Opponents crying wolf over Leung's 'threat' to core values
After the crazy chief executive debate, our society is gradually being restored to rationality. Now that Leung Chun-ying is the chief executive-designate, what does that mean for Hong Kong in the next five years?
Some of Leung's opponents have made a big fuss about how he might destroy Hong Kong's core values. This claim is counter-intuitive - if values are so vulnerable, how can they be 'core values'?
The core values of any place on earth are the result of many years of accumulation and are therefore highly resistant to change, let alone destruction. Nobody, not even a political leader, can destroy them in a relatively short span of five years.
Moreover, what are the core values of Hong Kong? Everyone probably has his or her own version of core values. We understand many dissidents champion freedom, democracy and the rule of law. Granted, these represent the common core values of some Hong Kong citizens, but questions remain as to whether they are endangered and, if so, whether it is because Leung is chief executive-elect.
Hong Kong is arguably among the freest places on earth and its citizens are allowed to do and say practically anything.
We can spread rumours like the death of our former president, curse our national leaders, call our chief executive 'Greedy Monk', and chief secretary 'Eunuch', and publish a hate speech ad labelling all mainlanders as 'locusts'.
We can regularly abuse police officers on duty (some even post the unlawful acts on YouTube); halt a subway train in mid-journey just to stop a mainland child eating in a carriage; and stop major projects midstream at the whims and fancies of a handful of interested parties.