Mencius Moldbugman

1. Positions in HK seem to have hardened. 2. Solutions have to be found, both for the socio economic issues and the political issues.

3. HK will need a supportive China to deal with the problems. Solutions need to work for both HK and China. There is going to be a need to compromise.

4. On the political issues: Defiance has been demonstrated towards PRC state symbols like the crest and flag. Agitation has been targeted in Mandarin at PRC residents in the hope that they will take it back to China. Singing the US anthem is not going to help. I am worried for HK

5. Hong Kong is part of China. Beijing will expect Hong Kong to adapt to the political structure that prevails in China.

6. Some of the protestors seem to think that China will allow a very different system in Hong Kong. That is wishful thinking replacing reality. You sing the US National Anthem, you speak in Mandarin and tell the Chinese tourists to go back and take these ideas back to China...

... The leaders could think Hong Kong is just the start, for something that some people want to hope to start in the rest of China.

7. How will China's leaders look at it? They will say this aims at the Communist Party's rule in China. Are they going to accept that?

8. China's system selects very competent people in government. And over 35 years, it has uplifted more than 500, 600 million people out of poverty. No country has done that in history, in 35 years. Not enough credit has been given for that success...