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    • Malcolm Tucker Tribute Act
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    • Putting Old Oak Common on the map.
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      • New World Order - Something is going on!
      • The Post Office; Lie, Deny, Cheat, Hide & Steal
      • To Scare the Monkeys
  • Email Form Page
  • Walter's Blog.
  • Home
  • Introduction
  • About Walter
  • 1980 Joining Up - Grafton Street
    • Arrival and First Impressions
    • First Week
    • Training
    • Passing Out
    • Yaumati Cowboy >
      • Getting on the Streets
      • Jumpers, pill poppers and the indoor BBQ
      • Tempo of the City
      • Into a Minefield.
    • Why Tango in Paris, when you can Foxtrot in Kowloon? >
      • Baptism By Fire
      • Kai Tak with Mrs Thatcher.
      • Home; The Boy Returns
    • 1984 - 1986 >
      • PTU Instructor & Getting Hitched
      • Having a go: SDU
      • Starting a Chernobyl family
      • EOD - Don't touch anything
      • Semen Stains and the rules
    • 1987 to 1992 - Should I Stay or Go? >
      • Blue Lights, Sirens & Grenades
      • Drugs, Broken Kids & A Plane Crash
      • 600 Happy Meals Please!
      • Hong Kong's Best Insurance
      • Riding the Iron Horse
  • Crime in Hong Kong
    • Triads
    • The Saga That Rocked Hong Kong's Legal Fraternity
    • Yip Kai-foon - No Hero
  • History of Hong Kong Policing
    • History 1841 to 1941
    • History 1945 to 1967
    • Anatomy of the 50 cent Riot - 1966
    • The Fall of a Commissioner.
    • History 1967 to 1980
    • Three Wise Men from the West
    • The Blue Berets.
    • The African Korps and other tribes.
    • Getting About - Transport.
    • A Pub in every station
    • Bullshit Bingo & Meetings
    • Godber - The one who nearly got away.
    • Uncle Ho
  • Top 20 Films
    • 2001 - A Space Odyssey.
    • The Godfather.
    • Blade Runner
    • Kes
    • Star Wars
    • Aliens
    • Ferris Bueller's Day Off
    • The Life of Brian
    • Dr Strangelove.
    • Infernal Affairs
    • Bridge on the River Kwai.
    • This Is Spinal Tap.
    • Chung King Express
    • An Officer and a Gentleman
    • PTU
    • Contact
    • Saving Private Ryan
    • Family Guy Star Wars
    • Zulu
    • Hard Day's Night
  • Blogs Greatest Hits
    • Vennells - In the Faustian Realm Page
    • A Bond Is Broken
    • The English Eccentric Lives On
    • How is democracy working for you?
    • Occupy Central - A creature void of form
    • Brave New World
    • Bob Dylan and Me.
    • Sweet Caroline - Never Seemed So Good!
    • Postmodernism - Spiraling down the sink hole.
    • Why Dad is so important.
    • Man Overboard
    • Suffer the Children
    • Tony Blair, the turd that won't flush
    • Algorithms and Robots - the changing face of work
    • Campus Warfare
    • Are We Alone?
    • There is no motive.
    • The State of Play
    • Crisis, What Crisis?
    • Milk Powder - A Test of public sentiment.
    • Hello Baldy - Free Speech.
    • THe Other Side of the Story
    • The Merry House of Windsor
    • The Utility of the Windsors
    • Civil War?
    • Big Lily - The Headscarf Hero
    • RTHK - Spinning.
    • Occupy Leaders Convicted - What Next?
    • Hypocrites
    • Hong Kong's Lady Macbeth
    • Beijing Says Enough Is Enough
    • The Gardens of Fuyang
    • Beating the Devil - under a flyover
    • Culture Eats Strategy for Breakfast
    • Gweilo 鬼 佬​
    • What goes around, comes around!
    • The Cobra
    • Liz Truss - A Cosplay Thatcher
    • Liz Truss trashes and crashes.
    • Hong Kong Judicary - has something gone wrong
    • Hubris, arrogance and failure.
    • Carry On Up the Khyber
    • The Unseen Hand
    • The Laptop that won't shut down
    • Legacy Media - the end is near
    • Malcolm Tucker Tribute Act
    • Journalism - Something has gone wrong?
    • Decline of the West? Maybe?
    • Canada's Killing Machine
    • English Uprising
    • South Yorkshire Police Madness
    • Deceitful BBC
    • Fair Dee Well
    • British Policing Needs A Reality Check.
    • Being a man is not a crime yet!
    • Putting Old Oak Common on the map.
    • When the winds stops blowing
    • The Long Read >
      • The Big Game
      • The Hidden Leader
      • British Policing - What's to be done?
      • How The Walls Come Down
      • War in Ukraine - the narrative and other stuff.
      • New World Order - Something is going on!
      • The Post Office; Lie, Deny, Cheat, Hide & Steal
      • To Scare the Monkeys
  • Email Form Page
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Walter's Blog

"But how can you live and have no story to tell?" Fyodor Dostoevsky
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Reflections on recent events, plus the occasional fact free rant unfiltered by rational argument. 

