Hong Kong II - Ragnarök

[Sungoldy-China]

You can believe what you believe, but based on my understanding of China’s history, I don’t believe it.

Compared with other similar multi-ethnic former colonial countries, I can’t see how a better China looks like

The problem with this is you can take any country's history to a certain point in time and say 'based on my understanding I can't see how a better...'

Up until the first world war and a bit beyond, most of Europe had royal families as a key part of government, as that fell there was a struggle between communism, fascism and democracy. Pretty sure much of Europe is better off for going with democracy.

Of course there's the self-defeating belief that 'Asians can't handle democracy', which is clearly bullshit and kind of a sad self-indictment*.. but there's no way to say that proper representative government wouldn't be better for China given it hasn't gone through it.

Seems to be working for Taiwan, other than efforts by China to undermine it.

*speaking of which one reason I hear for people choosing Sinovac is that it's 60% strength, whereas Pfizer is 90% strength, and Asian's can't take 90% so Sinovac is better suited for Asians, which is not only a complete misunderstanding of the word 'efficacy' but, again, speaks to this weird inferiority complex people have that ties into the idea Asians can't handle democracy.

Anyway, in HK they're now demanding contract workers for the civil service must swear allegiance to the National Security Law, not actual workers, just part time contract workers.. it's like just forcing us all to say some words will change our minds..

Of course Europe is good for dealing with democracy, because Europe has supported democracy by plundering a lot of wealth through colonialism.
If we look at the democratic trends in the countries of Eastern Europe that are not rich enough now, and the reactions of Europe and the United States in the refugee tide, we can understand that when the country’s wealth is not enough, democracy will be shaky.
Of course, people in Africa and Asia did not handle democracy well, because their wealth has been plundered by Europe and the United States. Don’t you understand this by how the vaccine is been used in this epidemic?
From what I have seen, democracy is nothing but a trick for Europe and the United States to trick Asian and African countries into keeping backward.

[Bombadil]

The problem with this is you can take any country's history to a certain point in time and say 'based on my understanding I can't see how a better...'

Up until the first world war and a bit beyond, most of Europe had royal families as a key part of government, as that fell there was a struggle between communism, fascism and democracy. Pretty sure much of Europe is better off for going with democracy.

Of course there's the self-defeating belief that 'Asians can't handle democracy', which is clearly bullshit and kind of a sad self-indictment*.. but there's no way to say that proper representative government wouldn't be better for China given it hasn't gone through it.

Seems to be working for Taiwan, other than efforts by China to undermine it.

*speaking of which one reason I hear for people choosing Sinovac is that it's 60% strength, whereas Pfizer is 90% strength, and Asian's can't take 90% so Sinovac is better suited for Asians, which is not only a complete misunderstanding of the word 'efficacy' but, again, speaks to this weird inferiority complex people have that ties into the idea Asians can't handle democracy.

Anyway, in HK they're now demanding contract workers for the civil service must swear allegiance to the National Security Law, not actual workers, just part time contract workers.. it's like just forcing us all to say some words will change our minds..

Of course Europe is good for dealing with democracy, because Europe has supported democracy by plundering a lot of wealth through colonialism.
If we look at the democratic trends in the countries of Eastern Europe that are not rich enough now, and the reactions of Europe and the United States in the refugee tide, we can understand that when the country’s wealth is not enough, democracy will be shaky.
Of course, people in Africa and Asia did not handle democracy well, because their wealth has been plundered by Europe and the United States. Don’t you understand this by how the vaccine is been used in this epidemic?
From what I have seen, democracy is nothing but a trick for Europe and the United States to trick Asian and African countries into keeping backward.

When any form of leadership feels insecure it points to external forces as the issue, this is as true of democracy as it is any form of government. The difference is that generally within a proper democracy, people, media and more are free to point out internal issues as the problem to counter nationalistic and belligerent statements by leaders seeking to buttress their hold on power.

That is why democracy has a far greater ability to evolve, adapt and reinvent.

Hence the CCP and HK government like to say that the HK protestors were simply paid for by the CIA, or that foreign interests are using HK as a pawn - and that may or may not be true but it certainly doesn't reflect the feeling of people in HK, who really couldn't care if China and other nations are using the issue to make their political points.

