Hi FR1, Now the good news in response to your
Message 15331666
specifically,
<< By the way, how are you guys doing under Beijing? Do they control all the ISPs and make communication difficult? Do you think there will be political reform, over time, eventually leading to democratic elections in the heart of China? >>
(a) Hong Kong, operating under English common law and believing in the money god, is the economically freest society in Asia, ahead of every country, and is the economically freest society in the world, ahead of every nation, as judged by the Heritage Foundation. Hong Kong is the politically freest society, not because our multi-millionaire Chief Executive Officer (our title for the boss) is ‘elected’ in by less than 600 franchised voters (better than 9 judges in the US) working at the behest of Beijing, but because we are simply and collectively not political. Many of our civil servants are millionaires and make a compensation package of millionaires. This is not a society run by the people and for the people, but one that is run by the rich for the rich so that the rich gets richer still.
Beijing has deliberately kept its hand off the money pot that is HK as we are the Switzerland of Asia, welcoming money of all persuasions and colours. Our money is not pegged to the US dollar, but linked, meaning that for each HK dollar in circulation, there is at least one US dollar in the money reserve. Basically we are very democratic all around. We are fairly politically naïve, disinterested and we like money, our own and those that belong to others.
I get relaxed when I visit New York, and I get inspired when I land in Hong Kong.
The ISPs and newspapers are not controlled at all in HK, as long as child pornography laws are not circumvented. Yup, sure, as far as we are concerned, Tibet can have its independence, Taiwan can set sail for California, as long as we get the inside scoop early and place our chips accordingly, shorting some things and go long on other things.
(b) The mainland China ISPs and press are controlled, but far less than before and far less than IHT, NY Times and WSJ let on. Basically only three subjects are off limits … Taiwan independence, Tibet anything, and Communist Party. Local versions of the National Enquirer are in plentiful supply, digging up dirt on all including communist party folks officially deemed to be in the bad. Of the foreign sites, CNN is off limits on the great China intranet, but not Reuters or CNNFN; Penthouse is off limits, but not nakednews.com.
© China has been experimenting with village level democracy for the past 5 years observed by Ford Foundation, and intends to introduce voting in selected cities “soon” in the same manner it first experimented with special economic zones before the current phase of nationwide economic reform. The economic direction of the country will make Reagen proud, and the political direction will supercede Japan, Korea, Taiwan in probably 10-20 years, hopefully never reach the level of the Philippines and not go the way of Russia.
(d) The problem, of course, is that democracy is a separate issue from war and peace. I believe it is not that democratic countries do not go to war against each other, it is more that wealthier middle class do not let their government send their sons off to wars without putting up a good political fight. Thus, once again, we in HK are on the right track, in that money solves all problems. The more the merrier, the earlier the better, and mine preferable to others. |
