Just SayingSorry to disappoint, doomsayers, but Hong Kong is far from finished
Yonden Lhatoo attempts to put all the negative news into perspective, arguing that this is still one of the greatest cities in the world
Absence makes the heart grow fonder, they say, just as familiarity breeds contempt. I find that to be so true whenever I’m able to get away from Hong Kong and reflect on the popular narrative about the alleged “decline” of our great city.
Seven out of 10 Hongkongers think the city has become a worse place in which to live, survey says
“Is it that bad in Hong Kong?” I get asked a lot these days by friends, acquaintances and readers alike. Can you blame them for the negative perception? One look at the news headlines and you’d be forgiven for thinking that we’re staring at the abyss, that one of the most vibrant and prosperous cities in the world has gone to the dogs. Sanctimonious commentaries, my own included, help perpetuate that sense of gloom and doom.
Or has it? Let’s put it in unprejudiced perspective.
Hong Kong’s rebel lawmakers need to watch what they say for a return to calm
The two newly elected lawmakers whom our government is trying to shut out of the legislature for their highly offensive anti-China rhetoric and separatist agenda represent a fraction of the population. The vast majority of Hongkongers are pragmatists who are fully aware that independence is a dead end. There is, and will be, no mass uprising over this.
I personally don’t give a damn whether the duo are able to retain their seats or not. What I do care about is not losing sight of the fact that there is so much freedom in this city, people are so entitled to flaunt their rights, that two misguided youngsters testing the boundaries of tolerance can unfurl traitorous banners in the legislative chamber, and mouth seditious obscenities at their sovereign nation. Try doing that in the US Congress without getting lynched.