We don't want propaganda in our schools, we don't want the CCP to be able to simply whisk away people from HK because they dare to insult Xi Jinping, we don't want the rule of law undermined by the personal whims of a dictator, we don't want the media to be muzzled and ordered to toe the party line.

China's economic rise is a result of massive FDI into China on the promise of open and reform. That was, shakily, occurring until Xi Jinping took back powers not seen since Mao Zedong. There's a reason Deng Xiaopeng set two term limits, he'd suffered the effects of power accrued to one dictator.

Frankly, there probably wasn't much difference between democracy and internal voting in leadership through CCP ranks. The best and most innovative years of the CCP was probably mid-90's to 2010, China won the Olympics, joined WTO..

..now it's closing again, policy is set according to the personal sensitivities of a one-man dictatorship and the troubles China is facing, from HK to rising global distrust, is a result of that one-man dictatorship.

China currently crows about the the perceived decline of the West, however I'd place my bets on a system that can evolve and change over a system that is bound for stagnation as Xi Jinping, naturally and inevitably, focuses more and more on his own personal power and paranoia creeps in.. for that is the way of dictators and China will suffer accordingly.

[Sungoldy-China]

Of course Europe is good for dealing with democracy, because Europe has supported democracy by plundering a lot of wealth through colonialism.
If we look at the democratic trends in the countries of Eastern Europe that are not rich enough now, and the reactions of Europe and the United States in the refugee tide, we can understand that when the country’s wealth is not enough, democracy will be shaky.
Of course, people in Africa and Asia did not handle democracy well, because their wealth has been plundered by Europe and the United States. Don’t you understand this by how the vaccine is been used in this epidemic?
From what I have seen, democracy is nothing but a trick for Europe and the United States to trick Asian and African countries into keeping backward.

When any form of leadership feels insecure it points to external forces as the issue, this is as true of democracy as it is any form of government. The difference is that generally within a proper democracy, people, media and more are free to point out internal issues as the problem to counter nationalistic and belligerent statements by leaders seeking to buttress their hold on power.

That is why democracy has a far greater ability to evolve, adapt and reinvent.

Hence the CCP and HK government like to say that the HK protestors were simply paid for by the CIA, or that foreign interests are using HK as a pawn - and that may or may not be true but it certainly doesn't reflect the feeling of people in HK, who really couldn't care if China and other nations are using the issue to make their political points.

We don't want propaganda in our schools, we don't want the CCP to be able to simply whisk away people from HK because they dare to insult Xi Jinping, we don't want the rule of law undermined by the personal whims of a dictator, we don't want the media to be muzzled and ordered to toe the party line.

China's economic rise is a result of massive FDI into China on the promise of open and reform. That was, shakily, occurring until Xi Jinping took back powers not seen since Mao Zedong. There's a reason Deng Xiaopeng set two term limits, he'd suffered the effects of power accrued to one dictator.

Frankly, there probably wasn't much difference between democracy and internal voting in leadership through CCP ranks. The best and most innovative years of the CCP was probably mid-90's to 2010, China won the Olympics, joined WTO..

..now it's closing again, policy is set according to the personal sensitivities of a one-man dictatorship and the troubles China is facing, from HK to rising global distrust, is a result of that one-man dictatorship.

China currently crows about the the perceived decline of the West, however I'd place my bets on a system that can evolve and change over a system that is bound for stagnation as Xi Jinping, naturally and inevitably, focuses more and more on his own personal power and paranoia creeps in.. for that is the way of dictators and China will suffer accordingly.

Then don’t rush to conclusions,
Now that the world is facing a crisis, let us see how democracy will play.

[Necroghastia]

The problem with this is you can take any country's history to a certain point in time and say 'based on my understanding I can't see how a better...'

Up until the first world war and a bit beyond, most of Europe had royal families as a key part of government, as that fell there was a struggle between communism, fascism and democracy. Pretty sure much of Europe is better off for going with democracy.

Of course there's the self-defeating belief that 'Asians can't handle democracy', which is clearly bullshit and kind of a sad self-indictment*.. but there's no way to say that proper representative government wouldn't be better for China given it hasn't gone through it.

