Open letter

Dear student leaders:

For some reason, the people protesting with you seem to actually respect you. Validate them.

Two days ago, you accepted the government's overtures and agreed to opening dialogue. Do not use the scuffles with anti-protestors as an excuse to renege on this. The government had nothing to do with that, and you know it. These are people who are frustrated that Hong Kong has been brought to a standstill. And you know what? They, too, have a right to express their opinions.

I know, you believe that you were pushed to these drastic measures because of what the government has allegedly done (or failed to do, it's hard to know with you lot). But now that the government has offered to talk, Hong Kong's continued paralysis is as much your responsibility as the government's. Going back on your word like this is exactly what you have repeatedly accused the government of doing. Nobody likes a hypocrite.

Politics is a game of give and take. It also takes place in the real world, not whatever fantastical land you seem to think exists, where everything is exactly as you want. Take what you can get, certainly; otherwise, learn to cut your losses. You may think you're winning the PR battle right now, but dragging this out cannot possibly be in your interests. The frustration of the public will only grow, and at some point, it will become indiscriminate in its target.

You say you're doing this for the future of Hong Kong. You say you love Hong Kong. Well then, I challenge you this: lift your blockade on the daily lives of average, honest, hard-working people in Hong Kong. Show some real leadership, and walk up to the negotiating table.

Yours,

A disgruntled observer

The Hong Kong Question

Or, Why the Beijing Proposal is More Practical

Let me say, first of all, that in principle, I am in favour of holding general elections for the Chief Executive.

Let me also say, however, that I am NOT in favour of achieving this by means of Occupy Central, or boycotting school, or striking. Before you bring out the pitchforks, allow me to expound.

The current atmosphere of politics in Hong Kong is best described as fractious. If Beijing allowed open nominations, everybody and his uncle are going to run for office. The result of that will be a campaign of so many contrasting platforms, of such chaos, mudslinging, and extremes that the reputation of any candidate is going to be irreparably tarnished.

At this point, even the eventual winner will be so damaged that he will have lost his mandate to govern before he even takes office. Open nominations for the top job in a city-state is a recipe for perpetual lame duck Chief Executives. Each one will have no political capital to push the often necessary but bitter pills through for the betterment of Hong Kong. What the citizens want and what the citizens need are not always the same things.

What follows is a vicious cycle of incompetency and "quick fix" candidates; winners by virtue of being against the government, and not their own solid plan for the future. Hong Kong will descend into a death spiral, at the end of which lies the cesspool of the failed state.

Occupy Central will not convince Beijing that this will not happen. In fact, it will only strengthen this view, and Beijing's resolve to prevent this fate. If Hong Kong grinds to a halt in protest, it alone will suffer. Its economy will stall, the markets will fall, the entire city will be poorer, and Occupiers will be no closer to their goal.

If they hope to bring Beijing down with them, they are misguided. Hong Kong is but a drop in the bucket to Beijing. They will not be affected, they will not have to back down, and they will not back down, especially with much of the populace also against Occupying. Not only will Occupy Central be ineffective, it will ultimately be self-defeating.

On the topic of police brutality, there were likely faults on both sides. When protestors continue to attempt rushing government buildings and police barriers after repeated warnings, the police are going to react. Do I believe the protestors were mostly peaceful? Yes. But not all of them were, and unfortunately, violence begets violence. It only takes one spark.

At the end of the day, the police are only there to do their jobs. However, they are the easiest to vilify with media, especially social media, for perceived brutality. Were they slightly heavy-handed? Probably. But a violent suppression of the completely innocent? It was not.

Political reform is a complex issue requiring mutual compromise. You wanted the right to choose your own Chief Executive. You were afforded this right. You don't need 5, 6, or 10 candidates. Even the Americans usually only have 2 choices.

Let it not be said that Beijing chooses incompetent people. They may be corrupt, but even democracy is not without corruption. They may be friendlier to Beijing than you like, but do you really think a Chief Executive openly hostile to Beijing can get anything done?

If you grab a handful of cookies, your hand might get caught at the neck of the jar. If you let go of a couple, you might just find you can have your cookie and eat it too.

