In Hong Kong, the world is either yellow or blue
- It will be hard to achieve reconciliation or compromise between the two camps when they see the same things and interpret them in the opposite way
As a lifelong student of philosophy, I have long been fascinated by the incompatibility of belief systems and the conflicts they give rise to.
But that has always been a theoretical concern; not any more.
I never thought that I would end up living with such conflicts, such as experiencing the profound cognitive oppositions, beliefs and commitments between the yellow and blue camps in Hong Kong.
Here, I contrast some of my own beliefs with those of a yellow-camper, an early middle-aged, university-educated woman whose job requires frequent travels to the mainland, the one place she absolutely hates yet knows a great deal about. Her beliefs are typical of those of the yellow camp. Also, she seems to entertain no scepticism or doubt about them.
She sanctions vandalism and looting as acts of protest, even if it means destroying local jobs. Generally, violence, including deadly attacks, against mainlanders and locals with different political opinions, may be tolerated.
I think that’s crazy and criminal.
She believes police killed more than one person at Prince Edward MTR station on August 31 last year and families of “the victims” were silenced by China.