Ridiculum

Although the stakes and emotion are high, the many events that led to the current occupy movement in Hong Kong are best described as ridiculum. Even the state of blocked roads, exaggerated responses, lack of dialog, no overt support for the leader who is effectively locked up in his government mansion, the divide between those who think any protest is chaos and the view that it's a method of change, using triads, misuse of data, avoiding the issues, blaming the US, blaming China....

It's a series of ridiculous events that blew up due to the often mistaken strategy of using force to tame the heart. Many forget that institution is never sacred. The human spirit and our aspirations made them.

It is ridiculous that manmade systems such as countries, schools, religious institutions, companies are effectively revered and even worshiped by using them as immovable center of our lives. We depend on  establishment to give us order and security, forgetting they are compromised in that just as they shield us, they also limit us.

That is why there is usually a generational divide. Older people are comfortable with establishment while youth want to remove some limits. It all comes down to who holds the power.

The more centralized and closed the power, the temptation is to avoid divulging it. Because there is no incentive to share power, control is more convenient than dialogue.

Democracy is now a misused word. It has come to mean too many different forms of establishment. So I'll avoid using it.

A competitive, vibrant group of educated connected people are common now. They can choose how to enjoy, learn, earn in ways never before possible. All this points to a need for decentralized power, better communication, faster responses.

Call it what you want. The silliest news is that a dialogue with the students was offered and took a week to set up.

What's so hard about having a chat?