Alberta votes, and a little bit of catchup

As this blog hasn't been posted on since early March, there have been interesting bits of electoral news which I have missed out on. Last Saturday, Hong Kong chose a new Chief Executive in C. Y. Leung, and the Australian State of Queensland had an election where the governing Australian Labor Party was wiped out by the conservative Liberal National Party. Closer to home, two provincial by-elections were called for April 19 in Port Moody—Coquitlam and Chilliwack—Hope.

More on that later, but now, the big electoral news: the writ has been dropped in Alberta for April 23, shaping up the most exciting election Alberta has seen since 1993. This election pits the titan 41-year-old Progressive Conservative government against the upstart Wildrose Party, which has surged in the polls since former Premier Ed Stelmach's tenure.

Party profiles:

PROGRESSIVE CONSERVATIVE

The PCs have always been able to reinvent themselves whenever their leadership grew stale. That's the secret of their prolonged electoral success. With Ed Stelmach unable to recover in popularity, the PCs chose a new leader in Alison Redford. She is solidly in the centrist camp of the party, and so has moved the party decidedly leftward. Will Alison Redford and the PCs be able to right the ship and hold on to power, or will the public deem them too stale after 41 years?

WILDROSE PARTY

They are the main challenger to the PCs, and the first serious competition since the 1993 Liberals. They are running on a hard free market platform, coupled with a libertarian social stance. Wildrose is led by the charismatic Danielle Smith, who has captured public imagination since becoming leader. Will Wildrose's support hold up as desire for change boils, or will disaffected PCs return to the PC fold as serious scrutiny is directed toward Wildrose policies? Will their hard right economics scare some Liberals into the PC fold, as Alison Redford hopes?

LIBERAL PARTY

The Alberta Liberals actually managed a respectable result last election, with over 26% of the vote. They are the Official Opposition, and the fact that they are led by a former PC also should help them. However, their polling numbers have dropped by half into the low teens. Now, they are in a struggle for survival, as hanging on to even one of their 9 urban seats could be a challenge. Can Raj Sherman save his party, or will the PCs move to the centre squeeze out the party's last life?

NEW DEMOCRATIC PARTY

Alberta is not typically friendly to the socialist cause, but the NDP have established a toehold in Edmonton both federally and provincially. Their leader, Brian Mason, is the only one to have fought in the last election. Their support, concentrated and more solid than that of the Liberals, could help them overtake the Liberals as the top left-of-centre choice in Alberta, in seats if not in votes. Can the NDP benefit from an increasingly fractured political scene in Edmonton?

ALBERTA PARTY

A new player, this party was formed by Liberals frustrated at their party's lack of momentum against the PC juggernaut. The party only has one MLA in Dave Taylor, who crossed over from the Liberals. The Alberta Party has not been able to capture public attention, and in some polls is too weak to even register. Will they be able to hang on to their lone seat, or will their lack of organisation send them packing to the political fringe?

The first seat projection for the election will be made once the polling average is up and running.

We come out in droves to complain

Because we can.

Because we feel like it.

Because it's part of our modern political activism.

I'm talking about Hong Kong, because as some of you may know (if you follow my other blog), I am currently in Hong Kong.

It's really becoming a rampant problem in this city. Sure, the economy is still firing on all cylinders, unlike most of the rest of the world, but politically this city is rather...well...whiney.

For example, take what happened earlier this week. A water main broke, I think it was in Tuen Mun, and so the government very promptly sent water trucks to provide water to affected households, erstwhile fixing the problem as quickly as possible. I think we can all agree, that is a very appropriate and timely response, right?

Apparently not. When interviewed by the local news station, the people said something along the lines of 'they didn't provide enough water.' Good heavens people! The government has to fix the water main and temporarily supply water to you manually. It's not like it doesn't cost the government money. What more can you want? That the government ensure you personally receive a constant supply of Aquafina?

This has gotten to a level that is beyond belief. And it's not just confined to Hong Kong. It's worldwide. The newest generation, they have been brought up with all the possible amenities. They have come to expect it. And I must admit, I am guilty of it sometimes. However, taking this attitude of expectancy and complacency to such extreme heights, is a never before seen phenomenon.

This is an issue that could really use some reflection: in this age of affluence, have we come to expect too much? Is this sort of behaviour sustainable? And finally, are we harbouring a culture of complaint?