Discussions about reforming Hong Kong's political system have, so far, only involved what local political and academic celebrities think 'democracy' is, or should be. 'Democracy' has existed for ages, from the time of Ancient Greece. Great minds of the past and the present should surely be considered as we debate what will become Hong Kong's own brand of 'democracy'.
Alexis de Tocqueville, perhaps the most brilliant expert on American democracy in history, is one of my favourites. In my opinion, his book, Democracy in America, should be read by anyone who participates in, or plans to participate in, our democracy discussions. He reveals the many things that made American democracy work, and perhaps, more importantly, he was among the first to suggest that the success of democracy does not necessarily lie in the principle itself, but in what form it takes in its application.
Our first de Tocqueville lesson should, perhaps, be that democracy cannot be concocted with a simple formula and implemented overnight. Democracy, which comes in many shapes and sizes, cannot be copied from one place, however brilliantly it has worked, to another.
The notion of the existence of a 'one-size-fits-all' formula for democracy is naive, at best. For democracy to work, its road map must be carefully established through consideration of the existing economic, political, social and geographical conditions. Whereas America's conditions were uniquely 'exceptional' in de Tocqueville's eyes, those of Hong Kong could be said to be unique, as well.
This does not stem from the fact that we used to be a colony, but from the fact that we are part of a country which operates under a completely different system and that we are granted the privilege of carrying on and developing new systems to operate under - the essence of 'one country, two systems' - without any previous experience in self-governance. Hong Kong's uniqueness is also attributed by our advanced economy and free market, and the fact that we were and are, largely, a commercial city inhabited by independent and sophisticated businesspeople, who in the most part have no interest in pursuing a career in politics. Our rule of law has been a crucial basis for our success and will be our essential prerequisite for the democratisation process.
Our culture and traditions, although predominantly very Chinese, are a wonderful mix of East and West. There are many more 'only in Hong Kong' features that are worth noting, such as the fact that the majority of the population has always been politically apathetic until recently, when public discontent towards the performance of the Hong Kong government has made politics the hottest topic in town. While people's thirst for 'change' has transformed into urgent calls for political reform, we must remember that 'urgent' does not mean cutting corners and taking shortcuts. If de Tocqueville were alive today, he would urge us to take our special conditions into consideration as we custom-make a democratic system that works for us.
The benefits of democracy are many and easy to recognise, and thus, it is that much more difficult to see and take account of its failings. De Tocqueville's observations on American democracy point out both the virtues - and there are many - and vices of democracy that we must consider.