the plot against hong kong
Yesterday I finished reading The Plot Against America, Philip Roth's sinister and imaginative novel – an alternative history in which Charles Lindberg beats FDR in the crucial 1940 Presidential election.
Lindbergh - who along with magnates Henry Ford, the Chairman of IBM, and the overseas CEO of General Motors (as well as legendary Great Gamer and Xinjiang explorer Sven Hedin) – was a winner of the Order of the German Eagle, and (in Roth's version of events) through close ties to Adolf Hitler proceeds to plunge Jewish America into state of "Perpetual Fear".
During a discussion over coffee, it was suggested by a very politically incorrect friend – a Hong Kong permanent resident - that it might be interesting the write The Plot Against Hong Kong. Like Roth's book, it would be a creative blend of fact and fiction (although is highly unlikely to be a bestseller):
It opens in 2003, and Basic Law Article 23 has just been ratified. A few practical and cosmetic changes take place: Hong Kong introduces driving on the right to better integrate with China. Certain outdated colonial architecture, such as the old Star Ferry pier, are demolished and replaced by new buildings. The Electoral Commission becomes entirely controlled by Beijing.
In an announcement in LegCo, Hong Kong's Chief Executive states: "I understand the people’s feelings about June 4, but the incident happened many years ago." The leader of a pro-Beijing party states: "How could people say bodies were minced under the tanks? Has anybody tried mincing meat under tanks?" A crackdown ensues in the press. Public arrests are made across the territory, exercised under Article 23.
In Victoria Park, the statue of Queen Victoria is replaced by that of Mao. Road names are gradually changed: Queen's Road becomes Beijing Avenue; King's Road becomes Shanghai Jie. A pro-Beijing party formally denies that Tiananmen was a massacre. English is removed as an official language. A high speed train links Hong Kong with the mainland - Hong Kong and Shenzhen become the same city.
Lindbergh - who along with magnates Henry Ford, the Chairman of IBM, and the overseas CEO of General Motors (as well as legendary Great Gamer and Xinjiang explorer Sven Hedin) – was a winner of the Order of the German Eagle, and (in Roth's version of events) through close ties to Adolf Hitler proceeds to plunge Jewish America into state of "Perpetual Fear".
During a discussion over coffee, it was suggested by a very politically incorrect friend – a Hong Kong permanent resident - that it might be interesting the write The Plot Against Hong Kong. Like Roth's book, it would be a creative blend of fact and fiction (although is highly unlikely to be a bestseller):
It opens in 2003, and Basic Law Article 23 has just been ratified. A few practical and cosmetic changes take place: Hong Kong introduces driving on the right to better integrate with China. Certain outdated colonial architecture, such as the old Star Ferry pier, are demolished and replaced by new buildings. The Electoral Commission becomes entirely controlled by Beijing.
In an announcement in LegCo, Hong Kong's Chief Executive states: "I understand the people’s feelings about June 4, but the incident happened many years ago." The leader of a pro-Beijing party states: "How could people say bodies were minced under the tanks? Has anybody tried mincing meat under tanks?" A crackdown ensues in the press. Public arrests are made across the territory, exercised under Article 23.
In Victoria Park, the statue of Queen Victoria is replaced by that of Mao. Road names are gradually changed: Queen's Road becomes Beijing Avenue; King's Road becomes Shanghai Jie. A pro-Beijing party formally denies that Tiananmen was a massacre. English is removed as an official language. A high speed train links Hong Kong with the mainland - Hong Kong and Shenzhen become the same city.
Enough of that rubbish. It's time for Friday haiku.
1 comments:
This is precisely the type of post that gets no comments.
Post a Comment