Please Consult Me for Whatever.

Had dinner with a few friends last night. Amongst many discussion topics, we spent some time on the latest 'fashion' of public consultation.

One said that public consultation, i.e. asking EVERYONE what they thought of specific issues, does not work because people don't know what they want.

Furthermore, some of these issues are complex. It is irrational to believe that anyone and everyone's views on such issues are relevant.

But many people don't want to see how their views on these issues are irrelevant. The fundamental problem is that these people are simply annoyed.

They are so annoyed by bits of their own lives, which in turn are projected onto the 'system', the ruling party etc, that they feel that they must 'do something about it'. And suddenly, democracy is their visa.

"I have the right to air my views about this and that. 

Furthermore, I was educated abroad in XYZ universities. 

I am smart enough to understand and make conclusions on ANY issues. 

If you don't engage me or listen to me, I get (more) angry. "

Check out the emotional line of argument.
It's completed in good English, but it doesn't make any sense.

Even if the government manages to engage everyone for public consultation, more unhappiness is inevitable as the conclusion of the consultation cannot be that everyone is satisfied.

Hence, the act of public consultation without considering such consequences is in fact reckless.

Another at the table brought our attention to the fact that public consultation is not new, i.e. the government has been carrying out public consultation, even before the so-called 'watershed elections'.

In various forms, degrees of outreach scale, budget, tone etc, different parts of the government have conducted public consultation.

Regardless whether it's a public consultation in the flesh life or cyberspace, the key in any human communication is sincerity.

While the lack of sincerity can be embellished with other irrelevant gestures, this is not a sustainable tactic in the long run. The smarter ones would spot the insincerity, raise the alarm bells, and soon the dull ones will 'realise' it too, regardless whether they truly spot the insincerity.

And sincerity is a rare attribute which cannot be acquired overnight. It's much easier to fake it or cover it up with something else.

Of course, being constructive people, the discussion went onto suggest that a real public consultation only takes place where committees of selected individuals are set up. People who have the necessary skills, experience and varied vested interests to explore and debate on specific issues on behalf of people.

Of course, this is not new either. The key is WHO are the people invited to be on these committees. And judging from the profile of these people, one can tell whether the government is sincere about its public consultation attempts.

That is, whether 'public consultations' are 'form' or 'function'.