For the past 3 years the city faced more turbulance (first the protests, then the pandemic) than the previous 50 years combined. Worse, the goverment seem to prioritize abosrbing the city into the mainland over solving the city's longstanding problems. (The government claimed that greater integration would solve many of those problems, but the most people are not buying it.) As a result people are leaving in droves (but not into the "Greater" Bay Area as the government had hoped), the economy has stalled and the government is running record-breaking deficits.
Recently I started to think "what if I am wrong? What if the government is doing the right thing?" I finally realized the reasoning for some of the government's policies. The government is in fact trying to save the city and people living in it. Here I will try to help the government "tell the Hong Kong Story" and explain the reasoning of a few policies which I think is good for the city, even though the reasoning may sound contradictory. (At least the government doesn't think so.)
Since the pandemic broke out, visitors (both foreigner and returning locals) have to quarantine themselves in a hotel room for a week before they can move freely in the city. As a result conferences that require face-to-face contact, sporting events and business trips have to be cancelled, international companies move their operation elsewhere and tourists choose to visit countries/cities with less rigid entry policies. I finally realized that the government cares about protecting the peoples' lives above all else. Even though the prevailing varient of the virus is now much weaker than original one, it is necessary for such policy to continue so that foreign forces (including those who choose to leave the city and return later) from killing innocent locals. Sure, the policy may hurt the economy as well as people's livelihood and bank accounts, but all these mean nothing if the people are dead.
Authorities have issued thousands of fines to people for violating social distancing rules. Sometimes they gather people on the street, unrelated to each other, before issuing each a fine. Surely this is a nuisance, not to mention a hit to the pocket (for those deciding to pay the fine) or time consuming process which may cost them more money (for those chossing to appeal the fine). However, I recently realized why authorities sometimes gather people in such a way — with marriage and birth rates at the lowest levels in decades (I know, I am not doing my part to stop the drop), the authorities are in fact playing matchmaker to help people, whether they are single or not, find a (same-sex, different-sex, whatever) partner. The authorities figure that some pairs may develop affection for each other, get married and have children. This would also help mitigate the reduction in local school enrolment, even if the relief won't come until a few years from now.
Earlier in the year, when the pandemic was at its most severe, there were suggestions to lock down the city and hold city-wide testing of all residents. The reaction to the proposal was largely negative, citing that such measures would hurt the economy and the city's competitiveness, frequent testing (during which people have to wait in line, often in close proximity to each other) may in fact increase the chance of infection. The prononents are, in fact, thinking of the big picture. With the supreme (soon-to-be people's) leader's desire to fulfill his dream of reuniting Taiwan, by force if necessary, the measure would help prepare the city and the people living here in the event conflict breaks out. People will be motivated to stay indoors, stock up on supplies and line up for necessities in the event of armed of conflict, where rationing is required due to embargos by foreign forces.
One reason for the population exodus is the fear of the revamped cirriculum that emphasizes patriotism and national security. Parents leave the city fear that their children would become wumaos and little pinks, reporting friends, neighbours, perhaps the parents themselves, for doing anything they consider unpatriotic, colluding with foreign forces, even threating national security (by making friends from abroad, consuming products from unfriendly nations). I finally learned the error of my ways and realized that this fear is unfounded. (Let's ignore, for now, the open secret that lots of people implementing the improvements in the cirriculum, as well as many supporters, are the ones most eager to not to enrol their children in local schools with the improved cirriculum — they are free to choose where their children should receive their education.) By reporting anyone suspicious (of endangering national security or any other criminal activity), they would help keep the city safe from the national unfriendly to the motherland as well as other criminals. The corrosion of trust between people is a small price to pay. People living in the city would not be secure unless the motherland is complete secure. This is necessary so that they would be motivated to protect the motherland in case there are conflict with foreign nation and to help reunite Taiwan.
The propery prices in Hong Kong is (one of) the highest in the world (a family with an average income would need to spend nothing for 20 years to afford) and the waiting list for public housing is at an all-time high. Multiple administrations have tried to solve the housing shortage with little success. By implementing policies which drive people, local and expatriates, to leave, the government may have found a solution to this long-standing problem — by reducing the pop ulation, there would be less demand for housing. The wait times for public housing would decrease and there would be less demand for private homes, thus reducing their prices. The added bonus is that the government would no longer have the need to literally dump massive amounts of money (into both the sea and pit) on major reclamation and large-scale development in rural areas. This would also help reduce road congestion and demand for public transit.
I should have realized the errors of my way of thinking and pledge my support of the great, glorious and correct government's policies sooner. That way I would not have wasted so much time and (cyber)space resisting the inevitable transformation of the city, as well as being happier and perhaps richer.