Monuments

Jared Diamond, in his bestseller “Collapse”, described in fascinating detail how the leaders of some declining societies behaved. Easter Island chiefs erected ever larger statues. Anasazi elites treated themselves to necklaces of 2,000 turquoise beads. Maya kings sought to outdo each other with more and more impressive temples. All these societies collapsed.

Hong Kong is facing very tough challenges. We have lost our low-cost manufacturing capabilities. Our labor is expensive. Our land is scarce and expensive. Our creative industries are struggling. Our education system is not producing the kind of students needed to compete in the global economy. Our health care system is stretched to the limit. Our environment is suffering.

Yet we are erecting ever grander government offices as monuments. I hope that further Jared Diamonds will not lump twenty-first century Hong Kong together with Easter Island, Anasazi, and Maya as societies that use their resources in conspicuous consumption rather than dealing with serious challenges.