Generational Dynamics World View

[John J. Xenakis]

** 11-Nov-2019 World View: Violence increases sharply in Hong Kong

• A protester is detained by police Monday in Hong Kong. (AP)

Following the worst weekend of violence in Hong Kong since the
pro-democracy protests began 24 weeks ago, there were further major
acts of violence on Monday.

Police have been using massive amounts of tear gas, but on Monday
there was a major escalation when the police used live fire and shot a
protester in the stomach. The Hong Kong hospital authority said the
person was initially in critical condition but was stable after
surgery.

In a second incident, caught on video, a pro-Bejing man argued with a
group of young people. Someone doused him with a liquid and struck a
lighter. The man was engulfed in flames, and is in critical
condition.

Hong Kong’s leader Carrie Lam gave a press conference in which she
promised to “spare no effort” to halt anti-government protests. She
said the following:

Quote: "I do not want to go into details, but I just want to
make it very clear that we will spare no effort in finding ways
and means that could end the violence in Hong Kong as soon as
possible.

If there is still any wishful thinking that, by escalating
violence, the Hong Kong SAR [Special Administrative
Region]government will yield to pressure to satisfy the so-called
political demands, I am making this statement clear and loud here:
That will not happen.

These rioters’ actions have far exceeded their demands, and they
are enemies of the people."

Lam did not say what steps will be taken to end the protests.

As I've written in the past, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)
absolutely does not want to initiate military action with the Chinese
army. They could not solve the problem any better than the Hong Kong
police can, and the CCP would be blamed for massive amounts of
violence, all caught on video.

An army intervention would also create a massive international
backlash of criticism. It would also make it impossible for Trump to
agree to a trade deal that China desperately wants.

On the other hand, there is no chance that the protests will fizzle
out and die. They are being fueled by two major immutables:

• Every young Hong Konger knows that if he brings children into
  the world, they will become brutally controlled by the CCP starting in
  2047.
  
  
• The Hong Kong protests are along the same fault line as the last
  two massive , full-scale anti-government rebellion, the Taiping
  Rebellion (1852-64), and Mao's Communist Revolution
  (1934-49).

The CCP are well aware of these issues, but don't know what to do
about them. The only thing that's certain is that, whatever they do,
they will make the problem worse.

---- Sources:

-- Hong Kong leader suggests harsher crackdown on protests after
especially violent day
https://www.marketwatch.com/story/hong-k...2019-11-11
(MktWat/AP, 11-Nov-2019)

-- Hong Kong’s Violence Will Get Worse
https://foreignpolicy.com/2019/11/11/pol...get-worse/
(ForeignPolicy, 11-Nov-2019)

-- 2047 / The Date Hong Kong Protesters Can’t Escape
https://www.theatlantic.com/internationa...47/601768/
(Atlantic, 11-Nov-2019)

---- Related:

** 2-Oct-19 World View -- Teenage protester shot by policeman in Hong Kong's worst day of violence
** http://www.generationaldynamics.com/pg/x...tm#e191002


** 22-Jun-19 World View -- Hong Kong protests show historic split between northern and southern China
** http://www.generationaldynamics.com/pg/x...tm#e190622