Hong Kong

[Novus America]

Right. It is limited to the “North Atlantic Area” which includes all of Europe, but also covers some areas outside Europe.
But it never covered Hong Kong.

They should stop pretending its going to be limited...NATO is just an extension of American Power; and as such, it will expand wherever America wants it to (assuming America is unstoppable, which it clearly isn't).

Eh NATO members all have equal vote, and any vote to change anything must be unanimous.
So the US cannot actually change it without all members agreeing.

[Nea Byzantia]

They should stop pretending its going to be limited...NATO is just an extension of American Power; and as such, it will expand wherever America wants it to (assuming America is unstoppable, which it clearly isn't).

Eh NATO members all have equal vote, and any vote to change anything must be unanimous.
So the US cannot actually change it without all members agreeing.

Yeah, but it all relies fundamentally on American Military Muscle, so to pretend that America can't push things whichever way they want, is ridiculous...

But this is off topic, we can argue this elsewhere, on TG.

[Cynereth]

Even if the British had tried to keep it the PRC would have invaded anyways.
It was militarily indefensible.

But at least that would have made the PRC show its true ugly fave to the world.

It would have been even better if Britain had handed HK over to the U.S. as a self-governing, unincorporated (i.e. not part of the U.S. proper) insular area with a constitutional right to secede, similar to Puerto Rico, complete with U.S. troops, because nobody messes with America. I wouldn't mind being an American national (not to be confused with an American citizen; it's more akin to B(N)O status prior to 1997). But you're right. People, especially HKers, wouldn't realize just how deceitful China can be.

Attempting to absorb Hong Kong into the protection of the United States would have been a geopolitical crisis on a level not seen since the height of the Cold War. Beijing would never have allowed the United States to gain a foothold on their doorstep; they've spent dump trucks full of money for decades now to try and finagle out of the U.S.'s policy of Pacific containment.

[New haven america]

No they wouldn't have, Hong Kong being under UK control meant it was part of NATO.

If China tried to or did invade, they'd have most of North America and Europe on their ass (Also, they're completely surrounded by US allies and Commonwealth countries. Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, The Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand would block all of China's waterways, while Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh, could be used as pit stops and resource bases for European NATO soldiers going into China).

NATO never protected Hong Kong. It is geographically limited to protect territories only in the North Atlantic region.

Yeah North Atlantic countries like Turkey, Montenegro, Romania, The Baltics, Poland, the Czech Republic, etc...!

[New haven america]

Right. It is limited to the “North Atlantic Area” which includes all of Europe, but also covers some areas outside Europe.
But it never covered Hong Kong.

They should stop pretending its going to be limited...NATO is just an extension of American Power; and as such, it will expand wherever America wants it to (assuming America is unstoppable, which it clearly isn't).

Not our fault most European NATO countries refuse to pay their required bills.

[New haven america]

It would have been even better if Britain had handed HK over to the U.S. as a self-governing, unincorporated (i.e. not part of the U.S. proper) insular area with a constitutional right to secede, similar to Puerto Rico, complete with U.S. troops, because nobody messes with America. I wouldn't mind being an American national (not to be confused with an American citizen; it's more akin to B(N)O status prior to 1997). But you're right. People, especially HKers, wouldn't realize just how deceitful China can be.

Attempting to absorb Hong Kong into the protection of the United States would have been a geopolitical crisis on a level not seen since the height of the Cold War. Beijing would never have allowed the United States to gain a foothold on their doorstep; they've spent dump trucks full of money for decades now to try and finagle out of the U.S.'s policy of Pacific containment.

The US is already on their door step.

Like, it's literally surrounding their doorstep.

[Novus America]

NATO never protected Hong Kong. It is geographically limited to protect territories only in the North Atlantic region.

Yeah North Atlantic countries like Turkey, Montenegro, Romania, The Baltics, Poland, the Czech Republic, etc...!

They are within the “North Atlantic area” as defined by article 6 of the NATO treaty.
The treaty clearly states what is included in the definition. And clearly Hong Kong was not.

[Bombadil]

At least 36 people were injured in unprecedented late-night violence at a Hong Kong railway station on Sunday, as a rampaging mob of men in white T-shirts attacked black-clad protesters and passengers indiscriminately.

