12-09-2019, 12:20 AM
*** 9-Dec-19 World View -- Hong Kong holds massive peaceful pro-democracy demonstration
This morning's key headlines from GenerationalDynamics.com
****
**** Hong Kong holds massive peaceful pro-democracy demonstration
****
![[Image: g191208b.jpg]](http://Media.GenerationalDynamics.com/ww2010/g191208b.jpg)
Hong Kong November 24 election -- summary of results
Hong Kongers filled the streets on Sunday with a massive peaceful
pro-democracy demonstration. According to organizers, the size
of the protest was 800,000, although the police estimated 300,000.
Unlike other recent protests, the crowd was filled with children and
families, and there was almost no violence.
In previous recent demonstrations, protesters have vandalized public
buildings belonging to the government or private buildings belonging
to mainland businesses. The also blocked streets and shut down the
public transit system. This has had the effect, since the protests
began six months ago, of bringing Hong Kong's economy to its knees,
as the protests became more violent each week.
However, Sunday's protests were like the initial peaceful
demonstrations six months ago. Furthermore, activists had called for
a citywide strike on Monday, but no such strike occurred.
Pro-democracy demonstrators were apparently placated by the November
24 local council elections, where pro-democracy candidates won a
stunning landslide victory, as summarized by the chart above. More
than half of the 452 seats switched from pro-Beijing to pro-democracy,
giving pro-democratic forces control of 17 out of 18 district
councils. The election also saw record high voter turnout with 4.1
million registered voters, a 71% increase since the last election
cycle in 2015.
****
**** Protesters renew their 'five demands, not one less' chants
****
While Sunday's protests were peaceful, it was undoubtedly infuriating
to Chinese Communist Party (CCP) officials in Beijing that many
protesters were waving US flags and singing "Glory to Hong Kong."
The original protests were triggered by a proposed "extradition bill"
that would have allowed any Hong Kong citizens accused of a crime to
be extradited to China with no hearing, where they would be at the
complete mercy of the CCP, and it's record of torture and indefinite
jailing for anything deemed to be political opposition to the CCP.
Hong Kong's leader, Carrie Lam, took several months to agree to
withdraw the extradition bill. Some people believe that if she had
taken that step immediately, then the protests would have fizzled.
But the long delays triggered increasingly strident demands, and the
number of demands increased to five.
The five demands are as follows: withdraw the extradition bill
completely (this has been accomplished); do not classify past
demonstrations as riots; drop all charges against those arrested in
relation to the protests; set up an independent commission to
investigate the use of force by the police; and call for fully
democratic elections for the Legislative Council and the chief
executive.
The CCP will never agree to the last two of the demands. If the CCP
and Carrie Lam were smart, they would find a way to agree to the
second and third demands, as a way of reducing tensions. But as I've
said many times, the CCP do one stupid thing after another, and you
can be sure that whatever they do in Hong Kong will only make things
worse.
****
**** The CCP fights the democracy 'ideology' with the Patriotic Education Campaign
****
Instead, according to news reports, Carrie Lam has found the solution:
To increase patriotic education in schools, so that protesters will
understand the advantages of Communism.
The fact that CCP leaders even think that this kind of reeducation
program could ever work explains how stupid CCP officials are, and why
they consistently get everything wrong. This is such an incredibly
stupid idea, that only the CCP would think of it. It's like trying to
end race riots in the United States by teaching black children in
schools how to be more white.
CCP officials do not view "democracy" as a form of government.
They view it as an ideology that is opposed to the communist ideology
and can bring down the CCP, just as it brought down the Soviet
Communist Party in 1991. The CCP view is that they must crush
the democracy ideology, or the democracy ideology will crush them.
After the 1989 Tiananmen Square pro-democracy protests and the
subsequent massacres of thousands of college students by security
police, the CCP saw that the use of the democracy "ideology" brought
about the 1991 collapse of Soviet communism, and they realized that it
might happen to them.
In the 1990s, the CCP launched the Patriotic Education Campaign, a
propaganda campaign designed to teach school students to reject the
"democracy" ideology, and instead to adopt a highly vitriolic form of
anti-Japan hatred as the ideology replacing the democracy ideology.
As I explained in detail in my book, "War between China and Japan,"
this vitriolic and nationalistic campaign anti-Japan hate campaign,
which has continued to today, is the crucible of the coming war
between China and Japan.
At the same time in the 1990s, Socialism with Chinese Characteristics
began to take on a whole new and far darker and more sinister meaning.
Any criticism of the CCP leadership could lead to torture, rape and
jailing. Any serious adoption of any religious "ideology"
(Christianity, Buddhism, Islam, Daoism) would be treated the same way.