Seems to be working for Taiwan, other than efforts by China to undermine it.

*speaking of which one reason I hear for people choosing Sinovac is that it's 60% strength, whereas Pfizer is 90% strength, and Asian's can't take 90% so Sinovac is better suited for Asians, which is not only a complete misunderstanding of the word 'efficacy' but, again, speaks to this weird inferiority complex people have that ties into the idea Asians can't handle democracy.

Anyway, in HK they're now demanding contract workers for the civil service must swear allegiance to the National Security Law, not actual workers, just part time contract workers.. it's like just forcing us all to say some words will change our minds..

Of course Europe is good for dealing with democracy, because Europe has supported democracy by plundering a lot of wealth through colonialism.
If we look at the democratic trends in the countries of Eastern Europe that are not rich enough now, and the reactions of Europe and the United States in the refugee tide, we can understand that when the country’s wealth is not enough, democracy will be shaky.
Of course, people in Africa and Asia did not handle democracy well, because their wealth has been plundered by Europe and the United States. Don’t you understand this by how the vaccine is been used in this epidemic?
From what I have seen, democracy is nothing but a trick for Europe and the United States to trick Asian and African countries into keeping backward.

So you're saying China is not a wealthy country? China is weak?

[Austria-Bohemia-Hungary]

Of course Europe is good for dealing with democracy, because Europe has supported democracy by plundering a lot of wealth through colonialism.
If we look at the democratic trends in the countries of Eastern Europe that are not rich enough now, and the reactions of Europe and the United States in the refugee tide, we can understand that when the country’s wealth is not enough, democracy will be shaky.
Of course, people in Africa and Asia did not handle democracy well, because their wealth has been plundered by Europe and the United States. Don’t you understand this by how the vaccine is been used in this epidemic?
From what I have seen, democracy is nothing but a trick for Europe and the United States to trick Asian and African countries into keeping backward.

So you're saying China is not a wealthy country? China is weak?

I mean it's the whole Century of Humiliation shtick. Or: Point at external foe and go "Look at how bad they are! (Also ignore the shithole y'all are currently labouring under)"

[Bombadil]

There have been 34,000 applications for a new visa for people from Hong Kong seeking residency in the UK in just two months, the Home Office has revealed.

This compares with applications for visas of any type by just 5,354 EU citizens in the first three months of the year, including as short-term visitors. There were also 26,903 applications for asylum relating to 32,411 people in the UK in the whole of the year ending March.

Link

My neighbours are asking about migrating, they have two kids.. pretty much anyone with kids would leave if they can, I imagine this number will grow strongly once travel is a little more open. That will be accompanied by teachers, doctors, nurses and lawyers..

..the right to gather in Victoria Park to remember Tiananmen has also been denied by the police for the second year running. I doubt it will ever be allowed again.

[Willtime]

Of course Europe is good for dealing with democracy, because Europe has supported democracy by plundering a lot of wealth through colonialism.
If we look at the democratic trends in the countries of Eastern Europe that are not rich enough now, and the reactions of Europe and the United States in the refugee tide, we can understand that when the country’s wealth is not enough, democracy will be shaky.
Of course, people in Africa and Asia did not handle democracy well, because their wealth has been plundered by Europe and the United States. Don’t you understand this by how the vaccine is been used in this epidemic?
From what I have seen, democracy is nothing but a trick for Europe and the United States to trick Asian and African countries into keeping backward.

So you're saying China is not a wealthy country? China is weak?

Yes.
China is weak.
We have more than 1,300,000,000 people.
US has more than 330,000,000.Nearly 25%.

We have a GDP about 14,000,000,000,000
US has a GPD about 21,000,000,000,000.Nearly 150%.

So US is six times richer than China.
Obviously,China is weak.

[Bombadil]

In another fascinatingly intelligent move bound to gain sympathy for the government..

Senior global bankers can now travel to and from Hong Kong a little easier after the government offered an exemption to the city’s strict quarantine rules.

Executives at financial companies licensed by Hong Kong’s Securities and Futures Commission can apply to travel in and out of the city without needing to stay in a hotel for 21 days, the current norm for people arriving there, the regulator said on Friday. The rule change also applies to executives at overseas affiliate firms.

Link