No police officer was in sight as dozens of men, who witnesses suggested were triad gangsters, stormed into Yuen Long MTR station at around midnight by forcing open closed entrances. They hurled objects at protesters and travellers alike, and assaulted members of the public, including journalists.

Social feeds are filled with recordings of this violence.

Stunning video clips circulating online and played on television screens captured the chaos and terror as passengers scrambled for cover.
Among the injured was opposition lawmaker Lam Cheuk-ting, who was bleeding from his face, and a female reporter with injuries on her arm.

Police officers, who arrived at the station at 11.15pm, when the mob was gone, were surrounded by dozens of angry residents and protesters.

There's claims the police allowed it to happen.

While, in some senses, this has become a form of background noise to the city, each time there's violence - and the police fired rubber bullets and tear gas at protestors over this weekend, there's seemingly no solution. The police, fairly, can't allow for laws to be broken but this necessarily leads to confrontation and thus renews the general anger.

I'm guessing this will last through the Summer and I'm hoping it doesn't lead to something bad in short time.

[Rojava Free State]

At least 36 people were injured in unprecedented late-night violence at a Hong Kong railway station on Sunday, as a rampaging mob of men in white T-shirts attacked black-clad protesters and passengers indiscriminately.

No police officer was in sight as dozens of men, who witnesses suggested were triad gangsters, stormed into Yuen Long MTR station at around midnight by forcing open closed entrances. They hurled objects at protesters and travellers alike, and assaulted members of the public, including journalists.

Social feeds are filled with recordings of this violence.

Stunning video clips circulating online and played on television screens captured the chaos and terror as passengers scrambled for cover.
Among the injured was opposition lawmaker Lam Cheuk-ting, who was bleeding from his face, and a female reporter with injuries on her arm.

Police officers, who arrived at the station at 11.15pm, when the mob was gone, were surrounded by dozens of angry residents and protesters.

There's claims the police allowed it to happen.

While, in some senses, this has become a form of background noise to the city, each time there's violence - and the police fired rubber bullets and tear gas at protestors over this weekend, there's seemingly no solution. The police, fairly, can't allow for laws to be broken but this necessarily leads to confrontation and thus renews the general anger.

I'm guessing this will last through the Summer and I'm hoping it doesn't lead to something bad in short time.

Someone could actually die because of this. I have a bad feeling about this man

[Novus America]

At least 36 people were injured in unprecedented late-night violence at a Hong Kong railway station on Sunday, as a rampaging mob of men in white T-shirts attacked black-clad protesters and passengers indiscriminately.

No police officer was in sight as dozens of men, who witnesses suggested were triad gangsters, stormed into Yuen Long MTR station at around midnight by forcing open closed entrances. They hurled objects at protesters and travellers alike, and assaulted members of the public, including journalists.

Social feeds are filled with recordings of this violence.

Stunning video clips circulating online and played on television screens captured the chaos and terror as passengers scrambled for cover.
Among the injured was opposition lawmaker Lam Cheuk-ting, who was bleeding from his face, and a female reporter with injuries on her arm.

Police officers, who arrived at the station at 11.15pm, when the mob was gone, were surrounded by dozens of angry residents and protesters.

There's claims the police allowed it to happen.

While, in some senses, this has become a form of background noise to the city, each time there's violence - and the police fired rubber bullets and tear gas at protestors over this weekend, there's seemingly no solution. The police, fairly, can't allow for laws to be broken but this necessarily leads to confrontation and thus renews the general anger.

I'm guessing this will last through the Summer and I'm hoping it doesn't lead to something bad in short time.

Someone could actually die because of this. I have a bad feeling about this man

Well I guess hiring Triad gangsters to do the dirty work is better deniability over using PRC troops.
There is no depth too deep for Xi and his gangster state.

[Rojava Free State]

Someone could actually die because of this. I have a bad feeling about this man

While I guess hiring Triad gangsters to do the dirty work is better deniability over using PRC troops.
There is no depth too deep for Xi and his gangster state.

I think Xi's sociopathy and tyrannical behavior is really understated and underestimated. This guy has the potential to be the Francisco Franco of our time

[EastKekistan]

While I guess hiring Triad gangsters to do the dirty work is better deniability over using PRC troops.
There is no depth too deep for Xi and his gangster state.

I think Xi's sociopathy and tyrannical behavior is really understated and underestimated. This guy has the potential to be the Francisco Franco of our time

Franco was not remotely that bad.

