Sunday, November 17, 2019

I Am Worried For Hong Kong

I am worried about Hong Kong. This is too much violence. The solution is dialogue. The solution is Carrie Lam inviting the protest leaders to sit down and talk.

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Saturday, November 16, 2019

Hong Kong: What Would Dialogue Look Like?

I want the two sides in Hong Kong to talk: the protestors out in the streets, and the Carrie Lam side. That dialogue is not going to be a grand ideological debate about the two warring ideologies of the past century: capitalism and communism.

America does not have capitalism. Capitalism is a market economy where there is near perfect competition. In the American economy, you can find large pockets of monopoly power. Why do you think Americans pay so much more for their internet access and mobile data? Because there is not enough competition. That is only one example of many.

China has relentlessly injected the market into its economy since 1990. China has been the biggest beneficiary of the collapse of communism in the former Soviet Union. It allowed them to gradually ditch the command economy. China is not communism the way Leonid Brezhnev understood communism to be.


I believe the two ideologies are moving towards a fusion. And it does not have to be bloody fusion. There need not be war, only civil debate, and discussion. I look at the 2020 election campaign in the US and I look at what China has already started in Shenzen in the form a political experiment, and I see we are moving towards a fusion. And the protestors in the streets of Hong Kong are hardly best equipped to lead that conversation. They can be part of the conversation, but they are not in any position to lead. For one, they have not been talking much.

Chinese Troops Invade Hong Kong (NOT)
Is Hong Kong Moving Towards A Showdown?
Hong Kong Police Losing Its Mind
I Read Don Junior's Book
The Hong Kong Shenzen Political Song And Dance Could Benefit The World
Hong Kong: The Situation Escalates
China Has Already Started Political Reforms: In Shenzen
Thoughts On The Middle East

I read somewhere, in response to the last protests, Beijing reportedly said, okay, you can elect your own Chief Executive as long we get to decide who those two will be. It is said in America about 50,000 people participate in the "money primary." And once somebody passes that hurdle then the race is opened to the ordinary American voters. What Beijing wants in Hong Kong, the 50,000 money people already seem to have in America.

In recent weeks I have taken great interest in the Middle East as a region, and in the UAE in particular, for business reasons. And being a political person that I am, I have also taken much interest in the politics. I knew the UAE was a monarchy, but there was a lot that I did not know.

But I have also had intimate knowledge at another level: people from my home village, for instance.

When I was attending high school in Kathmandu, at a school founded and run by the British, the best school in Nepal, we were taught there are rich countries and there are poor countries, but thank God for all the aid the rich countries give, the poor are catching up. Then I attended college in America. And the talk gradually shifted to, aid will not do it, we need trade, not aid. And we ended up with Donald Trump, who thinks the entire world is being unfair to America. But remittance from the Gulf countries is the only thing that has really mattered to the people in my home village. Aid and trade have been close to zero as factors.

And that makes me think. I open-mindedly ask questions.
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Chinese Troops Invade Hong Kong (NOT)

The prevailing opinion, at least in the western media, has been, it is only a matter of time before the Chinese troops invade Hong Kong and start emptying their machine guns. In short, Chinese are animals. But look what they are doing instead. I am touched.




I believe the two sides should talk and desescalate the situation.

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Wednesday, November 13, 2019

Is Hong Kong Moving Towards A Showdown?

‘Sliding into an abyss’: Beijing’s top office in Hong Kong urges stronger crackdown against unrest Agency calls for city’s administration and police to use all necessary measures to restore order ...... It calls on the Hong Kong government to do everything in its power to end the turmoil and ‘arrest the criminals and severely punish their violent acts’ ....... The warning comes as the financial hub reels from some of the worst violence since massive anti-government protests started five months ago, with the number of protesters arrested since Monday surpassing the total for the whole previous week.......... This week, a protester was shot by police, a man was set on fire, roads were blocked and university campuses turned into battlegrounds............. Beijing has again thrown its weight behind the city’s administration and police force, urging them to take tougher action...... It called on the Hong Kong government, police and judiciary to “decisively adopt all necessary means to forcefully crack down on various acts of violence and terrorism”. ....... “If the government and citizens cannot work together to end the unrest, Hong Kong’s ability to govern itself will be questioned, and the central government will consider interfering in its own way.”



Blood spilled over political differences in Hong Kong, with six hurt as knife-wielding man attacks family after argument Tensions flare after hundreds of Hongkongers heed online call to take to the streets on Sunday afternoon in unauthorised citywide protest

Tensions flare after hundreds of Hongkongers heed online call to take to the streets on Sunday afternoon in unauthorised citywide protest Mainland Chinese internet users pounce on singer after she posts an image of herself wearing a face mask on Facebook ....... ‘I never thought that a lyric and a selfie … would attract this storm. I am extremely sorry,’ she says

Police shooting exposes deep divide online between mainland China and Hong Kong Mainland social media users come out in strong support for the officer, compounding extensive coverage of vandalism of businesses with ties across the border

China accuses US and Britain of hypocrisy over violence in Hong Kong Foreign ministry says London and Washington did not ‘sternly condemn’ torching of man in the city........ Both Western countries express deep concerns over confrontations and the use of force

Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen urges Hong Kong’s leaders to pull city ‘back from the brink’ ‘People’s aspirations should not be responded to with violence, and you should not sacrifice Hong Kong youth’s blood for the sake of decorating Beijing’s face,’ leader says on Facebook...... Comments come after clashes at Chinese University of Hong Kong, which Tsai likened to the ‘white terror’ that gripped Taiwan for almost four decades

Protest chaos leads to the most bank branch closings in Hong Kong’s history other than during typhoons 250 bank branches, 19 per cent of the city’s outlets, were closed the whole day while another 100 closed earlier than usual....... ATMs, online banking remain open

Hong Kong protesters throw petrol bombs into several Cross-Harbour Tunnel tollbooths Protesters continue 'blossom everywhere' approach, popping up across city with police a step or two behind ........ Education Bureau suspends classes on Thursday and all universities in the city announce cancellations
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Hong Kong Police Losing Its Mind



The Hong Kong Shenzen Political Song And Dance Could Benefit The World
Hong Kong: The Situation Escalates
China Has Already Started Political Reforms: In Shenzen
Formula For Peace Between Israel And Palestine
The Stupidity Of The Ayodhya Dispute
Hong Kong: Endgame Scenarios
Carrie Lam Should Invite Protest Leaders For Talks
Gangster Words Spoken By Xi Jinping: Shattered Bones
The Nation State In Peril
And Now Iraq Erupts
Hong Kong: The Mask Ban Can Not Be Implemented
Hong Kong: Downturn?
Raising The Stakes On Non Political Solution In Hong Kong
The Dubai Sheikh Is A Business School Case Study
The Impeachment Drama

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Tuesday, November 12, 2019

I Read Don Junior's Book

I picked it up at the library. First, I read a few chapters. Then I borrowed it to read it whole.


I believe in political dialogue. I believe in a positive political culture. You can agree and disagree, but can you be civil about it?

Trump 2016 was a remarkable campaign in that the entire Republican establishment seemed to be opposed to it. It did not have much money. And it barely squeaked by. If Trump 2016 were a tech startup, you would say that was remarkable.

Trump also spoke to the anger of millions who were losing jobs. He did not and does not have the solution, but he sure looked the problem straight in the eye. Andrew Yang has the solution: it's called UBI.

I think Trump secretly is hoping to have a Reagan moment with Hong Kong. But it is not that black and white, not in my opinion.

I do commend him for meeting the North Korean leader.

Being for and against tax cuts is one thing. I welcome policy differences. I welcome debate and discussion. But I have disapproved of Donald Trump's hate speech. His very announcement speech was laced with hate speech. When Trump says he is tired of "political correctness," what he is essentially saying is he wants to be openly racist. I mean, birtherism!? C'mon.

But Trump did win. And the office is what it is. And a son has every right to be a son.

I wanted to get a perspective.

I was glad to note he wrote the book himself. I say, respect. Even Bill Clinton had major editorial help, so even if Don Junior got editorial help, I still say, respect. It is not easy to write a book, any book.

There were times I sympathized. He notes he has the second-highest number of death threats in the country. I think that is unfortunate. That is wrong.

There were times I learned. Maybe I have read too many left-leaning caricature pieces on Don Junior, but I was a little surprised with some of his grasp of politics and policy details. He is pretty thorough even when he is as conspiracy theorizing as he accuses "the leftists" of being.

Polarization has become the new normal in American politics. And it shows.

It's funny how Junior talks of the "Democrat Party," not the Democratic Party. I first noted Jared Kushner use the term. And that was in 2016. It is meant to be a slur.

Will Trump get impeached? Or will he win a second term? I don't know. We don't know. But here's a son rooting for his father to have a second term. Love is allowed. The political process will take its course.

I am still reading it. Just wanted to take a break and briefly blog about it.

Hello, Don.

There's one point where he talks of an "AOC administration." Looks like Don Junior and I have found some common ground.

This book is worth reading. It gives you perspective.

One story I read early in 2017 in some magazine about Donald Trump (the president) was, so his father takes a young Donald Trump on one of his rent collection tours. The father knocks on one door and steps to the side. The son asks, why did you do that? The father says, "Sometimes they shoot!"

Donald Trump is a Queens guy. Like how Israelis like to say they live in a "tough neighborhood." When the world sees an out of control Donald Trump, his children see a "counterpuncher." The Manhattan real estate establishment never digested the upstart from Queens. They still hadn't in 2016.

While Donald Trump, in the autumn of his life, is still trying to digest the world.





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The Hong Kong Shenzen Political Song And Dance Could Benefit The World

Beijing should accept the five demands of the Hong Kong protests. It has no choice. That is what one country, two systems means. At the same time Beijing should get on with its political experiment in Shenzen. The idea is that it is possible to create an "orderly political participation" of ordinary people in the political process without ditching one party rule.

What does that mean? Does that mean voting? Whatever it means, it is unfolding.

These two cities could be like a live experiment for the whole world to watch.

I don't think America has a political system that every other country needs to copy. And if copy, why not start with England? Let's abolish the monarchy. The Brits have a quickie one month long election. Let's spread that over an entire year. Let's elect a president in England. Let's write a proper constitution.

You see where I am going?

I believe every country will tread a unique political path. And I can't think of a better place than the Hong Kong Bay Area for a live political experiment on as to what might be the best possible political system.

The whole world is watching.

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