There are some clear lines drawn in Hong Kong's political landscape, especially between the quixotic "democracy" camp and the syncophantic "pro-Beijing" camp. There are constant battles over fundamental issues such as universal suffrage, with the pro-Beijingers again voting the idea down for 2012 because Hong Kong is not politically mature enough...which sets up all sorts of internal contradictions (for example that the politicians of this politically immature city are deciding whether the city is mature or not).

One can roughly summarise the various political parties involved in Hong Kong into 4 groups: the main pro-Beijing party, the DAB, with its roots in trade unions and the "grassroots" (read the people who live in flats less than 500 square feet); the Democrats who are much the same as the DAB but want people to have a vote; the independents who form various groups (eg the Civic party) because even though they're an elite they still think the little people should or should not have a say in things; and the Liberal party, a curious group that would not normally exist except in a rigged system such as Hong Kong, and which is for, of and by the tycoons that control large swathes of the city's economy.

Now you know who's who in the zoo, today's Standard reports the Liberals have managed to do something unique and propose something that everyone else objected to: a casino on Lantau. Congatulations to James Tien for uniting Hong Kong's diverse polity.