The ViewWhy business should stay out of the protests

The Occupy movements in New York and London were largely motivated by anti-capitalist sentiment but this does not apply to Hong Kong's Occupy movement. Yet local business leaders seem intent on nudging the protests in precisely this direction.

Instead of confronting the constitutional development issues raised by Hong Kong's Occupy movement, government and business leaders have responded by incessantly raising the spectre of damage to business as their main concern. This has been compounded by business organisations queuing up to denounce the protesters and claiming to do so in the name of all businesspeople in Hong Kong.

And, to hammer home the message of business versus the people, we have seen the city's most prominent tycoons going to Beijing to sit at the feet of the Communist Party's leader and clamour for the privilege of being first to echo his views.

Remarkably, none of this has yet produced a significant anti-business backlash. However, this is not for want of trying by people who should appreciate that the overwhelming majority of the local community is supporting the protests and are the very same people who work for their companies and buy their products.

Elsewhere in the world, most business leaders wisely adopt a low profile on politics. This is not because businessmen lack political views but because they appreciate the wisdom of not alienating the people who are responsible for increasing their wealth.

If Hong Kong business is planning to foster anti-capitalist sentiment, many of its leaders are doing a great job. But they might wish to pause and consider who they are alienating. In particular are they really sure that targeting the anger of Hong Kong's brightest and best younger generation is such a smart plan?

Second, how do they think this is going down with an older generation, most of whom can be assumed to have a commitment to the capitalist ideal but, like all beliefs, this one can be shaken too?