China and Hong Kong: Voting Rights, Changes and Ending Cold War

The world is waiting for the U.S presidential election result. According to the Xinhua internet poll, 85% of the mainland Chinese netizens believe Obama will win the election (9pm Nov 4). Another commercial site Sohu.com shows that more than 240 thousands Chinese netizens support Obama, while only 90 thousands support McCain (7:30pm Nov 4). In Hong Kong, some Chinese American bloggers openly expressed their supports for Obama.

Obama or McCain?

Spring onion is a mainland Chinese Obama supporter even though s/he doesn't have voting right:

美国大选,正紧张进行中,我比较喜欢奥巴马,希望他会赢!

什么时候,我们也能像USA那样,来个选举,投个票。长这么大,我好像从来没有选举投票过,(除了2005年春春的比赛)。看到美国人排队投票的样子,很羡慕哦。他们在行使公民的权利,他们感受并感觉到了。我说这几句话,不知道算不算反动啊??没问题吧,言论自由。我只是小小的羡慕一下。

The U.S presidential election is on-going now, it is so exciting. I like Obama more and hope he can win!

I wonder when we can have such kind of election in China. I have never voted before (except for a competition in 2005). I really envy seeing the American lining up for voting and excising their civic rights. I wonder if I would be labelled as reactionary by expressing this? It shouldn't be a problem under the principle of freedom of speech… I just express my little envious feeling…

ZGB believes that Obama will win, but he supports McCain:

我的感觉:奥巴马会获胜。
在奥巴马和麦凯恩之间,我是倾向麦凯恩的。
为什么?因为奥巴马年轻、黑人、民主党,

他有热情,有冲劲,想要改变!
但现在的美国被布什弄得乱七八糟,

再上一个奥巴马,会给世界更充满不确定性。
邓小平说,稳定是压倒一切的!

I believe that Obama will win.
Between Obama and McCain, I prefer McCain.
Why? Because Obama is young, black and a Democrat.
He has passion and energy and he wants change!
However, at the moment, U.S is in Chaos because of Bush's administration,
If Obama wins, the world will be more uncertain.
Quoting from Deng Xiaoping, stability should be an overwhelming principle!

Ending Cold War Myth

SJXW quoted a more sophisticated analysis from local newspapers written by Chen Gui-bing about Obama's mission in ending the Cold War rationality in the U.S:

冷战已经以美国所希望的那种结果而结束,最新的世界体系中也只剩下美国一极,美国因此需要经历又一次重大转折。遗憾的是,大多数美国人似乎不能很好地适应这一巨大转变,他们的思维模式仍然沉迷于冷战神话以及支撑其存在的道德优越感中不能自拔。照我的看法,这才是当今这个一团糟的世界的根源。

  首先,冷战神话的核心是势均力敌的对抗,冷战思维要得以成立,就必须存在一个一心想要并且拥有足够实力威胁美国乃至整个西方世界的强大敌人。在后冷战时代,我们诧异地看到,美国为了寻找到一个新苏联,经常无端地夸大和指责潜在的竞争对手,有时甚至到了歇斯底里的程度。美国人似乎怎么都不愿意相信,当今世界已经没有了足以挑战和威胁到美国霸权地位的力量。谙熟人情世故的人都知道,所谓“敌人”,很多时候并不是必然的,而是自己“制造”出来的。今天的美国,正在世界各地到处“寻找”并“制造”着自己的敌人,这里面显然存在一种恶性循环关系。

The Cold War has ended as expected, and the U.S has to go through another big transformation. Unfortunately, most of the Americans could not adapted to the change, their conscious is still obsessed with the Cold War Myth and overwhelmed by its moral superiority. In my opinion, this is the root cause of all the chaos in the World.

The core of Cold War Myth is based on a dichotomatic relation of two powers, which called for a strong enemy figure that could threaten the U.S and the World. In the post Cold War era, in order to look for a new USSR, the U.S has been exaggerating the threat of its competitors. Sometimes the reaction is hysterical. It seems that American don't want to believe that no other countries in this world can challenge and threaten the hegemonic position of the U.S.. Political observers with clear mind know that the so-called enemies are “manufactured”. And the U.S has been “seeking” and “manufacturing” its enemies all over the world and it has created a vicious circle.

美国确实需要“Change”,但这可能并非奥巴马所能想到和主张的改变。面对这个后冷战时代的纷乱世界,美国必须以一个新的神话来代替已经过时的冷战神话,就像它半个世纪前以冷战神话代替孤立主义神话一样。然而,这只能由美国自己来完成,我们所能做的非常有限。

The U.S really needs “Change”, but such change is probably beyond Obama's imagination. In the post-Cold War situation, the U.S needs a new myth to replace the Cold War, like the early 19 Century when the country shifted from isolation to Cold War politics. The change can only be accomplished by American themselves, what we can do is very limited.

Changes

In Hong Kong, some Chinese-Americans show their support to Obama. Sun rise posts a Chinese American committee's open letter that lists out 5 reasons for supporting Obama , including his background, foreign policy, health care, migrant and economic policy:

親愛的華人選民,作為一個偉大歷史轉折時刻的見證人和參與者,我們誠摯地期望您能同我們一起,為了我們的子孫後代,支持奧巴馬參議員。讓我們 一同重振美國的建國理想,一同書寫美國歷史的新篇章。

Dear Chinese American voters, as a participant of this great historical transition, we sincerely hope you can stand with us, for our offsprings, to support Senator Obama. Let us enact the founding principles of the U.S and write a new chapter for the U.S history.

