same issues will soon affect the PRC as the economy cools   |
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Shimokitazawa
Joined: 16 Aug 2009
Posts: 458
Location: Saigon, Vietnam
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| Posted: Fri Oct 10, 2014 8:44 am Post subject: Re: Ongoing Protests in Hong Kong |
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| RiverMystic wrote: |
The social issues which lie at the heart of the protests will be around for a long time, so expect a prolonged period of irregular instability in HK.
It's not lack of democracy that is really driving this: HK has never had it. It's just the erosion of rule of law, and decreasing freedom of speech combined with the increasing wealth gap, which is by far the worst in the developed world.
Imagine being a student who has slaved his guts out to be one of the 18% who can enter university! only to be faced with the prospect of entering a society where the average wage for working in a worker-rights-free society, eighty hours a week for forty years at $HK9000 a month - but a crappy apartment costs the best part of 2 million, and rising fast. |
Yes, I agree.
Also, it's interesting to see the American, or western media, narrative which portrays Hong Kong as being on morally higher ground when, in fact, Hong Kong is rife with corruption.
Chinese are Chinese, and whether it's Taiwan or Hong Kong or Mainland Chinese, you're going to have to deal with incompetence and corruption.
In other words, "Meet the new boss. Same as the old boss." |
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drjtrekker
Joined: 16 Feb 2008
Posts: 251
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| Posted: Tue Nov 04, 2014 12:31 pm Post subject: |
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RIVER,
Nice response.
Mainland will slowly erode what freedom they have.
That is what I think many are concerned with, eh?
It keeps happening here in the Mainland.
ProfM, methinks...just wants everyone to know the great things he did.
I doubt anyone cares...PROF. |
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