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Opinion | Hong Kong is a mega corporation in need of a clear vision from John Lee
- This is not about patriotism, re-education or marching in lockstep with the mother country. It is about practicality
- Hong Kong’s bright future depends on understanding what lies ahead and seeing that vision well laid out. If you can see it, you can work for it
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We are obsessed with the future. No one more so than politicians. After all, that is what dream merchants sell. A “brighter future” is bandied about by think tanks, schools, healthcare professionals and the administration. It is de rigueur, yet few define it.
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As the National Day fireworks cast a glow over Victoria Harbour, the city was again awash with warm and fuzzy talk of a “better future”. So what exactly is this future? And how do we get there?
As tech guru Alan Kay put it: “The best way to predict the future is to invent it.”
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Freewheeling Hong Kong arguably has an edge, not entirely blunted, and has proven it can act with speed. The city is a well-oiled mega corporation run by a chief executive, not a ballot-buffeted prime minister, and this is both its Achilles’ heel and strength. An electoral fig leaf cannot give the chief executive the credibility the West seeks, yet, as John Lee Ka-chiu has shown, his position and personality are geared towards action.
What is lacking is youthful optimism and energy. The city has seemingly settled into a Slough of Despond. The future has become a fast dissipating dream for many.
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