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Hong Kong localism, independence
Opinion
Alex Lo

OpinionAre the ‘post-60s and 70s’ the real human garbage?

  • The post-90s, or Gen Y, hit back at ‘rubbish middle-aged’ accusing them of selling out Hong Kong and not fighting, negotiating and making demands from the government

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Hongkongers from different generations cross the road in Causeway Bay. Photo: Fung Chang
Alex Loin Toronto

“Rubbish youth” are fighting back. They, the fai tsing, didn’t ruin Hong Kong. It’s the generation of yours truly that is responsible for the bad shape Hong Kong is in.

Stop blaming us, they say, it’s you who screw us over: the post-60s and -70s generation, the “rubbish middle-aged”. Touché!

Though ruder in Cantonese, fai tsing is roughly equivalent to what people in the West call millennials or Gen Y. Also called the post-90s, they are supposedly narcissistic, entitled brats who switch jobs at the drop of a hat. They think highly and only of themselves, and demand unearned respect from their bosses or anyone in a position of authority.
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That, at any rate, is the caricature, especially after the Occupy protest of 2014 and the subsequent Mong Kok riot. A counter-debate is making the rounds in local social media. One popular thread, titled “Hong Kong is really screwed by the post-60s and 70s”, on the popular chat site lihkg.com, has gathered hundreds of responses in just one day:

“These are the people (post-60s and post-70s) who should have taken the lead in fighting, negotiating and making demands from the government. Many of them now lead Hong Kong, control its money, politics and have all the power. They also have the political wisdom, experience and professional expertise – those most suited and capable of fighting for Hong Kong.

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“But all I see are the post-60 and 70s who have made enough money so they fold their arms and don’t give a damn if Hong Kong self-destructs. Or they are either salarymen who are completely apolitical or those blue-ribbon (pro-establishment) retards. People from that generation who are willing to stand up and fight for Hong Kong are fewer and fewer.

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