Democracy has many ways of illustrating its utility as the simplest and most manageable means of government. Irony was the form chosen last week, when a US congressional delegation visited Hong Kong as part of an Asia tour.
A cross-section of Legislative Council members and candidates were invited to meet the delegation, along with members of the US community and Chief Secretary Donald Tsang Yam-kuen. Many Legco members and candidates did find time to meet the delegation. The most common reason for those who did not was that they were busy campaigning.
When asked by one Congresswoman if 'campaigning' was just an excuse, I took a sip of my champagne and informed her that I did not think this was the case. I was well aware that James Tien Pei-chun and Selina Chow Liang Shuk-yee - candidates the delegation specifically wanted to meet - were out giving 'high fives' to teenagers and bowing to old ladies.
To understand the irony of this, one must understand that none of the six visiting members of the US Congress have any serious opponent in elections this autumn. In fact, three of the six have no opponent at all. While all eyes are on the US presidential race, the entire House of Representatives and one-third of the Senate are also standing for election. Yet with a 90 per-cent-plus return rate for the House and Senate, it is not much of a stretch to consider Hong Kong a more competitive election environment than the US.
As a student in America, I did not foresee the day I would be drinking champagne with unopposed members of the US House of Representatives as we discussed the challenges facing Hong Kong's democracy movement - while the pro-government candidates who want to hold back democracy were out shaking a succession of hands.
There was little doubt that the delegation was less than impressed with the entire functional constituency segment of Legco. At least one of these US politicians knew his subject matter when it came to the political structure in Hong Kong and tore away at the functional constituency system with an argument not about democracy, but about self interest.