3 ms·

I wouldn't say that. I would argue this is a lot more like the WW1 relationship to WW2. The events are related to how the Chinese leadership feels pressure from

I wouldn't say that. I would argue this is a lot more like the WW1 relationship to WW2. The events are related to how the Chinese leadership feels pressure from their public to perform and stand up to adversaries. In short, China's leadership today has pressure to right historical wrongs. We, as Westerners, should work to understand them so that we can make sense of their behavior as a nation state. China has two major historical enemies with wrongs that the leadership can stand up to: (1) The UK for the opium wars (and the 100 year fallout). (2) Japan for WW2 (and, you know, the whole genocide / killing babies for sport thing). When the CCP does anything involving these two nations, you can always assume the history and the pressure on the leadership is a factor.

jacquesm 5y ago
> The events are related to how the Chinese leadership feels pressure from their public to perform and stand up to adversaries. The Hong Kong public disagrees with this, and does not see themselves as 'adversaries'.
- champagnois 5y ago
  I know that taking things in context in this way is unpopular among folks who are looking to just sling mud at China. I aim only to provide further context to the intellectually curious who may be wondering how or why. My posts do not justify or take a side, they merely aim to provide a more expert understanding of the motives and reality.
  - jacquesm 5y ago
    > My posts do not justify or take a side They actually do, and consistently so. You are from where I'm sitting consistently arguing China's case without a word of consideration for the people of Hong Kong.
Paradigma11 5y ago
I am more and more convinced that all this historical and revanchist arguments are just convenient post hoc justifications for existing autocratic and imperialistic tendencies. The case of HK fits perfectly with the general development in china but it is supposed to be because of the opium wars? With a country like china which claims thousands of years of history you can always find historical pretext for anything and everything.

jacquesm 5y ago

> The events are related to how the Chinese leadership feels pressure from their public to perform and stand up to adversaries. The Hong Kong public disagrees with this, and does not see themselves as 'adversaries'.

champagnois 5y ago
I know that taking things in context in this way is unpopular among folks who are looking to just sling mud at China. I aim only to provide further context to the intellectually curious who may be wondering how or why. My posts do not justify or take a side, they merely aim to provide a more expert understanding of the motives and reality.
- jacquesm 5y ago
  > My posts do not justify or take a side They actually do, and consistently so. You are from where I'm sitting consistently arguing China's case without a word of consideration for the people of Hong Kong.

Paradigma11 5y ago

I am more and more convinced that all this historical and revanchist arguments are just convenient post hoc justifications for existing autocratic and imperialistic tendencies. The case of HK fits perfectly with the general development in china but it is supposed to be because of the opium wars? With a country like china which claims thousands of years of history you can always find historical pretext for anything and everything.