Ordinary Gweilo

Hemlock has noticed this article from the Financial Times (also here):

Yet a belief persists in Hong Kong
that its future interest lies, not in accentuating its distinctive
strengths, but in blurring them by throwing in its lot with the
mainland. Sooner or later, the argument goes, it will be enveloped
economically by its giant neighbour, so why not accept the inevitable
now?

The argument has been appropriated by Hong Kong tycoons, who
calculate that telling Beijing what it wants to hear will win them
commercial favours. Beijing treats their pleading as the voice of
informed opinion in the territory.

Though superbly administered, Hong
Kong is inadequately governed. The executive, led by Donald Tsang,
lacks a political compass. Its strategic vision is dominated by an
infatuation with big projects. Many seem conceived out of a stubborn
desire to display political authority. When, like a recently mooted
goods and services tax, they sink for want of public support, Hong
Kong’s leaders tend to conclude that the reason is not bad policies but
failure to push them hard enough.

That’s a favourite refrain of companies that don’t listen (whether to their employees or their customers) – "if only we could get people to understand what we are doing, they would agree with it".  Oh no, they wouldn’t, so please stop patronising us.