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Calvin,
Peter, Ted and Harry
By
Francis Wann - Written on 1 May 2002
Web Issue 23 of Kingspark News could be a milestone in Kingspark history
in a sense that it has chosen to part company with the members-only
version and refuse to go out only after the latter's publication.
And with chief editor Alex still screaming out for articles, the web
edition must be seen as a refreshing alternative and a clear display
of discipline and determination. The President's belated message minus
the apology still serves its purpose regarding the annual ball, though
a bit late as a reminder for the April 25 meeting. Was it another editorial
blunder or something?
I was at the April 25 evening meeting during which the vocational service
project at TWGH's Wong Fut Nam College was discussed. Sonya from Golden
Mile was there and would advise on the design aspects of the function.
There were also members of Wah Yan Interact Club promoting their various
causes including a walkathon. There was no item under "ANY OTHER BUSINESS."
Indeed, why would there be any? Every member seemed contented with the
proceedings and no one questioned in which language the meeting should
be conducted. Well, Michael Eyles wasn't there. CP John wasn't there.
Wasn't it enough reason to have a bit of flexibility?
I bumped into Calvin at the door and after thanking him for mentioning
my name in his article, asked why it didn't contain anything sensitive
as he had promised. Well, he said anything else would be off limits.
At dinner, he told me he started his old (and new) job on April Fool's
day and it's almost pay day then. I asked how he felt stepping back
into his own shoes, and he said he was after all destined to be in the
computer field for life. Not a lot had changed, he assured me. Calvin
didn't particularly study computer during his school days - there wasn't
such a subject - and was one of those first generation enthusiasts who
learned computer in computer language, not in English as most do today.
He told me he only started scouring books on the subject shortly before
he attended his first interview which required computer knowledge. While
today's computer graduates are all armed with obscure specialties both
in application and programming, they all enter as trainees regardless
of their qualifications. Theory is one thing, he said, but practical
experience is the most important. Would he predict the future of computer
education? Well programming seemed to be losing its clout, he believed.
I know that IT is all the rage in schools and people are simply obsessed.
Is computer education the answer to our competitiveness? Calvin asked
what my students learn at school. Honestly I don't know, but what I
know is that most of them are not that interested. So what are they
interested in, he asked. Computer games, surfing, and of course the
inevitable icq. Calvin said the idea is to make children more willing
to explore the computer, but I could see that this has already been
achieved without making it a subject in the curriculum. He took out
his mobile and momentarily marveled at the progress of technology. Sunny
couldn't agree more and confessed he knew nothing other than making
and receiving calls. Calvin now uses a humble 286 version at home, but
if anyone should question his computer sense, he would invite him to
visit his COL office in Kwun Tong where he is Chief Operating Officer.
I remember John asked him to do some work in the Invest Hong Kong office
about a year ago. How much was it? About a million, he said. I thought
it's all a matter of designing homepages and getting the right software,
but no - Calvin said it's setting a new internet data bank, almost like
launching another Yahoo URL. Now the staff there can read and make comments
on reports, or do videoconferencing, all at the touch of a button, and
at the same time, the installation of firewalls and security measures
would ensure confidentiality when the need arises.
VP Peter came round and remarked that if I remained at that table,
members might feel slightly threatened for fear of being included as
my subject in the next article. PE Anwer then swirled across and made
a personal pledge for donations to the annual ball. And PP Ted Ho then
declared his latest achievement in home affairs - he would be father
again in a few months - and received a toast from members. That, together
with Vera's baby, and two others still expecting, would surely place
Kingspark as one of the most productive clubs in the district this year.
Today's May Day, and with unemployment still with us, the Government
must be bracing for all sorts of demonstrations. Here we have the abode
seekers, the unemployed, the redundant, and the destitute, the activists,
the environmentalist, the anti-globalization and anti-whatever groups
marching. This would be a clear reminder to our honourable legislators
and Government officials that something must be seriously wrong in our
system. On television, the May Day Collective in the UK, a new umbrella
group, was making fresh attacks on Tony Blair's Government. In Paris,
the sentiment was high as the country's fate now hangs on the balance
with the possibility of Le Pen being the next right wing president.
But when I saw the Commissioner for Labour Pamela Tan playing down the
impact of the demonstrations and advising the protesters to better equip
themselves for the future, my heart bled. May Day demonstration is no
ordinary demonstration. We had enough of those unhappy encounters only
a few days ago when the police cleared the Chater Road site. It must
have been the summer of discontent in Hong Kong history. Will history
ever repeat itself?
It was Harry's letter (Letters to the Editor, Web version) which fascinates
me most. Anyone who reads John's dutiful letters on and off must be
aware of the existence of his young friend Harry. At one point, I suspected
that the character was fictitious and was John's fantasy. But I would
rather conceive him as someone real, someone who's so interested in
almost anything - including John's letters - that he must be a rare
species indeed. On the question of accountability, I recall a cartoon
in SCMP depicting our CE saying "This Government has no place for yes
men!" and the resounding response was "No". Politics is after all only
a game, but the call for change is real. Isn't it, Harry?
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Room
For Yes Men?
By Harry
I am flattered at being mentioned in an article by Francis Wann in
response to my letter to the editor in the last issue of Kingspark News
and I am grateful to the Editor for an early opportunity to respond.
I'd rather not think of myself as rare, but rather, someone definitely
interested in a multitude of things. I enjoy discussion and thinking,
and the letters provide a resounding forum for such activity. As to
the question/statement of, "This government has no place for yes men."
Absolutely. But when I hear of this, essentially hypothetical situation,
I tend to think of it more as a rallying cry amongst the masses. In
essence, it's one thing to say or question such practices, but it's
another to implement them, quite naturally.
What I mean is that unity and the upholding of ideals takes precedence
especially in a larger public setting with an audience where there is
active watching (a heightened panopticon). As such, the answers, conduct
and mentality must be tailored somewhat, and while it would be a deconstruction
in semantics if one were to delve into the finer detail of 'yes' men,
one can see how conformity and unity are staples in the realm of politics.
To get into a position of power, one needs to seek consensus and be
appealing to the masses. To appeal to the masses, it's necessary to
take a broader platform in terms of the range of opinions and stances,
and almost to err on the side of the nebulous, so as to appeal to divergent
camps, in an effort to garner support. Once a person is in power, however,
it would be up to that individual to make use of the privileged authority,
but at the same time, he should note that his actions (eventually) will
inevitably polarize to the side of those that supported him (under the
premise that he straddled the fence previously).
I suppose the cartoon was more of a hypothetical slant, with an underlying
message. But assuming that it did happen in real-life, one perceives
an organization on a podium addressing supporters and bystanders in
a gathering in which the question of "Is there a place for yes-men?"
arises. By virtue of the context and the environment, the question would
be almost self-answering. Ideals and realities tend to be different,
but eventually serving the same objective. Going back to this example,
I liken it to a secret ballot voting system versus an open voting system
in which everyone can see who supported what movement and so on, this
kind of influence overrides the individual to a certain extent. A compelling
notion develops such that the end result is essentially a filtered response
as opposed to an accurate representation of each of the individuals.
If change is truly the goal, then there are times when conformity overrides
what the individual actually believes in, and while that may not be
interpreted as a yes-man situation, there is something to be said about
such situation.
I could have digressed, but I do appreciate the comments and feedback
immensely. Thank you for the opportunity and the discussion.
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