Xi was severely mistreated as a child due to his father falling from power and grew up as a man who hid his long-term hatred for a lot of people if not humanity. Before taking power in 2012 he always pretended to be a lapdog of Jiang. However after taking power he swiftly purged Jiang's allies such as Zhou Yongkang. In a sense he is worse than even Kim Jong-un for he is basically a variant of Elliot Rodgers who has a lot more discipline. He does not like Jiang. He does not like academics or merchants. He does not like Mao or Deng (just see how he treats their family members such as Mao Xinyu and Wu Xiaohui). He does not even like his old friends who probably betrayed him when his family was disgraced. It is hard to imagine that he trusts or likes anyone.

Overall he is a highly unhappy person who received little formal education due to the Cultural Revolution who is probably sadistic and misanthropic due to how he was treated in the past. China has no shortage of people like him. However most are powerless.

[Bombadil]

At least 36 people were injured in unprecedented late-night violence at a Hong Kong railway station on Sunday, as a rampaging mob of men in white T-shirts attacked black-clad protesters and passengers indiscriminately.

No police officer was in sight as dozens of men, who witnesses suggested were triad gangsters, stormed into Yuen Long MTR station at around midnight by forcing open closed entrances. They hurled objects at protesters and travellers alike, and assaulted members of the public, including journalists.

Social feeds are filled with recordings of this violence.

Stunning video clips circulating online and played on television screens captured the chaos and terror as passengers scrambled for cover.
Among the injured was opposition lawmaker Lam Cheuk-ting, who was bleeding from his face, and a female reporter with injuries on her arm.

Police officers, who arrived at the station at 11.15pm, when the mob was gone, were surrounded by dozens of angry residents and protesters.

There's claims the police allowed it to happen.

While, in some senses, this has become a form of background noise to the city, each time there's violence - and the police fired rubber bullets and tear gas at protestors over this weekend, there's seemingly no solution. The police, fairly, can't allow for laws to be broken but this necessarily leads to confrontation and thus renews the general anger.

I'm guessing this will last through the Summer and I'm hoping it doesn't lead to something bad in short time.

Someone could actually die because of this. I have a bad feeling about this man

Compared to protests in other countries one could argue it's been relatively civil. However they did discover the largest explosives haul ever in HK purportedly by someone affiliated with protestors. One issue is the old maxim that the truth is the first casualty of conflict but whatever the truth it's not a good sign.

[Rojava Free State]

I think Xi's sociopathy and tyrannical behavior is really understated and underestimated. This guy has the potential to be the Francisco Franco of our time

Franco was not remotely that bad.

Xi was severely mistreated as a child due to his father falling from power and grew up as a man who hid his long-term hatred for a lot of people if not humanity. Before taking power in 2012 he always pretended to be a lapdog of Jiang. However after taking power he swiftly purged Jiang's allies such as Zhou Yongkang. In a sense he is worse than even Kim Jong-un for he is basically a variant of Elliot Rodgers who has a lot more discipline. He does not like Jiang. He does not like academics or merchants. He does not like Mao or Deng (just see how he treats their family members such as Mao Xinyu and Wu Xiaohui). He does not even like his old friends who probably betrayed him when his family was disgraced. It is hard to imagine that he trusts or likes anyone.

Overall he is a highly unhappy person who received little formal education due to the Cultural Revolution who is probably sadistic and misanthropic due to how he was treated in the past. China has no shortage of people like him. However most are powerless.

So he's basically the hitler of our time

[Duhon]

Franco was not remotely that bad.

Xi was severely mistreated as a child due to his father falling from power and grew up as a man who hid his long-term hatred for a lot of people if not humanity. Before taking power in 2012 he always pretended to be a lapdog of Jiang. However after taking power he swiftly purged Jiang's allies such as Zhou Yongkang. In a sense he is worse than even Kim Jong-un for he is basically a variant of Elliot Rodgers who has a lot more discipline. He does not like Jiang. He does not like academics or merchants. He does not like Mao or Deng (just see how he treats their family members such as Mao Xinyu and Wu Xiaohui). He does not even like his old friends who probably betrayed him when his family was disgraced. It is hard to imagine that he trusts or likes anyone.

Overall he is a highly unhappy person who received little formal education due to the Cultural Revolution who is probably sadistic and misanthropic due to how he was treated in the past. China has no shortage of people like him. However most are powerless.

