Michael Chugani 褚簡寧 - The Night of the Long Knives.|又中又英

To jump or wait to be pushed?Many senior government officials are likely wondering about this. Incoming chief executive John Lee Ka-chiu has said he wants a passionate government team to bring in a new chapter for Hong Kong. He has not said clearly if he wants new blood or if the existing team is passionate enough for a new chapter. If he keeps all the current bureau heads and executive councilors many people will see it as old wine in a new bottle. Will he push some or will some jump?To be pushed in this expression means to be fired. To jump means to resign first because you know you will be fired.

Only Lee Ka-chiu knows who he will eventually decide to push. Only senior officials and executive councillors know if they will jump. Hong Kong's political system means Lee Ka-chiu cannot decide on his own who to push. Beijing has the final word, which means the power to make the final decision. Thinking about who will be pushed or who will jump when the new chief executive takes over reminded me of Adolf Hitler's 1934 purge of his political enemies to strengthen his own position. The word“purge”in political terms means to get rid of people in the government or an organization because you disagree with them. Hundreds were executed during Hitler's purge.

It was called The Night of the Long Knives. Lee Ka-chiu is, of course, not a dictator who can execute people!Britain also had a Night of the Long Knives in 1962. The prime minister at the time, Harold Macmillan, fired seven cabinet members to bring in new blood because his Conservative Party was losing popularity. Cabinet members are people who advise the leader. Hong Kong's executive council is similar to a cabinet. Macmillan's firing of so many cabinet members so quickly was referred to as the Night of the Long Knives. There, of course, cannot be a British-style Night of the Long Knives in Hong Kong because the political system is very different.










該自己跳船,還是等待被人推下船?(To jump or wait to be pushed?)這大概是許多政府高官現正思忖的事情。快將上任特首的李家超說了,希望可以有一隊充滿熱情的政府團隊,為香港開啟新篇章。

他倒沒有說清楚,是想要新人,抑或現有班子已有足夠的熱情去開新篇。若他保留現時所有局長與行政會議成員,那許多人都會視為舊酒新瓶。他可會推一些人下船,抑或有些會自動跳船(push some or will some jump)?To be pushed在這裏解作被開除;to jump即先行辭職,因為你知道自己將會被炒。

只有李家超知道,他最終決定炒掉(push)誰;也只有高官和行會成員們知道,自己會不會跳船(jump)。香港的政治體制意味着,李家超並不能自行決定推哪人下船(push),北京擁有final word,就是最終話語權。想着新任行政長官繼任,誰會被踢走(pushed),誰又會自己跳船(jump),令我想起了阿道夫.希特拉於一九三四年清除(purge)政敵,以鞏固自己地位。Purge用在政治上,是指肅清政府又或組織內的異己,而在希特拉的政治清洗(purge)期間,就有數以百計的人被清算而處死。

那就叫做「長刀之夜」(The Night of the Long Knives)。當然,李家超並非會處死人的獨裁者!英國在一九六二年也有過一次「長刀之夜」,當時的首相哈羅德.麥美倫辭退了七個內閣(cabinet)閣員,以換上新血,因為他的保守黨漸失民心。

Cabinet members就是內閣成員,向領袖出謀獻策。香港的行政會議也近似一個內閣。麥美倫那麼迅速地炒掉那麼多個內閣成員,就被指稱為「長刀之夜」,不過,香港要有這種英式的「長刀之夜」,自然是不可能的,因為兩地的政治體制迥然不同。
中譯:七刻
Michael Chugani 褚簡寧
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