The post-second-world-war socio-political arrangements are now in disarray. From what has been coming out of the recent G20 and Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation forum meetings, the international community is still trying to muster the collective courage to deal with this unprecedented crisis.
So far, it is still everyone for himself - with the exception of China, which has quietly increased its number of US Treasury bonds even as late as September, knowing very well that doing so will bring great losses. This is solidarity.
Against this backdrop, Hong Kong is now entering a prolonged period of economic hardship and social unrest. One thing is for sure, it is going to be much more painful than the 60-month deflation we experienced a few years ago.
Some optimists believe that, with the mainland striving to maintain a growth rate of about 9 per cent next year - it contributed a quarter of global economic growth in 2007 - Hong Kong will not fare too badly. Unfortunately, the future growth locomotive on the mainland is its domestic consumption and investment. Hong Kong is only linked to the export sector, which everyone agrees will hit bottom in the next few years.
Hong Kong's economy will not be helped much by the mainland maintaining its internal economic momentum. The most Beijing can do is encourage more tourists to visit, and keep the price and supply of foodstuffs stable.
There is also little chance of more opening of the financial market for Hong Kong's benefit, given that the international financial sector is now under a black cloud. And there can be no reason why the entire country should be exposed to unduly high risks, jeopardising its financial security, just to prop up Hong Kong's financial industry.
We are in big trouble, and we are on our own. Like the rest of the global herd, it is also everyone for himself here in Hong Kong. But infighting will not get us out of the crisis. A general stampede will only waste our precious energy and make things worse.
The Lehman minibond owners' reactions, as well as those of our overzealous lawmakers, are very bad examples. Soon, every loser in the community will be claiming compensation and retribution. With the populist clamouring of the born-again Liberal Party, laying off some employees during hard times as a survival strategy will soon carry a stigma.
The courts will become very busy, and lawyers will be the only ones smiling. More people will march in the streets. Six months down the road, the annual July 1 protest will regain its faded glory. People power may cause euphoria; it will not solve problems.
Under stress, the Tsang administration has, so far, not performed better than its predecessor. The only difference is that Donald Tsang Yam-kuen is obviously less stubborn than Tung Chee-hwa, and he has made U-turns with greater frequency and speed. While this strategy has managed to prevent Mr Tsang's popularity from going into freefall, it does not make the situation any better. In fact, the authority of the government is as weak as ever. We cannot expect it to have the will and ability to lead us out of the economic and social crisis.
All we can do is pray that it will make fewer blunders and cause less trouble. A few heads rolling from time to time will relieve the frustration a little but, apart from weakening the government still further, it will not have any material effect.
Hong Kong is now like a small boat in the middle of the ocean at the start of a perfect storm, the radio out, with a paralysed helmsman and a drunken crew fighting one another. Nobody will come to our aid.
Having said that, the conclusion is obvious: sober up and stick together to confront this mega crisis. This is the only way.





