The Deer Is A Horse
This ancient Chinese idiom seems more appropriate in this modern time.
The story behind this Chinese idiom is quite well known, most people know the story well enough to understand what it means.
The story goes something like this, a guy who was already in a very good position in the administration got ambitious. He wanted to be the emperor. He wasn’t sure how the other ministers felt about the idea. During an executive meeting, he brought along a deer and said it was a rare horse that he liked to gift to the emperor. The emperor was puzzled and questioned if that was just a deer. Then the guy suggested asking everyone in the meeting. Since most people heard about this guy wanting to be an emperor, they didn’t have the nerve to argue with him. A few people did tell the truth that it was a horse. At the end of the day, the guy knew who was supporting him, and who was against him.
Nowadays, when we refer to something like “pointing at a deer and calling it a horse”, we actually want to mean, that someone is trying to alter the truth. In the case of an autarchic government, they can force it with the law and everyone has to obey it. Perhaps you might be more familiar with what was written in the novel Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell. “War is peace. Freedom is slavery. Ignorance is strength.” And of course, “two plus two equals five (2+2=5).” It’s about the same idea, the same anti-intellectual effect.
Well, when John Lee confirmed that he will run for the CE position, he still try to run a campaign, even though he was the only candidate. It was not a very good campaign, the literature, the slogans, and the posts on social media were all a little off. The wordings, in particular, didn’t sound like a Hongkonger. They tend to be boring and repetitive. However, people have a ball with these posts because they were shallow and hallow. One of the phrases they used was “We and Us”, however, in Chinese, they used “I and Us” instead. Many people questioned it, but eventually, they used it again in the final rally and used it in the title. So right in the middle, front and center, for the world to see.
As usual, comments were made, and this time, Lee responded. He posted on Facebook after midnight, to explain why they used “We and Us” and how it became “I and Us” in Chinese. His explanation was nothing but more confusing. Forget all arguments on this, the second half of his post was actually the main message. He said everyone has his own opinion, and if the society is not inclusive enough, it can bring social conflicts and hurt our society. I’m afraid he was totally misunderstood, accepting difference doesn't mean accepting mistakes. If someone believes the Earth is flat, he can’t simply claim that is his own opinion, and calling him out is not acceptable behavior, and will cause a social disturbance. This is another way of “pointing at a deer and calling it a horse”!
This caused some concerns. As I reflected on his campaign and all the posts that made people find amusing. Could they be doing it on purpose? Just to see who is really loyal and who is not? It’s a scary thought, but nobody can prove it. All we can do and wait and see, what he will do once he officially the CE on July 1st. There’s nothing we can do for now.
