Good things don't last forever, but they do seem remarkably resilient. The disintegration of Hong Kong post-handover has not happened as anticipated, but some very ill-advised ideas are being advanced.
First, a good professor is advocating expanding mandated welfare in Hong Kong:
The "war on poverty" in the USA was hailed as expressly as a means to end people being on the dole, a war to end poverty. It is now a war on the poor, but stated goals were precisely what is cited in the article. We do know where this goes.
Hong Kong always has had an excellent redistribution mechanism: charity. Hong Kong's charitable giving is second to none in the world, and savvy charity-pimps target Hong Kong assiduously. Hong Kong charities are rich with resources, I cannot think of any place on earth I'd rather be poor (or busted) not so much for the helping hand I'd get, but for the immanent opportunity Hong Kong offers anyone in its polity.
So much so the irony is Hong Kong is a very welcoming place to people world wide, except for Chinese. Hong Kong's benefits would drown in immigration if allowed, so Deng Xiaoping exported Hong Kong to China, in the SEZs. An unpredictable outcome.
As to income in equality, no one is more afraid of that than the rich. Let the rich redistribute their wealth, they will get it to where it is needed far better than any political process.
Next, Hong Kong as a colony was an ephemeral place, and this would be out of character 50 years ago.
The outcome of the hostage situation was deplorable, and certainly the local authorities were out of their depth. While appropriate gestures are indicated, dictating terms seems out of character. How sincere is a response that is mandated?
And second only to the victims in this slaughter, the Philippine authorities are motivated apologize, punish negligent officials, and improve security. Compensation is tricky, since a criminal act is rather difficult to assess, and further the visitors contract was with the tour group, not the state.
The Philippines must have experienced an immediate and hard hit after this event, and is no doubt correcting problems as best they can. I am not sure how demanding specific actions can improve upon that.
I don't think a Hong Kong, desirable as it is, can be had through planning and negotiations. I am convinced all such happier polities are accidental, an unseen consequence of forces large in life. Hong Kong and USA were formed at the same time by the same Scotsmen with the same goals, freedom explicitly sought in USA and immediately lost, freedom necessarily obtained in Hong Kong and maintained by Chinese self-interest. You cannot control for human action.
Hong Kong is changing, as all places do. See it soon.
Feel free to forward this by email to three of your friends.
First, a good professor is advocating expanding mandated welfare in Hong Kong:
Now, Hong Kong has plenty of examples of government-provided welfare, their prestigious sport center network is home to admirable advancement of many of the physical arts. And no one, except the Church of England, has ever owned land in Hong Kong, and it was the Colonial Governor who set up a public housing scheme that solved a basic requirement for Hong Kong's development, housing for the deserving poor.This is why Hong Kong needs a redistribution policy ,and the latest Policy Address by the Chief Executive said : "...despite the protection offered by the statutory minimum wage ,many grassroots workers ,as the sole breadwinners of families ,still bear a heavy financial burden .Providing them with suitable assistance and encouraging them to remain employed will help keep them from falling into the CSSA safety net ."
The "war on poverty" in the USA was hailed as expressly as a means to end people being on the dole, a war to end poverty. It is now a war on the poor, but stated goals were precisely what is cited in the article. We do know where this goes.
Hong Kong always has had an excellent redistribution mechanism: charity. Hong Kong's charitable giving is second to none in the world, and savvy charity-pimps target Hong Kong assiduously. Hong Kong charities are rich with resources, I cannot think of any place on earth I'd rather be poor (or busted) not so much for the helping hand I'd get, but for the immanent opportunity Hong Kong offers anyone in its polity.
So much so the irony is Hong Kong is a very welcoming place to people world wide, except for Chinese. Hong Kong's benefits would drown in immigration if allowed, so Deng Xiaoping exported Hong Kong to China, in the SEZs. An unpredictable outcome.
As to income in equality, no one is more afraid of that than the rich. Let the rich redistribute their wealth, they will get it to where it is needed far better than any political process.
Next, Hong Kong as a colony was an ephemeral place, and this would be out of character 50 years ago.
HONG KONG - The Hong Kong government on Wednesday declared a sanction against the Philippines since Manila failed to make a formal apology and meet all other demands by families of victims died in a hostage crisis three years ago....
Spokeswoman of China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs Hua Chunying said in Beijing Wednesday that the central government supports the SAR government's endeavor to properly handle the aftermath of the hostage crisis and urged the Philippines to show more sincerity to resolve the problems which affects Chinese people's feelings....
The injured and families of the victims have claimed four demands: official apology, compensation, punishing accountable officials for the handling in a bungled rescue attempt, as well as improving security measures for tourists in the Philippines.
The outcome of the hostage situation was deplorable, and certainly the local authorities were out of their depth. While appropriate gestures are indicated, dictating terms seems out of character. How sincere is a response that is mandated?
And second only to the victims in this slaughter, the Philippine authorities are motivated apologize, punish negligent officials, and improve security. Compensation is tricky, since a criminal act is rather difficult to assess, and further the visitors contract was with the tour group, not the state.
The Philippines must have experienced an immediate and hard hit after this event, and is no doubt correcting problems as best they can. I am not sure how demanding specific actions can improve upon that.
I don't think a Hong Kong, desirable as it is, can be had through planning and negotiations. I am convinced all such happier polities are accidental, an unseen consequence of forces large in life. Hong Kong and USA were formed at the same time by the same Scotsmen with the same goals, freedom explicitly sought in USA and immediately lost, freedom necessarily obtained in Hong Kong and maintained by Chinese self-interest. You cannot control for human action.
Hong Kong is changing, as all places do. See it soon.
Feel free to forward this by email to three of your friends.
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