So he's basically the hitler of our time

One too many is bad enough
Way too many though?
We dun goofed

[New Bremerton]

At least 36 people were injured in unprecedented late-night violence at a Hong Kong railway station on Sunday, as a rampaging mob of men in white T-shirts attacked black-clad protesters and passengers indiscriminately.

No police officer was in sight as dozens of men, who witnesses suggested were triad gangsters, stormed into Yuen Long MTR station at around midnight by forcing open closed entrances. They hurled objects at protesters and travellers alike, and assaulted members of the public, including journalists.

Social feeds are filled with recordings of this violence.

Stunning video clips circulating online and played on television screens captured the chaos and terror as passengers scrambled for cover.
Among the injured was opposition lawmaker Lam Cheuk-ting, who was bleeding from his face, and a female reporter with injuries on her arm.

Police officers, who arrived at the station at 11.15pm, when the mob was gone, were surrounded by dozens of angry residents and protesters.

There's claims the police allowed it to happen.

While, in some senses, this has become a form of background noise to the city, each time there's violence - and the police fired rubber bullets and tear gas at protestors over this weekend, there's seemingly no solution. The police, fairly, can't allow for laws to be broken but this necessarily leads to confrontation and thus renews the general anger.

I'm guessing this will last through the Summer and I'm hoping it doesn't lead to something bad in short time.

It's. Happening. Again.

Fight back.

Someone could actually die because of this. I have a bad feeling about this man

Compared to protests in other countries one could argue it's been relatively civil. However they did discover the largest explosives haul ever in HK purportedly by someone affiliated with protestors. One issue is the old maxim that the truth is the first casualty of conflict but whatever the truth it's not a good sign.

"Evidence" planted by Communist moles to discredit the protests?

Franco was not remotely that bad.

Xi was severely mistreated as a child due to his father falling from power and grew up as a man who hid his long-term hatred for a lot of people if not humanity. Before taking power in 2012 he always pretended to be a lapdog of Jiang. However after taking power he swiftly purged Jiang's allies such as Zhou Yongkang. In a sense he is worse than even Kim Jong-un for he is basically a variant of Elliot Rodgers who has a lot more discipline. He does not like Jiang. He does not like academics or merchants. He does not like Mao or Deng (just see how he treats their family members such as Mao Xinyu and Wu Xiaohui). He does not even like his old friends who probably betrayed him when his family was disgraced. It is hard to imagine that he trusts or likes anyone.

Overall he is a highly unhappy person who received little formal education due to the Cultural Revolution who is probably sadistic and misanthropic due to how he was treated in the past. China has no shortage of people like him. However most are powerless.

So he's basically the hitler of our time

Speaking of Hitler's next incarnation, where's Antifa when you need them? These protesters are dealing with actual fascist violence and intimidation from an actual fascist regime.

Crickets.

[Esheaun Stroakuss]

Speaking of Hitler's next incarnation, where's Antifa when you need them? These protesters are dealing with actual fascist violence and intimidation from an actual fascist regime.

Crickets.

Fucking hypocrites.

[Infected Mushroom]

^

(Possible evidence planting and staged maneuvers)?

Is my MI6 hypothetical about to happen IRL?

Is there a IRL free trade talk between the UK and China too? Perhaps an MI6 fellow is being tortured in the Chinese west right now.

[Novus America]

At least 36 people were injured in unprecedented late-night violence at a Hong Kong railway station on Sunday, as a rampaging mob of men in white T-shirts attacked black-clad protesters and passengers indiscriminately.

No police officer was in sight as dozens of men, who witnesses suggested were triad gangsters, stormed into Yuen Long MTR station at around midnight by forcing open closed entrances. They hurled objects at protesters and travellers alike, and assaulted members of the public, including journalists.

Social feeds are filled with recordings of this violence.

Stunning video clips circulating online and played on television screens captured the chaos and terror as passengers scrambled for cover.
Among the injured was opposition lawmaker Lam Cheuk-ting, who was bleeding from his face, and a female reporter with injuries on her arm.

Police officers, who arrived at the station at 11.15pm, when the mob was gone, were surrounded by dozens of angry residents and protesters.

There's claims the police allowed it to happen.

While, in some senses, this has become a form of background noise to the city, each time there's violence - and the police fired rubber bullets and tear gas at protestors over this weekend, there's seemingly no solution. The police, fairly, can't allow for laws to be broken but this necessarily leads to confrontation and thus renews the general anger.

