Civic Education,
propaganda, brain-washing
Peter
Wu
Call it what you will, I don’t think there
is a right or wrong label because how you
call it depends on your stand-point
and perspective.
I often pity the people in
the pot calling the kettle black.
Anyway, this is not I want to talk about.
What I want to talk about is how the
Hongkers exercise their democratic rights
to express their opposition to certain things byhitting
the streets – demonstration. Hardly a month goes by without some sort of
groups taking to the street to
demonstrate against this and that.
The latest one was of course on their
opposition to the introduction of some incendiary materials in the school text
books.
What I would like to know is that: have they
achieved anything by staging a
demonstration, other than venting their anger
and letting off some steam? If the
answer is no, then my next question is: what’s the point? Do they
a follow-up action plan
after the demonstration to pursue
their objective?
There is no question the Hongkers
take to post hand-over democracy like ducks taking
to water. The all-too-often street
demonstrations is one case in point, and the often
completely pointless opposition to anything
by legislator Long Hair Leung Kwok Hung
is another. He is a highly enthusiastic opposer and demonstrator!
These observations tell me that the Hongkers are probably not using the political systemto their full advantage in achieving their political
goal or objective. The latest
demonstration against the interference of the
school curriculum will not achieve anything.
How do I know? Well, let me say that I know
the Education Secretary Eddie Ng Hak Kim pretty well.
That’s all I am prepared to say.
If the Hongkers
want to achieve anything in the current political system, they must
adopt the tried and true strategy of
‘if you can’t beat them, you join them’. That way, you work from within and
that makes you extremely influential, and dangerous. Form
you own party. Bankroll a candidate.
Contest the election. Simply put, you want to be part of the establishment to
influence the decision-making process, instead of barking
like a mad dog at the gate. Look at
Nelson Mandela and Aung San Su Ki.
You can now see why the big brother up north
is so reluctant in introducing universal
suffrage.