From Hong Kong--a Guest Post

Today's guest post, by Thad Guyer

Note by Peter Sage:   I am traveling and have limited computer access.  Thad Guyer, a frequent guest post author, is in Hong Kong and overheard some interesting perspectives voiced by Wall Street Journal reporters.   The comments below are by Thad Guyer:

Hong Kong Political Bar Talk

At an upscale bar in Hong Kong last night, I listened to the political bar talk of a group of Wall Street Journal reporters and bureau chiefs in town for a business meeting. They discussed the correlation between subscription revenues and articles about Donald Trump. The correlation according to a finance presentation made to them that day is that the more negative WSJ is toward Trump, the greater the decline in subscription renewal rates. The reporters did not feel pressure to write pro-Trump articles, rather the economic pressures are to refrain from writing anti-Trump articles.  

In the fabulous dining room of the China Club, WSJ staff circulated in and out of the bar as they refreshed their drinks. Several themes predominated, all Trump related, the only exception being a complaint from a junior staffer that her section leader “is a jerk”. Otherwise, all Trump talk, but Trump as a phenomenon, not as a person. This international WSJ staff had a very big picture of “Trumpism” as a trans-Atlantic movement that is (1) bringing down liberal political parties in Europe and the USA, (2) delegitimizing conventional media and press, and (3) portending the dissolution of the European Union. And the life blood of Trumpism, in their consensus view, is the rejection of Merkel-Obama brand liberal authoritarianism, which disregards democratic processes to impose mass immigration by executive fiat. These journalists talked of Trumpism exclusively in terms of nationalist rejections of uncontrolled mass immigration. Not once did I hear the terms Muslim or Christian. The point appeared to be there is no significant political difference between Muslim immigration to Europe from the mid-East and Africa, and Catholic immigration to America from Mexico and central America. Trumpism, they said, is a non-partisan nativist Caucasian backlash to immigration forced upon them by undemocratic leftist executive action. Were it left to popular vote in the US or Europe, there would be no majority acceptance of mass immigration, and therefore liberal politicians can achieve it only by undemocratic means. The gist of the wine talk was that Trumpism is the backlash, and would not exist at all except for uncontrolled mass immigration.

Of most concern to the WSJ is the impending exit of Britain from the European Union, the so-called “Brexit” referendum on June 23rd. Polls are showing the “leave” vote gaining momentum fast, based mostly on the mass immigration issue. While prime minister David Cameron won immigration exemptions from the EU as a sweetener for the “stay” vote, and has fortified UK borders, at least half of British voters are unwilling to allow East European migrants and mid-East refugees who get legal status in Germany to then use the EU free-movement law to relocate to the UK. WSJ is staunchly pro-EU, pro-free international trade, and the staff was in considerable anguish at prospect of a Brexit. Not only would the UK exiting the EU threaten its continued viability, but voters in France and Germany are expected to demand their own exit referenda if Brexit succeeds. That is, Trumpism is expected to sweep more broadly across Europe.  

The WSJ bar talk lamented that liberal media like the BBC and New York Times have lost their credibility and ability to persuade their populations to take a more moderate approach to mass immigration. The sentiment was the liberal media has wrecked it for moderate media like the WSJ, and fueled the popularity of right wing internet media like Brietbart and the Daily Mail—i.e., WSJ subscriptions not being renewed. The fall of conventional media combined with non-democratic executive fiat of mass immigration by leaders like Obama and Merkel, in turn, have made Trumpism a “viral” international phenomenon, one that may fast be bringing down Western democracies. 

After the WSJ staff left, my hot and sour soup, and Peking duck arrived to brighten my mood.