"If you want to read a blog to get a sense of what is going on in Hong Kong these days or a blog that would tell you what life was like living in colonial Hong Kong, this blog, WALTER'S BLOG, fits the bill."  Hong Kong Blog Review
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29/6/2024 1 Comment

Goodnight Grandpa!

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"If the Democratic Party truly cares, it should consider transitioning Biden to a maximum-security twilight home."
Who is really in charge of America? That is the question we must ask after the painful Trump-Biden debate, where the two candidates vied for the most powerful position in the world. It is now irrefutable that Biden is cognitively impaired and unfit to have the nuclear codes and the fate of humanity at his fingertips.

The narrative his defenders promote is that he is lucid in private and, on top of the job. That fell apart in the first 10 minutes of exchanges with Trump. His claims that he had a cold don't wash, as his performance was not consistent with someone suffering from a mild illness. Biden stumbled through the debate, confusing issues and failing to recall numbers while, at times, staring into the distance. 

Image is essential—Biden's appearance, with a slack-jawed expression and a shuffling gait, suggests a man who needs care due to failing physical health, confusion, and reduced mental acuity. Running him for president amounts to cruelty. As one commentator observed, "This wasn't a debate, it was a medical emergency - the president resembling an animated corpse."

Even if the man is clear-minded sometimes, as his supporters claim, so what! Can we be sure he will be at his best when it matters? Further, it's important to remember that the Biden we saw in the debate was heavily prepared and likely using medication to boost his performance. Yet, he still struggled against a relentless Trump. Ageing is an ongoing process; time won't make it any easier for him.

If the Democratic Party truly cares, it should consider transitioning Biden to a maximum-security twilight home. While Vice President Kamila Harris is an option as a stand-in, the polling around her is woeful, worse than Biden's. She'd have no chance against Trump.

Their best hope lies in finding strong, new candidates who are quick on their feet and can stand up to Trump. If they can't do that, the Democrats are in serious trouble.


For now, Biden has handed Trump a self-authored attack campaign of clips for social media. Never mind that Trump may have lied or embellished his achievement; that detail gets lost in the controversy surrounding Biden's performance. 

Meanwhile, the question remains: who is running America? Who is responsible for the country engaged in bank-rolling two wars, draining its resources and degrading its standing in the wider world? Seymour Hersh, the Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist known for exposing the My Lai massacre and its cover-up during the Vietnam War, as well as other significant stories, provides an interesting perspective.

His latest blog depicts a chaotic White House with an isolated president in a bubble. If Hersh's account is to be believed, a small group keeps Biden under wraps while it pursues various agendas, including controlling foreign policy. 


Perhaps that explains why no armistice is offered despite intelligence assessments that the Ukrainians can't win against Russia. Despite having anti-tank weapons, missiles, tanks, and now F-16s, all portrayed as game changers, there's a stalemate because Russian forces are deeply entrenched, with the Ukrainians unable to break through.

So, as Western nations consider conscription and citizen armies, many Ukrainian young men are leaving the country to avoid the conflict. To his credit, President Trump recognised this in the debate.


In the wider world, people are questioning America's unwavering support for Israel's military strategy, leading to the destruction of Gaza. What's the end game there? More radicalised young men? Let’s not forget that a large segment of Hamas members are aggrieved orphans from earlier conflicts. Is Israel, who I support, on the wrong track by creating more potential enemies radicalised by the war on Gaza? 

Further, the global south is looking to ask where the proportionality, justice, and respect for the rules-based international order are in the Gaza war.  

Looking ahead, Democrats will be strategising to transition Biden and Harris out. With the writing on the wall, and a consensus building, the pivotal moment could arrive at the Democratic National Convention between the 19th and 22nd of August in Chicago.

​I'll venture a prediction: The Convention will transform into a grand thank-you and farewell celebration for Biden as he relinquishes his nominations. The Democrats will then seek to energise and invigorate their campaign with younger candidates for president and vice president. Who that might be remains a mystery. 