So today, the CCP sees the hated democracy "ideology" rapidly
gaining ground in Hong Kong and Taiwan. However, they don't know
what to do about it since, as stupid as the CCP leaders are, even they
realize that a violent response in Hong Kong could trigger a widespread
rebellion among Cantonese speakers in southern China, and a military
invasion of Taiwan would trigger a war with the United States that
they're not yet fully prepared for.
So the peaceful demonstrations this weeked were a welcome respite from
the violence, and most people hope that the peace will last a while.
However, 2020 promises to be a time of renewed violence in Hong Kong,
and the CCP will be running out of options.
John Xenakis is author of: "World View: War Between China and Japan:
Why America Must Be Prepared" (Generational Theory Book Series, Book
2), June 2019, Paperback: 331 pages, with over 200 source references,
$13.99 https://www.amazon.com/dp/1732738637/
Sources:
Related Articles:
KEYS: Generational Dynamics, China, Hong Kong, five demands,
extradition bill, democracy ideology, Carrie Lam,
Tiananmen Square massacre, Soviet Union collapse,
Patriotic Education Campaign, Taiwan,
Socialism with Chinese Characteristics
Permanent web link to this article
Receive daily World View columns by e-mail
Contribute to Generational Dynamics via PayPal
John J. Xenakis
100 Memorial Drive Apt 8-13A
Cambridge, MA 02142
Phone: 617-864-0010
E-mail: john@GenerationalDynamics.com
Web site: http://www.GenerationalDynamics.com
Forum: http://www.gdxforum.com/forum
Subscribe to World View: http://generationaldynamics.com/subscribe
This morning's key headlines from GenerationalDynamics.com
- Hong Kong holds massive peaceful pro-democracy demonstration
- Protesters renew their 'five demands, not one less' chants
- The CCP fights the democracy 'ideology' with the Patriotic Education Campaign
****
**** Hong Kong holds massive peaceful pro-democracy demonstration
****
Hong Kong November 24 election -- summary of results
Hong Kongers filled the streets on Sunday with a massive peaceful
pro-democracy demonstration. According to organizers, the size
of the protest was 800,000, although the police estimated 300,000.
Unlike other recent protests, the crowd was filled with children and
families, and there was almost no violence.
In previous recent demonstrations, protesters have vandalized public
buildings belonging to the government or private buildings belonging
to mainland businesses. The also blocked streets and shut down the
public transit system. This has had the effect, since the protests
began six months ago, of bringing Hong Kong's economy to its knees,
as the protests became more violent each week.
However, Sunday's protests were like the initial peaceful
demonstrations six months ago. Furthermore, activists had called for
a citywide strike on Monday, but no such strike occurred.
Pro-democracy demonstrators were apparently placated by the November
24 local council elections, where pro-democracy candidates won a
stunning landslide victory, as summarized by the chart above. More
than half of the 452 seats switched from pro-Beijing to pro-democracy,
giving pro-democratic forces control of 17 out of 18 district
councils. The election also saw record high voter turnout with 4.1
million registered voters, a 71% increase since the last election
cycle in 2015.
****
**** Protesters renew their 'five demands, not one less' chants
****
While Sunday's protests were peaceful, it was undoubtedly infuriating
to Chinese Communist Party (CCP) officials in Beijing that many
protesters were waving US flags and singing "Glory to Hong Kong."
The original protests were triggered by a proposed "extradition bill"
that would have allowed any Hong Kong citizens accused of a crime to
be extradited to China with no hearing, where they would be at the
complete mercy of the CCP, and it's record of torture and indefinite
jailing for anything deemed to be political opposition to the CCP.
Hong Kong's leader, Carrie Lam, took several months to agree to
withdraw the extradition bill. Some people believe that if she had
taken that step immediately, then the protests would have fizzled.
But the long delays triggered increasingly strident demands, and the
number of demands increased to five.
The five demands are as follows: withdraw the extradition bill
completely (this has been accomplished); do not classify past
demonstrations as riots; drop all charges against those arrested in
relation to the protests; set up an independent commission to
investigate the use of force by the police; and call for fully
democratic elections for the Legislative Council and the chief
executive.
The CCP will never agree to the last two of the demands. If the CCP
and Carrie Lam were smart, they would find a way to agree to the
second and third demands, as a way of reducing tensions. But as I've
said many times, the CCP do one stupid thing after another, and you
can be sure that whatever they do in Hong Kong will only make things
worse.
