I want to make the case that Hong Kong and the current political crisis in the city matters, regardless of where you are. What is going in Hong Kong cannot be isolated, cannot be thought to not matter to us all. We should all be frightened and angry, and we should all care. Why? Because the political crisis in Hong Kong right now demonstrates what the future may hold – that is, if the Chinese government has any say in what that future will be.
Let me put it this way: Do you believe that the Chinese government will cease to be a major player in world politics in the near future? If yes, then the ongoing political conflict, the police violence, and the suppression of human rights in Hong Kong doesn’t matter. Then the political unrest in Hong Kong is an isolated incident – a one-off that has no significant impact on the rest of the world, including what you regard as your world, wherever it may be. If you predict that the future will be a future free of China’s influence, then I understand why you aren’t scared, why you aren’t worried, and why you aren’t enraged on behalf of Hong Kong people, or in the name of basic human rights. I understand you. I also envy you.
Let me put it this way: Do you believe that the Chinese government will cease to be a major player in world politics in the near future? If yes, then the ongoing political conflict, the police violence, and the suppression of human rights in Hong Kong doesn’t matter. Then the political unrest in Hong Kong is an isolated incident – a one-off that has no significant impact on the rest of the world, including what you regard as your world, wherever it may be. If you predict that the future will be a future free of China’s influence, then I understand why you aren’t scared, why you aren’t worried, and why you aren’t enraged on behalf of Hong Kong people, or in the name of basic human rights. I understand you. I also envy you.
