Its Alot Less Exciting Than It Should Be......

While the mad-mandarins of Beijing sphincter muscles twitch furiously over the election of the Hong Kong chief executive [detailed earlier] the rest of us are searching for some small tid-bits of newsworthy information to keep us mildly interested.

From the start, we all know that the election is a pre-ordained ordeal, wrapped in modernistic pomp but still mired in feudal tradition. However, very little will happen to further the progress of giving the people their deserved voice in their own destiny. The process and procedures are mapped out and people will go through the strokes to receive their new chief executive as if this is something to be proud of.

Even the wild-eyed pro-Beijing camp is becoming increasing dissatisfied with the tenor of progress in Hong Kong as they too get the cold shoulder from Beijing.

The flicker comes from members of the 800-strong Election Committee, who belong to the traditional leftist, pro-Beijing camp. These loyal souls were waving the red flag well before the motley assortment of opportunists who make up most of the committee discovered its virtues. They feel they have been shabbily treated by their masters in Beijing, more or less, since the SAR was formed.

They have voiced their displeasure with a tirade on the hapless chief executive in-waiting, Donald Tsang, as surrogate to their Beijing masters.

Some people figure that since this is the only possible world, in Hong Kong, then its the best of all possible worlds. Voltaire argued over 200 years ago that this attitude is hogwash and that...

"Liberty of thought is the life of the soul." (from Essay on Epic Poetry, Voltaire 1727)

Beijing figures that the opiate of material wealth will be enough to satisfy the typical Hong Konger, and they may be correct, at least for a while. But Hong Kong is made up of people that fled oppression to seek greater liberty and won't be satisfied with the simple pleasure of being associated with one China.

The people here have earned and deserve better than that.