Letters | Biggest shortcoming exposed by fifth wave is Hong Kong leaders’ lack of moral convictions
- Readers discuss the government’s mishandling of the Omicron outbreak, the city’s shortage of quarantine rooms, the timely arrival of mainland help, how the suspension of universal testing has made disrupting children’s education unnecessary, and the benefit of embracing change
According to Warren Buffett, it is when the tide goes out that we discover who is swimming naked. The opposite is happening for us though. It is the tide coming in, otherwise known as the Covid-19 fifth wave, that enables us to examine the character of those in charge of our affairs.
Most of these observations are likely valid. Will there eventually be a commission to review the entire episode? Unlikely, I’m afraid.
If we just focus on the weeks from mid-January to now, we may yet discover something else. During this time we saw songs and dances, mumbles and fumbles, lightning pronouncements and even quicker about-faces from officials, and a frightened and suffering people. It is only after our bigwigs were roused from their frenzy by the mainland that certain priorities have been established and some order restored.
An observation about America’s best and brightest after the Bay of Pigs debacle provides insight into such behaviour.