Hong Kong Protests
Oct 4th, 2014, 08:03 AM
#1
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Hong Kong Protests
I know we have several Fodorites here who live in Hong Kong. I've been following the protests there with interest and would like to hear from our Hong Kong Fodorites or others about their take on the protest.
Oct 4th, 2014, 04:43 PM
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There are so many angles, hard to decide where to start. But I'll mainly stick to my own experience. I have my views, but am not participating in anything on either side. I cancelled some work last week due to public transportation issue, but that is mainly solved now. Commute may cost a little more money and time, but so be it. Not a big deal.
The much bigger "cost" to me and many others in Hong Kong are the division in the society, among friends, and even families. Many are de-friending lots on Facebook, while I get lots of hysterical messages on my Whatsapp group of totally unsubstantiated rumors and such. It's pathetic on both sides, and sad.
In very general terms, here are who I find are on which side, among people I know. Most in education and music are on the student (yellow) side. Nurses and community/charity workers that I know - yellow. Younger people, of course yellow. My super rich friends that are highly educated AND comes from wealthy family, and are more ideal - who are in arts, in education, in theology - yellow.
Those supporting authority (blue) are older, but working class people. My rich friends and families that make it through business or stocks or property in recent years - also strongly blue. And those who have ties to the police or correctional services.
Of course there are exceptions. That's just a generalisation from my observation, mainly though who's posting what on Facebook.
The much bigger "cost" to me and many others in Hong Kong are the division in the society, among friends, and even families. Many are de-friending lots on Facebook, while I get lots of hysterical messages on my Whatsapp group of totally unsubstantiated rumors and such. It's pathetic on both sides, and sad.
In very general terms, here are who I find are on which side, among people I know. Most in education and music are on the student (yellow) side. Nurses and community/charity workers that I know - yellow. Younger people, of course yellow. My super rich friends that are highly educated AND comes from wealthy family, and are more ideal - who are in arts, in education, in theology - yellow.
Those supporting authority (blue) are older, but working class people. My rich friends and families that make it through business or stocks or property in recent years - also strongly blue. And those who have ties to the police or correctional services.
Of course there are exceptions. That's just a generalisation from my observation, mainly though who's posting what on Facebook.
Oct 5th, 2014, 04:25 PM
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There is nothing "red" about the current Beijing regime. Not for many years.
Anyways, things calmed down. Short-term, police won't be using excessive force to clear the protesters for sure, after backfiring badly last week.
Mid-term, talks will commerce and chief executive will stay, but even weaker than he is now.
Long-term, there is ZERO chance Beijing will give anything more to HK. Why would they? So, just more and not fewer of these massive deminstration, etc in the coming years.
Anyways, things calmed down. Short-term, police won't be using excessive force to clear the protesters for sure, after backfiring badly last week.
Mid-term, talks will commerce and chief executive will stay, but even weaker than he is now.
Long-term, there is ZERO chance Beijing will give anything more to HK. Why would they? So, just more and not fewer of these massive deminstration, etc in the coming years.
Oct 5th, 2014, 06:24 PM
#12
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Blech. Reminds me why I'll never visit China again. Godspeed to those protestors -- the real unsung heroes in this mix. So fascinating watching the videos of "old" people online trying to beat up the students. Just goes to show how the older and less flexible of us are scared of change and speaking up and the young truly are the brave. I have renewed faith that the younger generation of this world--even if outside the US--actually do have some guts.
Is it wrong to have hoped that this would actually come to a head? In today's day and age of social media broadcast, I firmly believe another Tiananmen could never happen without such supreme backlash it'd make the government's head in Beijing head spin six ways from Sunday. I would've been interested to see what Beijing would do with that kind of pressure on its' doorstep.
There's no room in the 21st Century for oppression and human rights abuses on scale with the worst of the extremist Muslim regimes. So proud of anyone standing up to that kind of authoritarianism.
China is an enigma within an enigma. A "communist" country that is at battle with its own burgeoning capitalism.
Is it wrong to have hoped that this would actually come to a head? In today's day and age of social media broadcast, I firmly believe another Tiananmen could never happen without such supreme backlash it'd make the government's head in Beijing head spin six ways from Sunday. I would've been interested to see what Beijing would do with that kind of pressure on its' doorstep.
There's no room in the 21st Century for oppression and human rights abuses on scale with the worst of the extremist Muslim regimes. So proud of anyone standing up to that kind of authoritarianism.
China is an enigma within an enigma. A "communist" country that is at battle with its own burgeoning capitalism.
