FADE IN.
Act 1
INT. SLEEPING ROOM - DAY
Waking up, PETER checks the time.
PETER (V.O.): It's before six. It seems that I don't have to sleep that much now. Time is running short for the elderly.
Phone in hand, Peter taps and reads.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): The remarks of a Russian intellectual on a Russian-American philosopher's works as no more than fantasies are intellectually stimulating. His former job was doing propaganda for his country.
Recalling.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): When I first philosophy in my 20s, I found it not easy to understand a philosopher's knowledge system. And it was hard to comment critically.
Peter continues to read some small prints.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): The Russian's remarks raise some controversies about the major premise regarding what exactly is Libertarianism. A commentator suggests a link: The Political Compass. What's that?
Peter taps the link.
Act 2
INT. SLEEPING ROOM - CONTINUOUS
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Where do I stand on the Political Compass? Interesting. I don't quite know.
Without putting on his glasses, Peter reads a questionnaire and taps on the screen.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): They initially ask about my world-view value assumptions, then the particular perspectives on civil, political, economic, social and cultural issues. And then they draw conclusion about my political stance.
Peter examines some quadrants. We see the horizontal axis of Left v Right and the vertical axis of Authoritarian v Libertarian.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): When I was at the grassroots, I felt I was oppressed by the authority on the Right. As my empty mind was filled only with the Rightist's values, I was still on the right but preferred more liberty.
Recalling.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): When I was with the authority, I was meant to be politically neutral. As I had the public interest (including the capitalists) in mind, I loved the benevolent-dictator model as I preferred effectiveness and efficiency.
Recalling.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): After learning more about the Motherland and its collective achievement, my political orientation shifted from the far Right towards the Left.
Reflecting.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Since retirement, I began to care more about my individual liberty rather than governance expediency.
Awakening.
PETER (V.O.): OMG! I've gone through the whole quadrants cyclically in different stages of my political developments!
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): When Hong Kong was a British colony, how could the few British elites govern the millions of Chinese here? There's the latent despotism, and that was what I felt when young.
Thinking.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I didn't aware that the British despotism hid behind a mask of some democracy particularly before Hong Kong's rejoining China.
Reflecting.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Care was taken to avoid such enlightenment. The Administration recruited the talented locals to join them. I was one of them and became pro-administration or authoritarian.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): As others and I deluded ourselves as part of the authoritarian machinery, the Administration could sustain its authoritarian rule, maintaining stability and prosperity, particularly for vested interests.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Is the current state of affair in UK substantially the same? An authoritarian rule under the guise of democracy? Are all governments evil then?
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): When I was part of the UK delegation in Geneva conferences, I was just an accidental passenger. But when I joined the China delegation in 1997, I felt very welcome.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Under the current pandemic, if there aren't any governance or scientific-political strategy, how can Greater China contain the coronavirus and mitigate the damages? I'm proud of what China has achieved so far.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): In the US, the buck has been passed to state governors and city mayors. But without the full cooperation of the citizens, they're going to experience the worst. To some, the end of the world is nigh.
Act 3
INT. SLEEPING ROOM - CONTINUOUS
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Thus the discipline of individuals in society counts. There's people power. But young ones with empty minds can be easily indoctrinated - like I once was.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): My political attitude changed as I became more experienced. I've become so mature that when my opinions or beliefs are challenged now, I won't feel them as personal attacks. But for the young, it's a matter of life or death.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Before I check where do I stand now in the Political Compass objectively, let me discern it intuitively.
Reflecting.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I'm neither a Rightist nor a Leftist. I'm not in favour of absolute Authoritarianism or Libertarianism either.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): Can I be at the center point of the Political Compass?
We see Peter checking the conclusion section of the Political Compass and the dot indicating where he stands.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): I'm nearly at the centre point, with a minor slant towards the Left.
Thinking.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): That slant, I believe, is because the end of my world hasn't come yet.
Reflecting.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): When I first came to this world and before I was aware of or was indoctrinated about any worldly matters, I should be at the centre point.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): But after that, my mind has been filled by all types of explicit or implicit propaganda that impact on my political attitude.
Pausing.
PETER (V.O.) (Cont'd): As a political animal, I'm still not wise enough. But instead of giving politicians the keys to my thinking, I should change my locks.
FADE OUT.
THE END
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