Hong Kong Democracy Shanghaied
The Wall Street Journal is to be commended for its principled support of basic human rights. On that, the editors recently made a strong case for the right of self determination for Hong Kongers in the op-ed “Twilight Zone Politics”. The most poignant statement in the whole piece is:
Welcome to Hong Kong's Twilight Zone politics, where reality of the public's wishes bears little relation to how the unelected government behaves.
Seeing the Journal support basic morals in the face of an oppressive system is quite heartening, especially considering their record in that regard. To wit, despite the clear and enduring belief of US citizens that our government should ensure universal health coverage, you’d never guess it to read the Journal. Ground facts force the Journal to concede “health care as a top concern of voters”, but they seem a mite skittish when it comes to looking at how US Americans think the system should be reformed. And this is a WSJ report, mind you, not an opinion piece; although the casual Journal reader might be forgiven for confusing the two.
Another obvious example of this double standard is the Iraq attack. There’s little question as to how voters feel about the “fiasco”, but WSJ casts attempts to draw down the war as “futile gestures”. Or else on waterboarding: the people believe one thing, but the Journal’s commentators know that we really ought to “authorize some forms of torture”. So much for democracy (or decency or the rule of law).
Now those of a weasely bent may point out that the WSJ editors specifically mentioned Hong Kong’s “unelected government” as opposed to our freely elected government (free in the political sense, not the economic, of course). But how is it better or any less of a political “Twilight Zone” that we elect people who do not represent us, particularly in matters financial?
The Journal spends a great deal of time observing China’s social and economic situation—and not without good reason—but it would do well to take the observations it garners abroad and apply them right here at home.
