Rulers' lack of humility holds back Hong Kong

The last week of June saw the Snowden affair, complaints about the president of Lingnan University, and Academy for Performing Arts students protesting to Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying on universal suffrage at their graduation ceremony.

"The older generation", aka "those in power", refuse to listen or respond to those they disagree with, and avoid debating problems, which actually need discussion in order for them to be resolved satisfactorily.

Young people have an especially strong sense of fair play. Even politicians like to feel they are being taken seriously.

Almost everyone can accept that decisions are not always taken in line with their own views - provided the process is fair.

However, in Hong Kong, the near-universal view is that the process is not fair. And so some people, not bad people, feel civil disobedience is the only way forward.

Others engage in damaging filibusters. Others again treat the chief executive with public disrespect.