Comments on: Hong Kong Chinese Resist Having their Brains Laundered

By: Mike Goldthorpe

Mike Goldthorpe — Mon, 06 Aug 2012 04:13:23 +0000

@Gil, re Scottish/Quebec independence. I thought they’d just keep having referenda until the people finally voted correctly
Mind you, wonder what the Scottish independence results would be if all of Britain (especially England…given there’s more people living there than there) was allowed to vote on the matter….
Given the results of Czechoslovak splitting and Slovenia breaking away (things got ugly when Croatia started down that path, mind) from the Yugoslav union, I too can’t see England and Scotland going their separate ways as being too big a deal in world wide geopolitical terms.

TickTock – learn the meaning of colony and the implications for democracy into that….

By: Richard

Richard — Mon, 06 Aug 2012 02:38:46 +0000

KT, let’s not split hairs. I believe she was either a waitress or an attendant at the karaoke bar — either way, she was an employee there. Not a performer or a masseuse or a “hostess.” If you go here, she’s described as a “waitress.” But what’s the difference?

By: t_co

t_co — Mon, 06 Aug 2012 02:24:16 +0000

http://www.globaltimes.cn/content/725326.shtml

btw, take a look at this article. Baidu employees censor posts for cash.

basically the tip of the iceberg, imo.

By: King Tubby

King Tubby — Sun, 05 Aug 2012 21:42:47 +0000

@Richard. Re the thread which you just closed.

I don’t remember Deng Yujiau being a karaoke waitress.

I recall that she was the laundress in the establishment (but I may be wrong.)

Look forward to your advice.

By: Xilin

Xilin — Sun, 05 Aug 2012 17:23:06 +0000

@Gil

The votes in Canada and Northern Ireland were a long time ago now. Thanks to the internet and social media the world has got smaller (and it will get more so). This has already had a huge impact on the modern world.

I’m not saying this referendum is going to change the world, but it could be a catalyst.

By: Gil

Gil — Sun, 05 Aug 2012 10:25:11 +0000

@JR – That’s about right, and the wording of the referendum was the reason why there was so much debate was about who had the power to hold the referendum. Also Cameron wanted to avoid vote-splitting in the Unionist bloc between those in favour of greater autonomy and those not.

@Xilin – I doubt a vote on Scots independence would have that much effect. Canada’s vote on independence for Quebec could well have spelt the end for Canada as well, and it went very close, but I can’t remember it making much of an impression outside Canada.

The UK also held a referendum in Northern Ireland on continued membership of the UK or unification with the Irish Republic in the 1973, but it was boycotted by Republicans when they realised that there was no way that they could win it (small problem of 60-70% of the population voting Unionist at every single election). Again, this didn’t make much of an impression even on the people of Northern Ireland, and the Troubles dragged on.

By: justrecently

justrecently — Sun, 05 Aug 2012 03:38:03 +0000

Gil, I seem to remember that Cameron wants the referendum to be about either Scottish independence, or union – and nothing in between. Has that changed, or do you expect that the wording be different, once there is a referendum?

I believe that Cameron – if I remember his comments correctly – would be right. Continuous devolvement of sovereign functions, but all under the name of a “union”, would spell “independence by getting the Scots into the habit” (my name for what I believe would be Salmond’s recipe).

That said, I’m only loosely paying attention to the process, and I may well have missed something.

By: east2west

east2west — Sun, 05 Aug 2012 02:48:40 +0000

HK should be given the freedom to develop their own curriculum. Keep the curriculum reasonable so kids don’t have to drill endlessly like many kids do in China. Check out this interview of a recent high school graduate from China. These kids have to study 90 hours a week, more than twice as many hours as the average adult works!

http://hopewelljournal.com/2012/07/profile-a-recent-chinese-high-school-graduate-from-the-city-of-gaobeidian/

By: Xilin

Xilin — Sun, 05 Aug 2012 00:06:23 +0000

@Gil

I completely agree, that is the most likely outcome, as things look now.

But, like elections, you never know what might happen on the day.

The point is that the Scottish people will be given the chance to vote on the issue of indepence. I think that will be news. Maybe other people around the world will see that issues such as this can be resolved peacefully.

By: S.K. Cheung

S.K. Cheung — Sat, 04 Aug 2012 21:49:44 +0000

You’re right, the Bloc was eviscerated in the last federal election. But the PQ (provincial version of the same thing) are poised to unseat the current Liberal government in the province, and they’re on record as planning more referendums if they win the election. It’ll be the first time since 1995 if we see independence referendums in Quebec again.