Opinion | Why can't Boris Johnson bring out British best?
By Augustus K. Yeung
Introduction
The controversial AUKUS pact not only provokes China, poisons the mind of some of the Southeast Asian countries but also induces unnecessary anxieties, causing tensions. It is generally perceived as stirring the pot or picking a fight in the South China Sea and beyond. Who gets the benefits? What is the motive?
After Brexit, Enters Boris Johnson, a False Idol?
I was once interested in Boris Johnson, long before he became the prime minister of Great a Britain, a country I deeply love given the beautiful English language as a start: Every day, late at night when the day's TV program produced by the local Rediffusion T.V. station came to an end, the queen would come closing the long day into the soothing night, mounting majestically on the white horse in her glamorous attire, cantering calmly ahead--with the "God Save the Queen" British national anthem, which musically embraced me, her majesty's naïve young school-boy "subject"--when Hong Kong was then a British Crown Colony, which was home to tens of thousands of refugees from mainland China that was experiencing a painful civil war, wondering which way modern China would wisely be going.
But not anymore: Boris has disappointed me; as a partner of the Aukus pact, an evil-minded nuclear-powered submarine project, consisting of UK, the US and Australia to agitate China, a peaceful oriental rising power--which had once been humiliated by the English colonial power, and Hong Kong had been ceded to the haughty British Empire, although it isn't Boris' fault as he wasn't even born then.
But I was interested in Boris--because he was a journalist, and I am an aspiring sociologist-turned journalist, hoping to pick up some tricks of the trade from the former reporter, who is now the nation's leader.
But I worried about his health and even his life when Covid-19 knocked on the door of 10-Downing Street. Hit hard by the highly feared virus, Covid-19 together with its deadly Delta variant. Boris was admitted to the ICU, while the whole world was watching, blessing, waiting…
Boris bounced back--to life and was immediately working. (God Save the Queen!)
Until I heard the announcement about the Aukus, a pact consisting of Australia, the United Kingdom and the United Stated, all 3 English-speaking boys' nuclear club members, whose aim it is to unmistakably harass China, even though its incumbent president and his good wife were once the royal guests of Buckingham Palace--receiving all honest hospitality--hosted by the graceful, gracious and near-godliness Queen Elizabeth II and her now deceased husband, Prince Philip whose all-time wise cracks and quick wits had charmed the elite world. (Once, towards the end of his royal visit to Australia, one roughneck by the name Morrison (?) blurted out of his mouth, "Good-bye crocodile." Thereby, the Prince shot back, "See you alligator." And they squared even.
And now, Boris is being dubious or duplicitous, behaving badly on the world stage--towards China, the Queen's distinguished royal guest by unexpectedly and unwisely joining the Aukus.
I feared that he may one day bring disgrace to Queen Elizabeth II and her hugely popular Royal Family. (God save the queen.)
What is this bad boy of Great Britain up to?
There is a wise Chinese saying, "You can judge a man by the company he keeps." Now that Boris is cozying up to the new US president Joe Biden, a seasoned and sometimes artful old politician, and Scott Morrison, a mad man who had just struck a business deal with France, more of a moron than a royal subject of her majesty the queen. They are a load of morons as they have decided to form a God-forsaken-nuclear-club--with the purpose of goading China in the otherwise peaceful South China Sea/Asia-Pacific. I'll have to say, "Boris, you are no longer my kind of professional journalist-in-mind, since Hemmingway."
Let's talk about his "friend" Joe Biden, who is still living in fear of Donald Trump's return to the White House; you only have to see his oscillating China policy, playing his Taiwan card while taking a close look at his archenemy, sadly neglecting the nation's sagging economy, especially the poor Americans' plights--in the face of a freezing North America on the advance!
At a crucial time when President Xi Jinping of China is hell-bound busy--helping UN to stay relevant, assisting Afghanistan to address its humanitarian problems (at home and abroad), and persuading the United States to join fight terrorism--after America's pet project of 20 years of "war on terrorism", a correspond-turned politician, now Prime Minister of Great Britain should seriously ponder his role as a world leader, and not acting like a sycophant, subserviently praising, "Mr. President, you are our great world leader…" face-to-face in a recent White House meeting.
Without waiting for the flotilla of the Aukus pact and their nuclear-powered submarines to be fully operational, wise people and leaders should know that this is a losing proposition. As a proud graduate of Eaton's, Boris should know better.
The prime minister, perhaps should listen to an eminent scholar, MS Wisse,"Maybe because I have spent my life in education, I have always valued the observation of Wellington, that "the battle of Waterloo was won on the playing fields of Eton."
"The qualities developed in those British schoolboys produced the soldiering that defeated Napoleon's forces." Said Ruth R. Wisse, professor emerita at Harvard University. ("Afghanistan Was Lost in the Halls of Harvard." THE WALL STREET JOURNAL, September 21, 2021.)
Conclusion
As a journalist once, Mr. Boris Johnson must have known something sinister like the issues of terrorism or the weapons of mass destruction such as nuclear-powered submarines accidents at sea…
Instead of being concerned about the terrorist group's acts of inhumanity such as September 11, etc. and bombings in London, Beijing, Auckland, etc., Boris the "correspondent" must get Boris the "British prime minister" to know something about world terrorism and do something…But Boris is not doing something sensible. How can we expect him to do his British best?!
(Taking a personal interest in world terrorism, as an aspiring investigating journalist, and a late comer, I have learned not to travel to America as I know that I'll be body-searched by American airport security officials. In a country which professes to value freedom, practice democracy, cherish liberty…I can't stand being-security checked in such an insulting way; all because of America's anti-Muslin foreign policy, which has greatly aroused animosity in the Arab countries--and now has spread to all parts of the world. Thank you, America. No thanks.
Like China, Britain under Prime Minister Boris Johnson should concertedly practice biodiversity, declare war on poverty and take up the climate change challenge: Let the birds fly freely, sing their tunes of nature happily and make friends safely. Britain should join China, the U.S. and its allies to address the world's pressing issues. And not foolishly toy with the idea of manufacturing and proliferating nuclear-powered submarines.
If Boris, the former journalist, plans to look up to President Xi Jinping of China, he can get into an in-depth study of China and its culture, return to writing for a change of profession, or he should now make a turn of his twisted foreign policy towards China. Or, perhaps, he can join China and together work to combat Covid-19 and its variant, and together work concertedly for world peace and prosperity.
May the queen inspire Boris--to do his "British best". (God save the queen.)
The author is a freelance writer; formerly Adjunct Lecturer, taught MBA Philosophy of Management, and International Strategy, and online columnist of 3-D Corner (HKU SPACE), University of Hong Kong.
The views do not necessarily reflect those of DotDotNews.
Read more articles by Augustus K. Yeung:
Opinion | Sociological imagination and Taiwan reunification
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