Failing that, Trump will storm home.

1 Comment

22/6/2024 0 Comments

Touching Cloud Base

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"I'd find myself in a deeply meditative state of flow, with all my senses focused on the wind and the constant feedback from the glider."
I've lost two friends to paragliding accidents. Over the years, I've helped countless others off the hill with twisted ankles or bruised egos after a hard landing. 

My 15 years of flying ended abruptly when my glider went into a low-level spin, resulting in a collision with a substantial piece of Jurassic real estate called Pyramid Hill. Two fractures to my spine, nine breaks to the left wrist and a concussion resulted. My helmet did its job, sustaining a blow that would have killed me.

The crash was entirely my fault. Trying to remain in the air at the end of the day, riding the last of erratic thermals bubbling up the slope, I'd stalled the left side of the glider. With enough altitude, I'd probably get away with releasing the brakes to gain airspeed. On that occasion,  I'd got too close to the slope, with reduced speed and height.

Stunned and concussed, friends ferried me away in a daze. Later in the hospital, a fierce bollocking from the wife had other patients hiding under beds. And that was the end of my flying days. 

And yet, even now, I'll look at a ridge line or distant hill thinking, could I fly that? Such is the passion.

All this came back to me with a report this week that a 74-year-old retired police officer had crashed and died on Lantau. I didn't know him. What happened to Mr Tang will undoubtedly be the subject of an inquiry. The media is already suggesting that marginal conditions played a role. Let's see.

As a former paraglider, I'm privy to a unique perspective. The passion that drives us to take risks may seem unfathomable to the layperson. After all, attaching oneself to a piece of nylon by high-strength lines and launching off a hill can be perceived as sheer madness. Yet, the indescribable sensation of soaring in ridge lift or a thermal, like a bird, is a realm that words fail to capture. 

I'd find myself in a deeply meditative state of flow, with all my senses focused on the wind and the constant feedback from the glider. Absorbed in the task of catching uplift —avoiding terrain and others in the air — nothing else matters. 

Paragliding is often associated with thrill-seeking, and there is an undeniable element of that, especially when engaging in high-mountain flying. However, frequently overlooked is the profound serenity that accompanies the sport. Picture yourself hanging about the Cape D'Aguilar rock face, with the South China Sea stretching to the horizon and an eagle playfully tumbling in your wake. It's a unique blend of thrill and tranquillity. 

After hauling all the equipment up a hill and waiting for the right conditions, the temptation to fly can be overwhelming when a window of opportunity opens. However, it's crucial to make informed decisions. At sites like Lantau South, the possibility of instantly forming orographic clouds is a constant reminder of the need for caution and vigilance. 

Paragliders fly under 'visual flight rules' for a reason. The onboard collision avoidance system is the pilot and the ability to see the terrain. Lose that ability, drift off course in a whiteout, and the risks escalate off the scale. After all, mountains hide in clouds.

As usual with aviation accidents, a cascading series of instances and decisions lead to the disaster: an urgency to fly in marginal conditions, an unwillingness to face the slog of walking downhill with a heavy pack, and a gung-ho attitude. As the saying goes, there are old pilots and bold pilots, but very few old and bold pilots. 

Mr Tang was no young man, but he undoubtedly had a passion, given the commitment needed to carry his kit to the takeoff point. 

In 2017, Matt Segal had a near-fatal accident while training for a Himalayan expedition. In writing about that accident, Tuttle reflected on the dangers of the sport:
"So, the question I have been asking myself is: how do we keep our ambition in check, yet still push the boundaries of the sport? How do we remain true to those child-like feelings, which made us take those first flights before any knowledge of what was possible?

​How do we keep emotion out of the decision-making process while participating in a sport that at its core delivers such powerful emotional experience?  As a pilot, I face this as my greatest work in progress
."
0 Comments

12/6/2024 3 Comments

Hong Kong Exodus

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"During the Tuen Ng (Dragon Boat) holiday weekend, a staggering one-eighth of the population — 1.3 million people — made the journey north on Friday and returned by Monday."
On Sunday morning, I was unhurriedly strolling along through the Sharp Street market, enjoying the lack of crowds, when Mrs Tai, who sells me fruit from her family outlet, greeted me with unexpected enthusiasm. "Happy to see you," she gestured me over. "Business is so slow; everybody has gone north," she lamented.

There's a massive exodus from Hong Kong, and I'm not referring to the typical migration that's been ongoing for decades. The new trend is that people flock across the border to the Mainland at every opportunity.

