Once a Model City, Hong Kong Is in Trouble

Post by jjt-yn_t » Fri, Jun 30, 2017, 10:15 AM UTC

dasil003 wrote: post #203

pm90 wrote: post #141

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes this is exactly correct. Which is why rising income inequality is hugely bad news for the US. But short of going back to higher taxation, I don't see the situation improving for the US. The rich will Marshall all their significant resources to fight tax increases. Just see the amount of money and effort Koch brothers have put into corrupting the system! It is deeply disturbing. Also, titans of economy should not…

In the US titans of the economy are given the reins of the country even being totally unqualified . In fact, the anti-intellectual streak is so strong, that incomprehensible slogan babble has proven to be a very successful strategy in convincing the average blue collar worker that the most elite of the elite silver-spoon nepotists will somehow represent their interests. Frankly with the level which facts and reason h…

  Ah, but the economy is in debt, and a few of the persons who make decisions relevant to that factor, are competent to be fair and impartial in a redress of that issue, at least if history is our guide. One may hope. One may hope also for a peaceful outcome for Hong Kong and its peoples, but beyond my expertise to do all but pray within this YN platform, for today at least.  Thanks for reading.

Post by baobrain » Fri, Jun 30, 2017, 10:55 AM UTC

richardknop wrote: post #264

contingencies wrote: post #135

I just crossed back to Shenzhen from Hong Kong yesterday. A few random observations... In HK, a lot of the taxi drivers are old guys who can barely read, don't speak English or mandarin, and are a real hassle to deal with unless you are a Cantonese speaker. A lot of the taxis have weird fare manipulation lookup tables instead of correct metering. Although the mass-transit oriented stored value card, Octopus, was esta…

I haven't met a single taxi driver in Shenzen who understood English so that is the same across the border from my experience. I agree with the bank account. When I worked in HK, opening a bank account was problematic. But that has been in other countries as well I worked from because I rarely had a permanent job, mostly doing contracts.

Post by Paul_S » Fri, Jun 30, 2017, 11:43 AM UTC

Post by emodendroket » Fri, Jun 30, 2017, 12:21 PM UTC

rz2k wrote: post #212

emodendroket wrote: post #193

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't know why it's so shocking that the taxi drivers should not be masters in speaking foreign languages. I would find it odder if they were all well educated and fluent in three languages.

It sounded like a contrast to Shenzhen. Throughout the world, taxi drivers in international cities know a couple dozen words in multiple languages. Paris, Rome, Berlin, Madrid? Even if they didn't grow up speaking Mandarin, it sounds like a conscious decision, if they don't understand a request in Mandarin from a rider today. Of course, this is just one person's set of impressions, too.

Post by refurb » Fri, Jun 30, 2017, 12:33 PM UTC

narrator wrote: post #276

wbl wrote: post #169

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They can teach us how to use political dissidents as organ donors, suppress protests by disappearing opponents, imprison those who point out corruption, and no doubt many other things alien to our way of life.

The U.S.A has 6x the per-capita prison population of China though. It's hard for me to understand how China is such an oppressive country and yet the number of people in prison per capita is so low.