****
**** The CCP fights the democracy 'ideology' with the Patriotic Education Campaign
****
Instead, according to news reports, Carrie Lam has found the solution:
To increase patriotic education in schools, so that protesters will
understand the advantages of Communism.
The fact that CCP leaders even think that this kind of reeducation
program could ever work explains how stupid CCP officials are, and why
they consistently get everything wrong. This is such an incredibly
stupid idea, that only the CCP would think of it. It's like trying to
end race riots in the United States by teaching black children in
schools how to be more white.
CCP officials do not view "democracy" as a form of government.
They view it as an ideology that is opposed to the communist ideology
and can bring down the CCP, just as it brought down the Soviet
Communist Party in 1991. The CCP view is that they must crush
the democracy ideology, or the democracy ideology will crush them.
After the 1989 Tiananmen Square pro-democracy protests and the
subsequent massacres of thousands of college students by security
police, the CCP saw that the use of the democracy "ideology" brought
about the 1991 collapse of Soviet communism, and they realized that it
might happen to them.
In the 1990s, the CCP launched the Patriotic Education Campaign, a
propaganda campaign designed to teach school students to reject the
"democracy" ideology, and instead to adopt a highly vitriolic form of
anti-Japan hatred as the ideology replacing the democracy ideology.
As I explained in detail in my book, "War between China and Japan,"
this vitriolic and nationalistic campaign anti-Japan hate campaign,
which has continued to today, is the crucible of the coming war
between China and Japan.
At the same time in the 1990s, Socialism with Chinese Characteristics
began to take on a whole new and far darker and more sinister meaning.
Any criticism of the CCP leadership could lead to torture, rape and
jailing. Any serious adoption of any religious "ideology"
(Christianity, Buddhism, Islam, Daoism) would be treated the same way.
So today, the CCP sees the hated democracy "ideology" rapidly
gaining ground in Hong Kong and Taiwan. However, they don't know
what to do about it since, as stupid as the CCP leaders are, even they
realize that a violent response in Hong Kong could trigger a widespread
rebellion among Cantonese speakers in southern China, and a military
invasion of Taiwan would trigger a war with the United States that
they're not yet fully prepared for.
So the peaceful demonstrations this weeked were a welcome respite from
the violence, and most people hope that the peace will last a while.
However, 2020 promises to be a time of renewed violence in Hong Kong,
and the CCP will be running out of options.
John Xenakis is author of: "World View: War Between China and Japan:
Why America Must Be Prepared" (Generational Theory Book Series, Book
2), June 2019, Paperback: 331 pages, with over 200 source references,
$13.99 https://www.amazon.com/dp/1732738637/
Sources:
- Hong Kong Election Results (Maps On The Web, 28-Nov-2019)
- Biggest Hong Kong Protest in Months Signals More Unrest in 2020 (Bloomberg, 8-Dec-2019)
- Beijing’s Solution to Hong Kong’s Protests: More Patriotism (Atlantic, 8-Dec-2019)
- What people in Hong Kong are saying after six months of demonstrations (Reuters, 8-Dec-2019)
- Hong Kong protesters stay at home as citywide strike turns out to be non-event, day after hundreds of thousands took to streets in peaceful protest (South China Morning Post, Hong Kong, 9-Dec-2019)
- Hong Kong sees biggest protests since democrats' election boost (Reuters, 8-Dec-2019)
- Hong Kong march: Thousands join largest pro-democracy rally in months (BBC, 8-Dec-2019)
- Hong Kong will never be Macau. Beijing’s comparison of the two shows it is in denial (South China Morning Post, Hong Kong, 9-Dec-2019)
Related Articles:
- Historic Hong Kong elections throw relations with China mainland into disarray (25-Nov-2019)
- UK-China war of words escalates sharply over Hong Kong riots (04-Jul-2019)
- Hong Kong protests show historic split between northern and southern China (22-Jun-2019)
- China's 'Anti-secession law' provokes massive Taiwan riots (27-Mar-2005)
KEYS: Generational Dynamics, China, Hong Kong, five demands,
extradition bill, democracy ideology, Carrie Lam,
Tiananmen Square massacre, Soviet Union collapse,
Patriotic Education Campaign, Taiwan,
Socialism with Chinese Characteristics
Permanent web link to this article
Receive daily World View columns by e-mail
Contribute to Generational Dynamics via PayPal
John J. Xenakis
100 Memorial Drive Apt 8-13A
Cambridge, MA 02142
Phone: 617-864-0010
E-mail: john@GenerationalDynamics.com
Web site: http://www.GenerationalDynamics.com
Forum: http://www.gdxforum.com/forum
Subscribe to World View: http://generationaldynamics.com/subscribe