Ki is among one of the HK-American voting for Obama:

相反美國於七年前開始,花盡金錢去反恐,結果怎樣? 為了表示不滿,奇決定盡公民權利去投票。

奇以前讀書時從沒想過會有黑人可當總統的,現在可以有黑人選總統,這表示時代的進步了。希望奧巴馬可以真真正正的實行他的經濟綱領,創造新的工作機會和應對經濟下滑。 這世界的和平和經濟都交給他手了!希望不會信錯人啦!
We Need Change!

Seven years ago, the U.S started spending all its money to fight against terrorism, see what is the consequence now? In order to express our discontent, I decided to exercise my citizen right.

In my school days, I never thought that an African American can be a president, now we have this possibility. It means the history has been progressing. I hope that Obama can really carry out his economic policy, create more jobs and tackle the economic downfall. The world peace and economy is at his hand now. I hope I have made a right choice. We need Change!

Where's our voting rights?

Most of the HK-ers of course don't have the vote and can only express frustration like thosewerethedays:

回看香港,特首,我們沒有權選擇;立法會呢?有一半議員是普羅市民無權選擇的、甚至連區議員中,有五分一委任議員,也是選民無權置喙。究竟,香港人何時可以有權選擇改變?雖然改變未必一定變好、甚至可能變壞,可是,連選擇改變的權也沒有,又怎能叫香港人學懂承擔社會責任、更負責任地去看待大大小小政治和社會議題?沒有選擇改變的權利,又怎能期望市民對社會、對政府負責、有所承擔?因為政府不是他們選出來的呀!

Looking back in Hong Kong, we don't have right to elect our Chief Executive. What about our Legco? Only half of the councilors are elected by the public, and we still have 20% appointed members in our district council. When can Hong Kong people enjoy our right to vote for change? Although change is not always good and sometimes it can be worse… however, now we don't have the right to choose for changes and how can we learn to be responsible in dealing with all the political and social issues? Without the right to choose for change, how can we expect citizen to be responsible and committed to the society and the government. The government is not elected by them!

12 comments

  • knights

    I elected Obama not because he’s African-American, has a foreign name, has a Chinese brother-in-law, younger than McCain, had lived in Hawaii or whatever. To me, he’s just a normal and regular American.

    I elected because I am a Democrat, and I like his policies! It’s that simple.

  • knights

    Most important of all, I wish president Obama will improve relationship with China.

    Let’s not bully China, because China wants to rise peacefully. Let’s work with China, and not push her to a corner like what Bush/Pelosi did earlier this year by terrorizing the pre-olympics parades. Let’s not push China to befriend Russia. I am a Chinese-American, and I want China-U.S.A to maintain the best relationship in the history of mankind.

    Let’s learn from history that it’s NOT wise to send airplanes to south China sea, and send bombs to China embassy.

    Hope for change for peace with ASIA.

  • knights

    I saw people shred tears on television when Obama was elected, and somehow I can relate to that.

    I was shredding tears when I saw the Olympic parades were being terrorized by people who were hired by both republican and democrat leaders. That was sad.

    Some day I will shred tears when Asian American will be elected commander in chief for USA. :-)

  • knights

    Hong Kong people, stop being cried babies, you will get your chance when you cooperate as a Chinese with mainland. Have you forgotten about the discrimination you got back in the Brittish controlling days, “Chinese and Dogs are NOT allowed”?!

  • chan

    It’s funny. Now foreigners are for communist-led Chinese government while grassroot Chinese including bloggers are anti-government. In a dictorship country the only patriot is the dictorship himself.

  • kneecapwho

    @knights:

    Only you sir, could possibly turn a discussion about American politics, into a discussion about the Olympic games. Stop drawing connections where there are no corrections to be drawn. If you are in fact not employed full-time by the Chinese government, you must be the most uncritical consumer of Chinese propaganda to have ever lived.

    I can`t possibly see what purpose your repeated posting offers other than to further polarize anyone who disagrees with your position or possibly to make those who support your position re-think it.

    Neither Democrat, nor Republican paid anyone to disrupt the torch relay, so get over it.

    Congratulations to Mr. Obama. I hope he brings about some intelligent change in American foreign AND domestic policy. Mr. Bush`s poor decision making has polarized the world, and badly damaged its economy.

  • comm1026

    Most of Americans, I believe they voted based on their partisanship. And for the Independent, they leaned to the RIGHT one who they believed can address the current problems in US. I come from mainland of China and now I’m studying in DC. I talked to some American friends, some of them said they would support the new president whoever won.

    I wish I could vote in China the same as what the Americans did…But that doesn’t mean we grossroot are anti-government, to Chan. We complain, we may use some bad words, we may criticize, but that’s normal — we want our voice to be heard and we are looking for the better. Any country has its own problems, and anyone in the world may have his/her complaint about the leader, the counrty. That’s not funny!

  • knights

    kneel cap

    Do you see the connection between giving the nobel pee prize to Dalai, and contemplating one for HuJia. THese two are ANTI-China, and so it appears that they are being funded through whatever channels to demonize China!

  • knights

    I am NOT here to lead any one to follow my position. I’d like to offer my opinion on the logics we see through out politics!

    I will STOP blaming the USA governments if I can see the accounting records that show they never funded Dalai and any ANTI-China parties. Until then I am always suspicious! :-)

  • Chan

    @chan #5,
    “Now foreigners are for communist-led Chinese government while grassroot Chinese including bloggers are anti-government.”
    This shown that the World is made up of more clear minded people.

    “In a dictorship country the only patriot is the dictorship himself.” This does not show any dictatorship in them. This shown that wise people know how to choose correctly.

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