I've just made this comment in a discussion at The Conversation, in reply to someone noting the presence of many Christian in the demonstrations in Hong Kong.
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Yes, you make a good point Cxxx.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-06-20/the-christians-behind-the-hong-kong-protests/11224766
It seems the Christian issue has become interwoven, though not the sole or initiating issue... and I'm not aware of Christians from Hong Kong getting into trouble in China just for being Christian.
It's interesting that this democracy movement has emerged in Hong Kong given that Hong Kong has no prior history of such, for a long time a British colony acquired from China through thuggery.
There is a lot of focus on the chief executive, described as appointed by China. The electoral college for the appointment is very complex.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2017_Hong_Kong_Chief_Executive_election
I think it's been a major contributor that Carrie Lam took office with purely administrative background, out of the class of Hong Kong people who presume to rule, and has been shown to lack political skill. And yes, clearly acceptable to Beijing and of course, formally appointed by Beijing as chief executive of a region. I note, without wishing to stretch the comparison, that Australian prime ministers are appointed by the representative of a British monarch.
The reaction in Singapore is interesting. This commentary from a former editor of the [Singapore] Straits Times.
https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3015595/hong-kong-extradition-bill-no-singapore-living-fear-city-ripping
There is anger in Hong Kong at inequality, the disparity between rich and poor increases. I was aware from Hong Kong friends a decade ago that anyone over forty losing a job was unlikely to find another. This is a recent report.
https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/2165872/why-wealth-gap-hong-kongs-disparity-between-rich-and-poor
By and large there is less inequality in mainland China
https://equityhealthj.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12939-017-0640-9
even the worst case Shenzhen, next to Hong Kong, negligible market town before 1980, now population of 12 million.
So I think much of the uproar is about Hong Kong, and neglect of Hong Kong by a Hong Kong government running a huge budget surplus, responsible to a Chinese government claiming it will eliminate poverty by 2020.
There are some remarkable dissident voices in China
http://chinaheritage.net/journal/imminent-fears-immediate-hopes-a-beijing-jeremiad/
The biggest mistake we can make is to think of China as one great authoritarian blob.
https://www.brookings.edu/articles/rule-of-the-rigid-compromiser/
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Yes, you make a good point Cxxx.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-06-20/the-christians-behind-the-hong-kong-protests/11224766
It seems the Christian issue has become interwoven, though not the sole or initiating issue... and I'm not aware of Christians from Hong Kong getting into trouble in China just for being Christian.
It's interesting that this democracy movement has emerged in Hong Kong given that Hong Kong has no prior history of such, for a long time a British colony acquired from China through thuggery.
There is a lot of focus on the chief executive, described as appointed by China. The electoral college for the appointment is very complex.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2017_Hong_Kong_Chief_Executive_election
I think it's been a major contributor that Carrie Lam took office with purely administrative background, out of the class of Hong Kong people who presume to rule, and has been shown to lack political skill. And yes, clearly acceptable to Beijing and of course, formally appointed by Beijing as chief executive of a region. I note, without wishing to stretch the comparison, that Australian prime ministers are appointed by the representative of a British monarch.
The reaction in Singapore is interesting. This commentary from a former editor of the [Singapore] Straits Times.
https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3015595/hong-kong-extradition-bill-no-singapore-living-fear-city-ripping
There is anger in Hong Kong at inequality, the disparity between rich and poor increases. I was aware from Hong Kong friends a decade ago that anyone over forty losing a job was unlikely to find another. This is a recent report.
https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/2165872/why-wealth-gap-hong-kongs-disparity-between-rich-and-poor
By and large there is less inequality in mainland China
https://equityhealthj.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12939-017-0640-9
even the worst case Shenzhen, next to Hong Kong, negligible market town before 1980, now population of 12 million.
So I think much of the uproar is about Hong Kong, and neglect of Hong Kong by a Hong Kong government running a huge budget surplus, responsible to a Chinese government claiming it will eliminate poverty by 2020.
There are some remarkable dissident voices in China
http://chinaheritage.net/journal/imminent-fears-immediate-hopes-a-beijing-jeremiad/
The biggest mistake we can make is to think of China as one great authoritarian blob.
https://www.brookings.edu/articles/rule-of-the-rigid-compromiser/
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