Irreverence and its importance
Friends: The One with Dave and Sam's Trip to Ibiza
If I were required to sum up the article linked above in two words, they would be these: entertaining drivel. Notwithstanding this, its very existence - online, and on paper in my motherland - caused me to put down my smartphone and start thinking. Is this the freedom for which I am occasionally reminded that my forebears fought? I have to conclude that it is. For the fact that we mock our politicians is symptomatic of the fact that a) we know they are humand and b) we do not trust them, and the fact that we can show this reminds us - and them - that they are accountable.
In Hong Kong, I cannot imagine anyone writing a similar article about Donald Tsang, Beijing's sycophantic tool at the head of this pseudo-city-state. It might be that there is nothing to write - beyond the fact that his sole statement of individuality is his peculiar habit of wearing a bow tie at all times, he is a two-dimensional former civil servant - but I think it more likely that the printed press has no leeway, and the blogosphere is immature and insufficiently politically-educated to do much except rant about policies its contributors don't like. Consider the mainland and the outlook is even more depressing.
In fact, the only outlet of silliness in Hong Kong is the irritating Long Hair, who together with the few other genuinely elected politicians regularly gets booted out of the LegCo chamber for disorderly behaviour. I have sometimes wondered whether his ridiculous exploits are a genuine attempt to make Hong Kong people wake up to their lack of representation, or whether he is secretly a Beijing plant designed to discredit the Pan-Democratic camp*.
So enjoy your drivel, my fellow Brits, and watch like hawks for any erosion of your right to silliness. Something darker will be lying beneath.
*by the way, the political spectrum among electable politicians in Hong Kong is not Socialist-Conservative as back home, it is almost entirely Socialist and the spectrum is from Pro-Beijing to Pro-Democracy. The unelected politicians and civil servants who run the show are pretty conservative, though.
If I were required to sum up the article linked above in two words, they would be these: entertaining drivel. Notwithstanding this, its very existence - online, and on paper in my motherland - caused me to put down my smartphone and start thinking. Is this the freedom for which I am occasionally reminded that my forebears fought? I have to conclude that it is. For the fact that we mock our politicians is symptomatic of the fact that a) we know they are humand and b) we do not trust them, and the fact that we can show this reminds us - and them - that they are accountable.
In Hong Kong, I cannot imagine anyone writing a similar article about Donald Tsang, Beijing's sycophantic tool at the head of this pseudo-city-state. It might be that there is nothing to write - beyond the fact that his sole statement of individuality is his peculiar habit of wearing a bow tie at all times, he is a two-dimensional former civil servant - but I think it more likely that the printed press has no leeway, and the blogosphere is immature and insufficiently politically-educated to do much except rant about policies its contributors don't like. Consider the mainland and the outlook is even more depressing.
In fact, the only outlet of silliness in Hong Kong is the irritating Long Hair, who together with the few other genuinely elected politicians regularly gets booted out of the LegCo chamber for disorderly behaviour. I have sometimes wondered whether his ridiculous exploits are a genuine attempt to make Hong Kong people wake up to their lack of representation, or whether he is secretly a Beijing plant designed to discredit the Pan-Democratic camp*.
So enjoy your drivel, my fellow Brits, and watch like hawks for any erosion of your right to silliness. Something darker will be lying beneath.
*by the way, the political spectrum among electable politicians in Hong Kong is not Socialist-Conservative as back home, it is almost entirely Socialist and the spectrum is from Pro-Beijing to Pro-Democracy. The unelected politicians and civil servants who run the show are pretty conservative, though.