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Hong Kong reminds me a lot of Ukraine. They both want to be 'modern', 'western' and 'special', rejecting the 'backwards' ways of their imperial leaders. Unfor
by Mikeb85 7y ago
Hong Kong reminds me a lot of Ukraine. They both want to be 'modern', 'western' and 'special', rejecting the 'backwards' ways of their imperial leaders. Unfortunately, their economic success was/is wholly dependant on said leaders, and they're shooting themselves in the foot by trying to break away.
No one in the west truly gives a shit about HK or Ukraine. We give them lip-service, but no one will go to war over it. We egg them on to stick it to China/Russia, and they get fucked.
The fact is, Hong Kong's entire success is due to the fact it was an entry point to doing business with China. Protesters have jeopardized that arrangement, Hong Kong will never see the same level of economic success (relative to China) again. Much like Ukraine which, without Russia as a partner, is now one of the poorest countries in Europe with a GDP per capita half that of Belarus', and a quarter of Russia's.
Hong Kongers want to be special, but they're killing the only thing which allowed them to be successful. After these protests simmer down, the west will forget about them again, having never done anything for them in the first place, and they'll be worse off.
- valesco 7y agoThere are certainly people who prefer living in a high GDP country in which they can be 'disappeared' one night along with their family, but I didn't expect to see them on HN.
- camgunz 7y agoI don't think that's exactly what op is getting at. Basically they're saying the west will give token support to HK and hang them out to dry later. They're saying the options aren't freedom vs. tyranny, but rather high vs. low GDP police state.
- Mikeb85 7y agoExactly. Hong Kong's only real choices are to be an exemplary model of the 'two systems one country' model and wait for China to change, or to go against the grain and get crushed. Becoming a 'free', 'western' country is impossible.
- powerapple 7y agoLook at how press covers the story, how can you say no one is giving shit about Hong Kong. No one is giving shit about all other bad things around the world, but Hong Kong is not. It is something to do with China at least. It is a card can be played against China and it will always be people's interests.
- camgunz 7y agoAbsolutely. Every western country should be supporting HK to the fullest right now. This is nothing short of an attack on fundamental human freedoms, and the west should be apopleptic. I'm a westerner, these values are extremely important to me, and I'm deeply embarrassed that we can't get our shit together enough to do anything about this.
- qnsi 7y ago>Ukraine which, without Russia as a partner, is now one of the poorest countries in Europe with a GDP per capita half that of Belarus', and a quarter of Russia's. It was like this before the war. This was a big chance for Ukraine, to integrate with EU and trade with EU mainly not with Russia. Sadly Russian aggression changed that
- Mikeb85 7y agoThe EU was never going to accept Ukraine as a member and never will, and they did reduce trade restrictions, but EU states don't want Ukrainian products. EU farmers already produce too much food, EU states won't eat Ukrainian foodstuffs since Slavic tastes are so different. The EU also doesn't want any more workers immigrating to richer states. Also, Ukraine tried rapprochement with the EU after the Orange Revolution, but again, the west only wanted to use them to get at Russia, not to see them successful. As for Ukraine's economic success, it's always been tied to Russia, and the successive revolutions have not been good for it. That's why every election after failed Euro-optimist governments can't deliver, Ukraine elects a pragmatic President.