To put it into perspective, during the Tuen Ng (Dragon Boat) holiday weekend, a staggering one-sixth of the population — 1.3 million people — made the journey north on Friday and returned by Monday. That is more than the population of Birmingham, the U.K's second largest city. 

In the past, such large numbers typically crossed the boundary only at Chinese New Year or other significant festivals. Now it's almost a weekly occurrence. 


The logistics of that many people moving are staggering. The main attractions are improved transport links, such as the high-speed rail that offers fast connections to a broader hinterland, and efficient boundary controls, which have made crossing the border a much smoother process. These factors, along with savings on shopping and dining, have contributed to the migration trend. 

On Saturday evening, I had dinner with friends in Tuen Mun. One couple left at 9 p.m. to drive to their new flat near Zhuhai, just north of Macau.  They arrived home within 50 minutes. This trip alone shows that Hong Kong is now physically fused with the enormous economic conurbation of the Great Bay Area, a region encompassing Hong Kong, Macau, and nine cities in Guangdong Province.

Hence, against the backdrop of a strong Hong Kong dollar — which is pegged to the United States Dollar — Hong Kong residents have prioritised weekend trips to Shenzhen over local spending. Pent-up demand to travel from the Covid period is also a factor. 

Not everyone is benefiting from this trend. Hong Kong retailers and restaurant owners are feeling the impact as their once-loyal customers now seek better deals on the Mainland. The effect is palpable, with the Hong Kong catering sector reporting a significant 30 per cent drop in business over the Tuen Ng festival weekend. This is a clear indication of the challenges they are facing. 

In the long run, the powerful Hong Kong landlords will suffer. Many have kept retail property prices high, which are passed on in business costs to consumers, making Hong Kong expensive. Thus, as Hong Kong merges economically with the GBA, a welcome price adjustment is coming—welcomed by consumers but not the vested interests who have monopolised the market for so long. 

Hong Kong is often presented as a model of free market economics, but the reality is more nuanced. Despite relatively low taxes, minimal government intervention, and few trade barriers, it doesn't qualify as a completely free market.

This position is because the Hong Kong government significantly influences the economy, especially in controlling land sales. As the largest landowner in the city, the government uses this control to shape development.

Therefore, while Hong Kong may be more market-oriented than many other economies, it doesn't meet the criteria to be considered a completely unregulated, laissez-faire paradise. Instead, it is best described as a managed market economy.

Alongside that is the influence and impact of property tycoons. While no single tycoon has interests across all industries combined, they control most of Hong Kong's companies, including those involved in property, power generation, food supplies, airlines, and transport.

Over time, excessive profit-seeking and the absence of an open market damaged the tycoons' public image. Once revered as an example to follow, public sentiment is less enthusiastic these days.

When the French hypermarket chain Carrefour attempted to enter the Hong Kong market, the media reported that they could not find sufficient suitable locations. As a result, the supermarket duopoly, which consisted of ParknShop and Wellcome, faced no new competition, leaving consumers with limited choices.

​Commentators noted that the owners of supermarket duopoly also controlled substantial tracts of property. A suspicious man may think this was more than a coincidence. 


There are plenty of Carrefours, Wal-Marts, and Tescos in Shenzhen and other hypermarkets. Thus, Hong Kong consumers are exercising their option to buy in bulk in a place with more reasonably priced choices. This shift in consumer behaviour could increase market competition, offering consumers diverse options.

Yet, how odd that Mainland China appears more open to competition than Hong Kong. 


As this trend continues, its impact on Hong Kong's economy is inevitable. However, Hong Kong's unique structural advantages, such as our location, free capital flows, low and simple taxes, abundant liquidity, and internationally aligned compliance and legal frameworks, may serve as a shield against the economic challenges. The question that lingers is: Will these advantages prove to be sufficient? 

Only time will tell. 

3 Comments

5/6/2024 0 Comments

Hobson's Choice.

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"Sunak, a place filler in the final act of Tory collapse, has opted to pull the ejection handle, knowing he has a safe landing awaiting him."
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has officially called for a general election to coincide with his family's move to California for the new school term in August. Secured school places and Mrs Sunak's busy house-hunting schedule have likely paved the way. That's the only logical reason for the odd timing of the election. A July 4 date will give him plenty of time to clear Downing Street and be on his way across the pond to sunny climes.