I'm guessing this will last through the Summer and I'm hoping it doesn't lead to something bad in short time.

It's. Happening. Again.

Fight back.

Compared to protests in other countries one could argue it's been relatively civil. However they did discover the largest explosives haul ever in HK purportedly by someone affiliated with protestors. One issue is the old maxim that the truth is the first casualty of conflict but whatever the truth it's not a good sign.

"Evidence" planted by Communist moles to discredit the protests?

So he's basically the hitler of our time

Speaking of Hitler's next incarnation, where's Antifa when you need them? These protesters are dealing with actual fascist violence and intimidation from an actual fascist regime.

Crickets.

Woah, you mean ANTIFA actually standing up to real threats and actual concentration camps vs sucker punching so dude and breaking some windows?

I mean that would take real conviction and courage.
Things ANTIFA knows nothing about.

[Aggicificicerous]

There's claims the police allowed it to happen.

There are videos showing the police leave right before the white shirts arrived. Then the police barricaded themselves in their stations and only came out as the white shirts were leaving. Further pictures show the police ignoring them. It's pretty clear that the police at the very least knew what was going to happen and decided not to intervene. There's also been a sizable donation to the Hong Kong police by Beijing politicians, though that doesn't mean the police were behind it.

I'm really curious to see what the backlash will be. It's clear Beijing has no regard for international criticism, but this might well lead to more violence in Hong Kong. That might in turn lead to Beijing having an excuse to send in the army, which they no doubt are itching to do.

Also, what is this nonsense about Antifa? This is Hong Kong, not the US. What transparent whiny crap. Keep it to the Antifa thread.

[Bombadil]

There's claims the police allowed it to happen.

There are videos showing the police leave right before the white shirts arrived. Then the police barricaded themselves in their stations and only came out as the white shirts were leaving. Further pictures show the police ignoring them. It's pretty clear that the police at the very least knew what was going to happen and decided not to intervene. There's also been a sizable donation to the Hong Kong police by Beijing politicians, though that doesn't mean the police were behind it.

I'm really curious to see what the backlash will be. It's clear Beijing has no regard for international criticism, but this might well lead to more violence in Hong Kong. That might in turn lead to Beijing having an excuse to send in the army, which they no doubt are itching to do.

Also, what is this nonsense about Antifa? This is Hong Kong, not the US. What transparent whiny crap. Keep it to the Antifa thread.

I mean..

In what may well be a new low, even for an unapologetic fount of controversy like Junius Ho, the pro-Beijing lawmaker was caught on camera last night praising and shaking hands with white-clad men who took part in savagely beating protesters, passengers, and journalists inside the Yuen Long MTR station.

Videos from last night show Ho applauding the white shirt-wearing men — some of them carrying the same rods used to attack people inside the station — giving them a thumbs-up, and saying “thanks for your hard work!”

[EastKekistan]

Communists suck. I support the rights of the people of Hong Kong. Fuck the Xi regime.

[Nakena]

Supposedly the PRC is mobilizing something something:

https://m.imgur.com/gallery/PVJlboN

The PRC has put crack riot troops on notice and is massing them at the chinese mainland owned areas like train stations and garrison depots. They put out a statement saying Hong Kong can request PLA assistance if needed.

New York Times: China Hints It Could Send Troops to Quell Hong Kong Protests, if Requested

[Duhon]

Supposedly the PRC is mobilizing something something:

https://m.imgur.com/gallery/PVJlboN

The PRC has put crack riot troops on notice and is massing them at the chinese mainland owned areas like train stations and garrison depots. They put out a statement saying Hong Kong can request PLA assistance if needed.

New York Times: China Hints It Could Send Troops to Quell Hong Kong Protests, if Requested

Shit.

Shiiiiiiiiiieeeeeeeeeeeeetttttttttt.

[Samudera Darussalam]

Supposedly the PRC is mobilizing something something:

https://m.imgur.com/gallery/PVJlboN

The PRC has put crack riot troops on notice and is massing them at the chinese mainland owned areas like train stations and garrison depots. They put out a statement saying Hong Kong can request PLA assistance if needed.

New York Times: China Hints It Could Send Troops to Quell Hong Kong Protests, if Requested

Are we looking to Tiananmen v.2?