A Ridiculous World
Every corner of the world is filled with various absurdities every day.
In recent years, China’s rising political star, Qin Gang, went from being the US Ambassador to China to becoming the Foreign Minister and a Central Committee member in just a few months. However, within a month, he suddenly disappeared and was subsequently removed from his position as Foreign Minister, while retaining his Central Committee membership. The rapid rise and fall of Qin Gang is unbelievable.
The Hong Kong National Security Court is set to try a case involving the 2020 primary election of pro-democracy candidates for the Legislative Council, with participants being charged with endangering national security. During the trial, the court became a classroom for 33-year-old defendant Gwyneth Ho to showcase the power of the legislative council under democratic rule to the world, revealing the absurdity in some parliaments where voting against can be deemed a crime equivalent to treason.
We also witness practices akin to feudal societies, where criminals’ families are subject to “guilt by association,” and the arbitrary harassment of wanted persons’ relatives to provide information for investigations. It is reminiscent of the absurdity during the Cultural Revolution, with family members turning against each other, severing relationships, and performing loyalty acts, which is a painful sight.
In Victoria, a federally funded sports event budgeted at 2.6 billion dollars inexplicably transformed into a 7-billion-dollar expenditure without warning. The organizers casually shifted the responsibility for hosting the event, making Australia a global laughingstock. The most absurd part is that despite this decision, it garnered support from Victorian residents, with few demanding accountability from the Andrews government or holding officials responsible.
Similarly, during the pandemic, a decision to isolate 3,000 people was deemed inhumane and subject to scrutiny. Yet, the Premier persisted in believing that the decision was justified. The government’s compensation of $2,200 per person for their actions was viewed as a gesture of consideration to avoid lengthy litigation, without a formal apology.
We also have the federal government pursuing welfare overpayments from individuals based on their estimated income without considering whether they actually received such income, using debt collectors to reclaim funds. Even more absurdly, the responsible officials can continue holding high-paying positions within the Defense Department, despite such actions.
Truly, no matter which country or corner of the Earth, absurdities continue to unfold.
Facing a Helpless and Absurd World
I was born and raised in Hong Kong. During that time, the Hong Kong government was willing to listen to the opinions of the elite and sometimes allowed them to join the colonial government in governing Hong Kong. Even if not, they would engage in communication and seek consensus with them. The government at that time did not have strong ideals or political ideologies, nor did it demand that civil servants must be patriotic. There were not many reasons to require civil servants to love Britain or expect them to love China either. Instead, the focus was on achieving results, and being a good civil servant meant delivering outcomes. As such, the elite in society could engage in dialogue with the ruling authorities. Most of the time, they could negotiate and find compromises, reaching consensus on governance. Even in cases of extremely unreasonable policies, they could find ways to bring about change. At that time, I believed that such a Hong Kong had high efficiency and was far better than the constant bickering and chaos seen among politicians in Western countries.
Since 1997, with the change of sovereignty in Hong Kong, governance has become more politicized. When I came to Australia, I realized that the political system here is different, and it truly influences how we can participate in this society.
Today, in Hong Kong, facing various absurdities in society, many of my peers choose not to express their opinions. It’s not that they don’t have opinions, but they are unwilling to express them, especially not publicly and definitely not to strangers. It can be said that they choose to give up the freedom to express their thoughts in exchange for staying in a society they like, are familiar with, and have lived in for so long. For them, as people in their sixties, not expressing their thoughts is not such an important matter. After all, life is short, and they are not willing to face the changes in a foreign country.
Faced with this helpless and absurd world, many of my friends choose not to see these absurdities anymore, not to care, and not to be emotionally hurt. To me, this is a resignation to the realities of life.
The Way of Faith
From a young age, I embraced the Christian faith and believed that the absurdities in life stem from our sinful nature, which can only be overcome through salvation. Therefore, I believe that anyone who shares my faith can find a way out. Of course, I am aware that different religions propose their own paths to deal with these absurdities, and I respect others’ choices.
I also believe that amidst these absurdities, we are not entirely powerless. At least, we can choose to do our best to bring about change, which is also a practice of faith. As long as we have done our best, we will have no regrets, regardless of success or failure, as the effort to change is already fulfilling in itself. Within the context of the Christian faith, I also have the hope of eternal salvation from God in the future, so today’s unsolved problems do not matter as much.
However, living in Australia has gradually changed me.
I have seen many people using faith as a blindfold to avoid seeing these absurdities. They idealize the church as a utopian society, where they live in seclusion, disconnected from the world’s absurdities and no longer care or acknowledge them. Upon closer examination, I realize that this kind of attitude towards life is exactly what Jesus challenged in the New Testament when confronting the legalistic Pharisees and religious leaders of his time. If faith becomes disconnected from life, it is no longer genuine faith, nor is it a faith worth dedicating oneself to.
At times, I feel that those who are blind to the world’s absurdities due to their faith, and friends who chose to sacrifice some of their freedom to stay in Hong Kong like I did, are all resignations to the realities of life.
Facing the Absurdities in Society
Having lived in Australia for nearly 30 years, I am involved in community media work, which requires me to face society and politics and frequently engage with various political parties. I have observed that the government and opposition play different roles, seeking public support and striving for power to govern. Although absurdities may arise, this also presents another way for us to confront these absurdities.
In a safe environment, we can offer feedback and suggestions to the government. Many Chinese community leaders maintain good relations with the ruling party, engaging in constructive communication and providing input, reminiscent of the consultation with the elite during the colonial era in Hong Kong. Some take on the role of today’s Hong Kong protesters, challenging unreasonable actions of the authorities, as long as they stay within the bounds of the law, they still receive respect and support. Others proactively join parties they identify with, garnering recognition and support from fellow party members, vying to become representatives in various levels of government, voicing the concerns of the community, or even becoming part of the governing body.
There are also minorities who hold views different from the two major parties, organizing themselves, akin to the Green Party, and becoming a political force that negotiates with the government occasionally. When no party holds an overwhelming majority in parliament, they can influence the government’s policies. This rise of a third force cannot be ignored.
In recent years, some individuals have stepped out of the framework of the ruling and opposition parties to become independent politicians. They may not have fully-formed political ideologies and do not entirely dismiss the political principles of major parties. However, because they possess the mandate from the people and hold a seat in parliament, they represent the voices of the people and become a force that both the ruling and opposition parties seek to win over, thereby influencing the government’s policies.
This form of power is emerging in Australian society, providing a possibility to confront the absurdities in society. I am beginning to wonder if this could be my choice as well.