Once again, our society has shown great hypocrisy. The country just got finished encouraging violent protests in Hong Kong and even though the two events are very similar, they are being covered completely differently in the media, government, and society in general.

I cannot find a single article that referred to Hong Kong as a "riot" even though the same tactics were used. The US government officially condoned the Hong Kong "protests".

https://www.npr.org/2019/11/28/783529916/trump-angers-china-by-signing-law-backing-hong-kong-protesters
and acted quickly to disarm the hong kong police by banning sales of crowd management equipment like teargas, and rubber bullets.
https://mcgovern.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=398401

I don't remember anyone calling for the protesters to "go home" or "stop the violence". In fact, Americans were expected to support the protests and boycott any company that didn't voice support for them.

Quote :

"As the protests dragged on, confrontations escalated as both sides became increasingly violent. The number of police brutality and misconduct allegations increased.[50][51][52] Some protesters escalated their use of radical methods such as throwing petrol bombs,[53][50] conducting vigilante attacks against perceived provocateurs,[54][55] and vandalising supposed pro-Beijing entities.[56] Rifts within society widened as activists from both sides assaulted each other, with lawmakers from both sides and protest organisers being attacked or intimidated.[57][54] Two student deaths as well as the shooting of an unarmed protester in November 2019 further intensified the protests. Protesters' occupation of two university campuses to block key thoroughfares ended with sieges by authorities and resulted in many injuries and arrests.[58]"

Where were the calls for everyone in Hong Kong to "go home"? If violent protests were the answer in hong kong, then "violence is never the answer" is a lie. This is further evidence that the country will empathize with people on the other side of the world before POC living right here.

5/30/2020 1:59:31 PM

why do you do this to yourself

5/30/2020 2:02:41 PM

Actually this is a great point and great thread. Right wingers and liberals praised HK protestors for their incredible ingenuity while they fired flaming arrows at police. Meanwhile black people and their allies destroy some property and the concern flags start flying.

Quote :

"This is further evidence that the country will empathize with people on the other side of the world before POC living right here."

This is only true when it's politically convenient for our leadership, tho

[Edited on May 30, 2020 at 5:32 PM. Reason : .]

5/30/2020 5:24:44 PM

As someone with intimate first hand knowledge of the HK protests, I completely agree with this -- but with daaave's caveat/qualification at the end of his post, because otherwise screw anybody fighting for their rights if they have nothing to offer in return -- and yes, it does bring up a very good point, as daaave said.

5/30/2020 5:39:17 PM

I side with the protesters goals. But flaming arrows? That's insane criminality, just like looting a store.

5/30/2020 7:53:28 PM

A man murdered his girlfriend in Taiwan and returned to Hong Kong. Chinese and Hong Kong governments wrote up an exemption where suspects involved in extreme cases could be extradited to China. Some in Hong Kong saw this as a backdoor and started protesting. There was a small group of violent extremists within that group that garnered massive support and resources from the West to spread their message and the violence spread as a result.

6/1/2020 12:46:23 PM

Quote :

""While no one condones looting, on the other hand, one can understand the pent-up feelings that may result from decades of repression and people who have had members of their family killed by that regime, for them to be taking their feelings out on that regime.""

- DONALD RUMSFIELD, 2003

https://twitter.com/People4Bernie/status/1267123112266457091



When citizens use their collective power to enable US corporate/capitalist interests = Good

When citizens use their collective power to oppose US corporate/capitalist interests = Bad

6/1/2020 1:44:49 PM

This belongs here I think
https://twitter.com/keywilliamss/status/1267985651951038464?s=21

6/3/2020 1:00:54 AM

Good analysis. Read it all.

George Floyd death: China takes a victory lap over US protests
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-52912241

6/5/2020 1:47:55 PM

https://twitter.com/RBReich/status/1268981600554901504

Quote :

"Robert Reich @RBReich So let me get this straight: it’s okay to use tear gas agaisnt peaceful protestors in the United States, but we banned export of tear gas to Hong Kong so it can’t be used against protestors there?"

[Edited on June 5, 2020 at 3:06 PM. Reason : ]

6/5/2020 3:01:18 PM

HK and Minneapolis protests are totally different.

6/8/2020 10:50:40 AM

^^Feels good to know Robert Reich reads my tweets

6/10/2020 2:01:12 PM

^I think this guy is delusional. Or a narcissist at the least. Makes sense that he likes Trump.

6/10/2020 2:05:07 PM