Getting 7.8 Million People on Our Side for Freedom

Awaiting the Democratic Hong Kong

So Donald Tsang went and asked the people in HK to support something they don't really understand, the Democrats also is asking people in Hong Kong to come out to support something that maybe they don't fully understand either. Everyone is shouting and Emily Lau plus a few more Democratic Proponent is off to China to talk at one another a little bit more. Ms. Lau will go off on a tangent, the Chinese government representatives will nod hoping that Ms Lau and everyone else would hear what they have to say when they go off on their tangent. Donald isn't listening, and Martin Lee got Condie Rice to say that the US support democracy in Hong Kong, much like Ricey said there were Weapons and Mass Destruction in Iraq.

I wish they would all just shut up once in a while.

Just shut up and stop ranting at each other as politely as they can. I know it's hard. If I was put in front of Donald, the DAB or probably most of the Chinese officials I would be screaming at the top of my lungs as well. But what I know for sure, is no matter how much I yell, how much I reason, those people are just not going to get it. They don't get words, they get numbers and action.

They get 500, 000 people on the streets shouting that they want free speech. They get a lot of people in Hong Kong standing up in the most visually stimulating way which is using what we have most, a lot of people in one very small space.

They get protests.

They really get it. The Chinese government gets it in a way that when pushed will bring tanks to break one up and spend the next 40 years hiding any traces of it having ever happened. They will spend billions of dollars blocking the internet and continue to put people in jail all over China for trying to get the truth out.

The Hong Kong government will shelve a bill that they were insulting Hong Kong people left and right by saying we didn't understand a word of what was being said, and it was going to go through no matter what. They changed their tune when the they got half a million people walking on the streets saying, "We don't think so."

Our government understood that, and haven't had a peep of the word since.

Let me say it again.

They get protests.

So really the only way for us to go forward, is to focus on the people. To focus on the grass roots organizing, to explain to every single person in Hong Kong, what is democracy, what is universal suffrage and why the hell it will do them good. Why it is the best way forward? What has it got to do with who we are, what we do, and why it beneficial.

For most people they still don't know that. What is so wrong with life now? What was so wrong with life before the handover? People fed their family, people had jobs, we got to travel and have fun. What's all this bickering and shouting?

Because life can be better. Because sometimes our government should be accountable to the people. Because sometimes when they are handing out land to the big corporations, when they are making policies that benefit all their cronies and friends, maybe if there is a threat they won't stay in power, they might actually think of us.

That we have a say. That 7.8 million people actually had the choice between seeing Donald's pretty face on the TV talking at us and telling us what we should do for the sake of the country, maybe we could have chosen someone else we liked more and agreed with.

And what I feel every day is that this is not happening. I don't see Martin and Emily going down to the local schools and teaching the kids about democracy beyond maybe a ribbon cutting, I don't see the article 45 group starting programs to target individual. All I ever see is that they are preaching to the converted, they seek approval from the one group of people who will never give it. Whenever I hear them talk is always them shouting about the Chinese government, the Hong Kong government and why they aren't doing what they want.

I know it's true, our government doesn't do what we want. I know it's frustrating, but all it feels to me is wasted energy. I know, I know, I know. I know. I know. I know.  I don't want to listen to anymore. Turn the TV off, turn the radio off. I know. I know the government isn't listening and they won't change no matter how many times we say it. I agree. I know. I know. EVERYONE knows.

So what is the democratic camp actually doing to improve Hong Kong? I mean what is it that they can bring to the table? Why don't they tell us that instead? Right now they come off just boring and bitter.

Maybe it's time to change tactics or at least focus on something else as well.

Can we just tell more people about why they want to support us? To get them on our side, so that when there is a protest, it is bigger, stronger, and of greater numbers all the time. You know why the communist party came to power in 1949? Because they went into the people, they helped the peasants, they explained why they were better that the KMT who liked to "borrow" supplies and do whatever they want and forget to pay for it. The Communist Party before they came to power, proved  their worth, by honestly helping the peasants in ways they could understand. No matter what I think of what the party has become, at the time in 1949, they deserved to win.

I think it's our turn. I think it's time we took what worked last time, and do it again. Go back to the people, go back to the masses and explain one person at a time why it's better to support our cause than the other side. To truly show them what it is democracy can do, how it can make their lives better. How it safe guards rights we have now, which is not guaranteed for the future.

For me, I know no amount of arguing is going to win this, no confrontation, no veto, no vote, what will bring the vote to Hong Kong is silently, or loudly, but peacefully walk one step at a time until we have most of the 7.8 million people in our side for freedom.

Comments

[Oli G]

7.8 million people would be good but 1.3 billion would be even better! Hopefully the people of HK will be able to win democracy soon.

The CCP should be looking to HK and Taiwan to help them reform! HK people should realise that they can change China for the better by fighting for democracy. At the moment, from the UK, it seems like the people of HK are fine being led by Beijing, no mention of any protest in the news.

If the people don't go down fighting there will be no more Hong Kong by 2020/30, just another 'harmonious' Chinese city where everyone loves the CCP and the motherland. Having visited HK several times I think this would be a great shame for the world, but the more HK people dither the less chance of China changing.

[Glutterbug]

>7.8 million people would be good but 1.3 billion would be even better!

Shhhh! Dont't say that here, you will get my site banned in China again!!

Fine Line.. Fine Line...

:)

Yan

[Jonas]

I hope your leaders will pull themselves together soon. Since they don't *have* to listen to the people I agree that the only way forward is to force them to listen and understand.
They are probably under a lot of pressure from Beijing. They have to feel the pressure from Hong Kong, the people they are supposed to represent, as well.

Good luck. Hong Kong very much deserves democracy and has deserved it now for a long time.