The announcement of the general election, made in a rain-soaked Downing Street without an umbrella, is a pivotal moment in British politics. This decision, seemingly rushed and lacking in authenticity and candour, reflects the current issues and dynamics. Here is a man who claims to have a plan when he can't plan to have an umbrella. 

The upcoming election holds potential challenges for both the Labour Party and the Conservatives. While labour is expected to secure a victory, Sunak, a place filler in the final act of Tory collapse, has opted to pull the ejection handle, knowing he has a safe landing awaiting him. The same cannot be said for his colleagues, many of whom have expressed their reluctance to fight their seats, adding to the uncertainty of the election. 

Hundreds of others will lose their seats, so expect a flurry of podcasts by ex-MPs seeking to leverage a career from their failings. After all, Rory Stewart and Alastair 'Goebbels' Campbell have set the template with their "The Rest Is Politics" effort.

Despite the imminent victory for the Labour Party, there is a noticeable lack of enthusiasm for the incoming leader, Starmer, and his team of centrists. The Labour Party long ceased to represent the working class. Under Tony Blair, it morphed into a collective of middle-class, socially liberal types who treated workers with a patronising "we know best". 

And it was the working class hit hardest by uncontrolled migration quietly initiated by Blair.

However, it's worth noting that Sir Kier Rodney Starmer has working-class roots. Did you know his father was a machine toolmaker? Don't worry; Sir Kier will remind you at every opportunity. 

Sir Kier was educated in state schools and was the first in his family to attend university. He also served as the Director of Public Prosecutions and was knighted for his public service by a Tory PM. While these antecedents should resonate with the North London champagne socialists, they may not necessarily connect with residents of the decimated post-industrial towns.

Yet, it's important to note that the idea of Labour politicians coming from working-class backgrounds has been a misconception for many years. Nowadays, MPs from all political backgrounds often emerge from the middle class, and a good portion took the prestigious Oxford Philosophy, Politics and Economics course.

Some argue that the Oxford PPE degree has significantly contributed to the decline of UK politics over the past 40 years. The course is criticised for promoting strict adherence to formulaic neoliberal economic policies, which are seen as driving to the global financial crisis of 2008 and subsequent austerity measures.

When Labour wins, Rachel Reeves will be the new Chancellor. She is a PPE graduate and a former Bank of England wonk. She supports the orthodoxy of a budget balanced with careful costings. However, this stance conflicts with her statements that Labour won't adopt more austerity measures.

It seems unsustainable to maintain both positions. That may be why Labour is adopting the mantra, 'We need ten years to repair the damage.' Therefore, her public statements likely contain a degree of ambiguity that will tide her over until she's in office. You could also call that ‘misleading’ or ‘lying’. 

Those hoping for increased funding to address NHS waiting times and other failing public services will likely be disappointed. While there may be some headline promises and temporary increases in funding, it's doubtful that the long-term commitments needed will materialise. Labour is already playing that game by suggesting an extra 40,000 NHS appointments weekly. How? That detail is sketchy. 

Moreover, the prospect of any enlightened policy is off the agenda because Reeves doesn't want to spook the markets, who are the ultimate arbiters of whether a fiscal policy is acceptable. Forget the electorate — that pretence of democracy — the judgment won't rest with the money men. As loony Liz Truss (another PPE aluminums) found out, you upset the markets, and they will punish you. 

In her interviews, Reeves comes across as a rationalist in many respects, which must be welcomed after the recklessness of recent years. 

For all these reasons, the team led by Starmer rarely discusses details or provides specific undertakings. Still, reality will catch up with Labour quickly. There is an awful lot going wrong in Britain: failing NHS, a collapsing prison system, knife crime, out of date infrastructure including a third world train system, a military unfit for purpose, shocking injustices as revealed by the Post Office saga, the tainted blood saga and rape gangs ignored by the authorities for decades … the list goes on.

Therefore, I anticipate a brief period of popularity before the economic challenges, lack of long-term investment, and the repercussions of Brexit resurface. 
​
Which brings us to the bogey man. Nigel Farage's decision to step up and lead the Reform Party has injected a new dynamic into the lacklustre election campaign. His robust debating style and presence will no doubt generate more lively debates, putting the Conservatives and Labour on guard. While Sunak's Conservatives are likely to lose voters to Reform, Starmer's stale manner will face a challenge from the Farage onslaught, making the election campaign more intriguing and unpredictable.
 
Nonetheless, as George Galloway MP observed, “Starmer and Sunak are two cheeks on the same arse.” In short, Labour will win and it makes no difference who is in power. You’ve gotta love democracy
.
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