New Year’s Eve Market - people’s anger

We milled about in the crowd at the New Year’s Eve Market at Victoria Park for more than an hour last evening.  We didn’t buy anything, as usual. It was just to get a feel of the festive atmosphere.  And to see whether they are any creative ideas, as products, or as protests.  Not too many surprises either way.  Yet, one still get a feeling of the depth of dissatisfaction with the government.  This time, it is mainly directed at the Chief Executive and to a lesser extent, some of his cronies.


It is no surprise, given some of the incidents in the last several months.  The furor over national education have barely died down.  Then the Chief Executive threatened to sue The Hong Kong Economic Journal《信報》over an article「梁氏涉黑實可雙規」by  練乙錚.   Obviously Leung wanted to stop people from criticizing him heavily.  What he got, in return, was almost universal condemnation, except from the diehard Communists.  And a lot more attention to the article, and the associated accusations against him.  Not sure whether this is what he expected.


This is now a familiar pattern.  An unpopular politician comes to power by aligning with the politically powerful, and by wooing the people.  He appoints his supporters who are not really fit for public service, to high positions.  He fails to deliver on his promises.  The people criticize him.  He sees the people as enemies.  He uses his new-found power to hurt his enemies - the people.  The people hate him even more...


What comes next?  If he is smart, he distributes some sweets to placate the people, to buy more time to consolidate his power.  If not, he turns more arrogant and antagonistic.  The people will hate him even more.  Let us see where he turns now.

Of course, he can really start to take into consideration what the Hong Kong people really want, and not just what his backers in Hong Kong and Beijing want.  But that may be expecting too much.