Monday, August 19, 2019

Michael Yon on Hong Kong

Seen on Instapundit—Michael Yon writes from Hong Kong:

Yesterday’s protest was massive. I have not even slept yet. Estimated 1.7m people. Crowds are notoriously difficult to estimate, but I will confirm it was absolutely massive, stretching for miles in pouring rain.

Hong Kong is China’s brain tumor. Do nothing... tumor grows. Operate... the procedure could kill the communist party.

This is very serious, Gentlemen. Do not underestimate what is happening here.
While I wince at the use of "brain tumor" as a metaphor, I admit it may be an apt one. At the same time, it could be that Yon is being overly dramatic: could these protests, however massive they might eventually become, really derail Beijing's communists? I seriously doubt that. If there's one resource China has in abundance, it's manpower, and once the troops come pouring into the streets of Hong Kong, as I'm sure they eventually will, it'll only be a matter of two decades before we're hearing, "What protests in Hong Kong?"—with everything happening now only a fading memory. It'll be Tiananmen all over again, with China's citizens either none the wiser or willfully ignorant.



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