Great posts - and critical thinking in HK

I have not updated my reading list for a while. The mainly reason is that I have been too busy these days, no time to read, no time to put the link even if I had read.

However, if you note the upper right corner of my blog, you could still see that I have updated the readling list from time to time.

Today, there were 2 great posts (both in Chinese) that I would like to recommend. I had wanted to write about these 2 issues for quite some time, and am glad that I do not have to now. There are some critical writers in HK.

1) The ugly fact under the Education Institute Controversy
2) Is Christine Luk stupid, or ?

The first post by Yellow Cow is perhaps THE best analysis I have read in HK media recently, published on Apple Daily today. It revealed the ugly dirty secret of the Professional Teachers' Association in Hong Kong, led by democrat Chueng Man Kong, and addressed almost all the problems of the education system in HK just in about 1000 words. It is simply a brilliant summary of all you need to know about HK. (But beware of this yellow cow, most of the other time he acts like a Bush mouth piece / WSJ Op-ed propaganda machine)

The second link about some ridiculous propaganda from a HK think tank, headed by democrat Christine Luk. Ms Luk is a British trained lawyer, and also a veteran commodity trader who traded commodity perhaps before the famed Apple Daily Petroleum Analyst Pakman was born. :). She is definitely not stupid. So why did she made such an obvious mistake? What is her motive?

So much noise, and I thought no one would speak out in HK. I am glad that the people in HK are not all blind and have cirtical minds.

Lastly, talking about local media, on Tuesday's column (June 26 - I have the pdf format but do not know how to convert into jpg or post here - please advise) Lam Hang-chi of HK Economic Journal wrote about the (pseduo)-"coincidence" that many great economists are trained in some other disciplines, mostly in maths or physics. I do have one theory, viz, undergraduate economic textbooks are simple dull and boring. It is hard for such course to attract the brightest minds. I sat in a few undergraduate economic classes at one of the very top Ivy League college taught by star professors, I wanted to sleep. I tried to read Economic textbooks, I never really gone pass the demand/supply curve chapters.

Lam made a small factual error though. He said the only couple that both won Nobel prize is Mr and Mrs Myrdal, in Economic and Peace. Not true. Mr and Mrs Curie shared the Physics Prize in 1903. In fact the Curie family collect 4 medals together. Lam also forgot the now famous John Nash, who is not only not trained as an economist, but never been a real economist.

Now really lastly, The is a quote for the critical minds, including to the 2 writers in the posts above, who dare to speak out against the mediocre minds. By our dear friend Albert,

• "Great spirits have always encountered opposition from mediocre minds. The mediocre mind is incapable of understanding the man who refuses to bow blindly to conventional prejudices and chooses instead to express his opinions courageously and honestly. "
  

p.s.
1) There are quite a number of thing I do not agree with these writers/bloggers. For example, the plastic bag tax controversy. But I admire the fact that they are rational and can think and shout despite the mediocre noise over the atmosphere in HK
2) I am glad that Apple Daily is courageous enough to publish these 2 great essays on the same day, both are critical of Jimmy Lai's political allies, the democrats. Kudos to Mr Lai, or more precisely, the AD editor. I have to say, AD has recovered from the Liu Kinming fiasco and regained credibility and my respect. I am sure it will be much more effective media to achieve whatever Mr Lai wants to achieve, by being rational, fair, factual, and balanced.
3) To illustrate why it is important to read critically, read this timely link via ESWN.