The problem with the UK is that if you go outside the London Area the rest of the UK is basically poorer than the poorest state in the US. The increased cost of energy has also led to an increase in the basic cost of living overall. The Brits can't build anything worth a damn. Neither high speed rail nor the nuclear reactors which they needed like two years ago. Since they stopped building government housing when Thacher came in, housing construction is also basically insignificant. So people live in ancient houses with poor insulation and tiny rooms. If they have a house at all.
Hong-Kong Protests
- Thread starter Pika
- Start date
Based on the Bloomberg report, it appears that the CCP has learned from the painful lesson of 1989. Yes, rolling in tanks put an end to the pro-democracy protest and exiled all of the rebels, but it also resulted in a permanent ideological/security divide with the West, as well as an overseas pro-democracy Chinese community that has grown stronger since 1989. However, based on the Bloomberg report, it appears that the Party REALLY won for the time (compared to 1989) because 1) national security law implemented nonetheless, plus Article 23 is likely to be adopted, so Hong Kong will cease being an important node for Western intelligence agencies; 2) Hong Kongers are flocking to the Mainland in spite of ideological divide (Bloomberg's point), which benefit Mainland businesses in Shenzhen and Dongguan; 3) Foreign businesses are not leaving Hong Kong like they are with the Mainland, so HK can continue to play its role as a unique international city with an amicable regulatory environment for foreign businesses that want to access the Chinese market but do not want to suffer the wrath of the CCP; 4) Whilst HK remains an international city amicable to international investors, its increasing dependence on the Greater Bay Area will likely increase Beijing's leverage over Hong Kong's business class and ruling elites; 5) The combination of the factor above will seriously weaken Hong Kong's pro-democracy/independence groups.
I currently live in London. Place is a living nightmare. Crackhead city.
Cousin lives near Cambridge and the place is absolutely immaculate, asides the odd joe here and there...
But London? I would be damned if I could describe it as anything other than a bowl of urine.
Nah, they also won in 1989.
The victory just wasn't as 'pretty' or 'absolute' (did have some outside/external consequences).
The victory in Hong Kong was also not flawless (afterall it happened, and got the media attention mostly in the west), but still quite a lot better than the one in 1989.
That's the thing with having lots of wealth in a country with poorly functioning social democracy. I doubt London is worse in that regard than New York or San Francisco. Much of the wealth in London is also just parked foreign money and that doesn't filter down to the population.
It is true that there are good spots here and there outside London. Cambridge is one of them because of the universities and the businesses which started out of the university. For example ARM and Imagination Technologies are located in that area.
The one quote where the guy says the government is meaningless in day to day life is something I always point out too.
It's pretty absurd that the media talks about "crushing dissent" and all this nonsense, when it really amounts to nothing in terms of someone's day to day life. Just some insane hyperbole.
AKA zhangjim, lol
This is laughable. The pro-democracy community is the weakest it has ever been. The only people who believe in it are the young (naive) overseas born who mostly don't speak or read any Chinese. Otherwise most middle age to older are wondering why so-called democracy can't build high speed rail across the country, can't get improve the opioid problem, can't improve the homeless situation, calling all Chinese people spies, fighting wars all the time, etc.
AssassinsMace
Lieutenant General
It only reinforces to me how not all Asians are smart like the stereotype says. It only says they're all a bunch of mindless lemmings. I think it was in this forum someone posted a past video of Hong Kong pro-democracy protestors being interviewed by Western journalists on the contradiction of the protestors attacking people just for not siding with them or weren't deemed as one of them and they acted like a bunch a sociopaths not knowing the difference between right and wrong. Then you have Jimmy Lai calling for the US to nuke China without provocation... Did he bother to think how the US would be hit in a counterstrike? I bet he didn't. I wouldn't mind seeing them get massacred.
No, most HKers are still liberals (and many still have wet dreams about independence). And they prefer to be ruled by the Brits if given the option. Now they have NO option because HK has been returned to China since 1997, and Xi only reinforced this sovereign control with the 2020 national security law. HK is also not Taiwan. Taiwan is defended by a natural moat called the Taiwan Strait, whilst Taiwan's semiconductor industries give the US and Japan plenty of incentives to defend Taiwan. HK has no industries Western nations are dependent upon, whilst it shares a land border with Mainland China (no wonder Deng threatened Thatcher with an invasion, HK was simply not defensible even in the 80s). Should war break out, the banks could simply relocate to Singapore, Shenzhen, Shanghai, or Tokyo if push comes to shove, but most of them prefer to stay in Hong Kong as of now since they still want to access the Chinese market (but not having to abide by the PRC's regulations). As with HKers, they have no control over their destinies. Great powers and capital decide their fate. If there were one hypothesis why HKers are now partying and shopping in China, it is because they have finally realised that they have no control over their destinies and were simply pawns to be thrown around in great power politics. And if Mainland China offers cheaper food and apartment, so be it. At least they could have peace by doing business with Shenzhen for now. Pragmatism does not equal to loyalty or identity affiliation.
Loyalty and identity affiliation will come with time.
Especially for next/newer generation, and even for older generation as they grow up/time passes (not all of them ofc, but quite a lot, especially as they get to hear more stories of HKers that are having bad time in foreign countries like UK, whether that be from returning or online stories from family/friends or media).
You were naive about crime in major American cities. Now you understand what it is really like, and the kind of precautions you need to take. Stay far away from any crowds/crowded streets (but also away from any seemingly empty/isolated streets). Always maintain at least arm's length distance from any and all people. Ideally at least several arm's lengths except when crossing paths. Keep phone/wallet/keys only in deep front pocket with zipper/button. Never in open pocket/back pocket/open bag. If you have no clothes that support that, then you need to add to/change your wardrobe. I.e., if you wear a suit/vest then store them in your inside-facing chest pocket with button. If you don't wear a suit/vest and your pants don't support this carrying style, then store them deep in a backpack/messenger bag.