Had to get this out.
I'm glad that UK finally withdrew their judges - imo should have done it earlier.
The educated individual who advocates for humanity and justice NOT BY questioning the rationale used or critising the actual judges responsible for the judgment but by calling out and shaming a foreign judge who wasn't even on the panel for failing to express a satisfactory level of defiance even if futile in reversing the tide. I wish I can just call this stupid because I can't. This is more and worse than stupid, this is stupidx10 + something else.
The ruling was endorsed by a UK judge because the decision was arrived at without misinterpretation of the law and therefore a legally sound judgment. Since when did judges assume the role of social justice vigilante superhero. As I recall, HK already has social justice superheros who were never that popular to begin with and swiftly ostracized by mainstream public as violent and unreasonable when their protests continued after the extradition bill was shelved. How ironic that their persistent gatherings were mostly to protest against CL invoking the ERO, same thing Fernando Cheung went to jail for.
Foreign judges haven't enabled anything. No one can enable something that the principal doesn't already enable and condone. FFS, this sounds exactly like what CCP always says, "foreign powers are responsible for this and that". Still can't spot the similarities?
I had a sinking feeling back in early 2019 when a friend commented that "this hoo-ha over the extradition bill is really unnecessary. CL followed the procedures to introduce it and like any other law, there is the appropriate forum to discuss its (lack of) merits and raise objections". Later on, when the NPC declared that it is the only body with authority to decide on issues of the Basic Law and effectively reversed the HK High Court's ruling on the original ERO issue, there was a flurry of commentary expressing fear that China would formally issue a legal revision to document that they declared and oh no, that would surely damage HK's reputation as a judicially independent country. Right...
3 years on and news articles are still highlighting the systematic dismantling of the rule of law as we know it. People debating and dissecting the rulebook and criticising CCP for abuses. Oiii, the moral of the boy who cried wolf story isn't to warn that others will only believe you 33.3% of the time if you tell the truth 1/3 times. The moral of the story is that unless you establish 100% credibility, your credibility to others is effectively 0%. Don't become an educated fool. Don't relish in your role as an educated fool.
Educated acquiescence has proven itself to be the perfect accomplice to an authoritarian state. I frequently hear remarks like "what ccp wants is the law". Fact indeed, even though these are uttered as snarks that ccp doesn't understand what real law is. Oh I totally disagree now. I think CCP knows exactly what law is and how to use it to its advantage. They have absolutely seen through the BS from day 1. They have seen the limits of our intelligence and that this justice, rule of law, judicial independence, human right thingy that we keep whining about is actually found in words and documents. And they have seen the extent of our resolve to defend it too. How wonderful and simple the solution - let's give people they crave. We will duly follow protocol and legislative procedure to enact laws that confer upon us the power to do what we what. Our people can have a useful reference point to facilitate their debate over the rights and wrongs of our methods and express their unhappiness over the wording and interpretation accordingly. Alas, the T-Virus has finally found its Alice.
What CCP doesn't quite get yet (imo) is why this isn't working so well on the rest of the world. They've enacted similar frameworks, mentioned all the right words, incorporated democractic practices. They constantly reassure the world that rule of law and human rights are protected unless it endangers national security, a principle that all other countries invoke once in a while. Why are they still not one of the gang, why can't everyone just stop giving us shit and adore us. Well, think ccp think. It's not that difficult to figure out what the problem is. Don't become an educated fool as well.
To be clear, this isn't about China or HK or CCP. Nothing to do with politics and race. It is bigger and smaller than all of that at the same time. Criticise the foreign judge all you want, conveniently ignore that you expect positive support from others when you will only do that much yourself despite having the most stakes. No one is required to be a matyr and risk limb and property for their principles or the bigger picture. Support whoever and whatever, do whatever the heck you want. Be proactive, aggressive, violent, neutral, passive, a bully, a coward, a coward/bully in denial, just be because one can only live your life to the extent of the human being they are worth. But try not to lose the ability to self audit.