Her days are numbered (2)

As there is no Legco meetings in these days so the tension in our society is relaxed quite a lot, at least no confrontation between the police and protesters now. Perhaps some casual topics can bring a few doses of relaxation for the once tensed nerve.

Some people may puzzle why Carrie Lam, the C.E., ends up in such a flounder. Naturally despite her repeated reiteration that it was her idea to activate the proposal of the extradition bill, no one has a second thought that it is not a political assignment. So her big mistake is not why she did it but how she maneuvers the process. And the biggest mistake, among all, perhaps is the choice on the other two team members of the trio task force. There is a popular saying that a piggy teammate is a harm more than help. First of all, I think people just has a deeply rooted bias on pigs which are actually not that stupid. Likewise, the two piggy teammates that Lam picked are not low in intellectual indeed. Say, piggy teammate number one, Teresa Cheng the secretary of justice, as an example. What makes her piggy is exactly because she thinks she is highly intelligent.

Before I go too far away, let's get back to the original topic that Lam's biggest mistake that led her sitting in this flounder is her choice on the members of her trio task force, ie., Teresa Cheng and John Lee, the chief of Security Bureau. More precisely speaking, in the first place Lam's choice on Teresa Cheng as the secretary of justice is already a deadly mistake. Integrity scandals has never stopped spinning around this lady since her appointment. For secretary of justice, a position which personal integrity is of utmost importance, the candidate choice should be a flawless, if not perfect, person at least appears to be. In fact it is proven that Cheng became Lam's burden rather than a boost soon after Cheng started her work. Critiques and doubts on her integrity have always undermined her credibility thus leading to the hindrance to the progress on the government's agenda.

So when it came to the time for the promotion of this extradition bill, Cheng, being the secretary of justice, should naturally be playing an important role in explaining the rationale and most of all, selling this idea to the public. Unfortunately her low credibility is a deadly hindrance on this task. On the other hand, her arrogance during her speeches in different occasions not only failed to get the message across but just a disservice. The public did not receive the intended message but just got the feeling from her facial expression that Cheng's subtext was saying hey, you guys know nothing about law, fxxx off, will you?

While piggy teammate Cheng behaved too aggressive but another piggy teammate, John Lee, just did the opposite. His always sleepy face and the monotone on speeches just projected an image that he is reluctant on this job or disagrees on the idea that he is selling. The most extreme example is that in the occasion when being questioned in the Legco meeting that whether he really believes there is fair trial in China, Lee refused and avoided to give a clear answer but just responded that fair trial is written in China's law. His response gave away that even himself does not genuinely believe in what he is promoting. This is the classic example of piggy teammate is harmful more than helpful.

Lam's piggy teammates are doing the disservice but then how about her master? Beijing's respond on this recent social unrest is quite bizarre and is unlike the past incidents like the movement of Occupy Central, disqualification on opposition camp lawmakers and the 2016 Mongkok commotion. So far there was only one mild supportive announcement from the central government. Unlike those past firm and definite statements showing explicit support on what were done by the HKSAR government, on the contrary the China embassy in London, during an interview, even said Beijing did not at all instruct Lam to do that. Apparently in this case Beijing is keeping a quite clear distance from Lam. Likewise, the pro-establishment law makers' unusual silence since last Sunday indicates a clear sign that Lam has been abandoned, both locally or by Beijing.

Carrie, you are a dead man now.