Zhang Dejiang – the man who blocked a thousand roads with the most ridiculously elaborate security arrangements anyone can remember – flies out of Hong Kong. But not before resorting to the ultimate in tired Beijing-to-HK clichés…
‘Focus on the economy’ is a lame euphemism for ‘stop thinking about how bad governance is’. It has never convinced the population to disregard lousy policymaking, and start intensely pondering GDP growth, returns on capital and marginal propensity to consume. But they keep saying it, presumably to assure themselves that Hong Kong’s incompetent leadership is no big deal really…
I declare the weekend open in a state of great excitement, as this will be an extensive, more-like 10-day break involving an Inspection Tour of exotic foreign parts. A few book reviews will appear here over the coming week.
Stability and prosperity was the mantra under Tung and I guess the four stages of that still apply to the Transylvanian’s regime:
1. Shut up and make money.
2. Just shut up.
3. Shut up or I’ll kick your ass.
4. Shut up or I’ll run again.
BT, Now where have I seen that before…? I suppose at least this time you didn’t put 5. … / 6. Er that’s it.
Hemlock, Remember to put on a woollie to conceal your excitement — and enjoy exploring whichever foreign parts you end up in.
The irony is that the economy and politics are but two sides of the same coin.
Is that ‘focus on economy’ as in a bit of belt (and road) tightening or ‘focus on THE economy’ which might benefit the general populace.
If the latter then wouldn’t it be better to ask the HK govt first to gain some ‘focus’ or at least some basic economic wit to open up markets to innovation, entrapreneurship and a level playing field rather then coming up with more schemes to shovel shed loads of money into the pockets of their infrastructure and property developer friends?
To Zhang Dejiang:
Goodbye! You are leaving our city.
We’re honoured that you were our guest;
The head of the Central Committee:
Everyone here was impressed.
Hearts pounding, we heard your orations,
Your wisdom, your warnings discrete.
We loved all the gay decorations
The government hung in the street.
Goodbye to the conference centre,
A place of desire and mystique;
Where only the faithful can enter
And only the humble can speak.
And as in your glory you ride out,
The localist takes off his mask,
The terrorist goes to his hideout,
The worker returns to his task.
_ _ _ _
To Big Lychee:
Goodbye, and wherever you’re going
Enjoy all the food and the views.
Come back with a pen overflowing
And bring me some duty-free booze.
[with acknowledgement to ‘Good Night to the Season’ by W.M. Praed]
I think that’s right “Probably”. Why doesn’t the government focus the economy on us, which would necessarily discount the cost of the afore mentioned security arrangements, let alone suspending things like The Link’s intervention in local wet markets and the livelihood of DIY entrepreneurs rather than monopolising retail space for high end brands.
When one considers just one iota of the on-the-ground data as far as the government’s approach to the economy, the focus-on-the-economy sloganeering becomes as empty and inept as any of other pro-establishment initiatives.