Cryptic, allusive messages from Hong Kong's wealthiest tycoon • Hacker News Board

Re: Cryptic, allusive messages from Hong Kong's wealthiest tycoon

#51

Post by neonIcon » Thu, Aug 22, 2019, 1:13 PM UTC

devoply wrote: post #40

neonIcon wrote: post #33

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Really illustrates the importance of our own second amendment.

Not really, say Texas wanted to declare independence. How long would a Texan militia last against the US military? Modern empires can't be resisted period. It's just a question of whether you want to destroy yourself to keep them from ruling you. In that case they still can't be resisted but at least you deny them their victory. You either belong to one empire or another. The only way for Hong Kong to resist would ha…

Consider if you will how well we fared in Korea, Vietnam, and in the Middle East against farmers and normal folks. As a Texan myself, I'd like to point out that a large percentage of the United States military happens to originate from or was stationed in our great state. I happen to think we would fare quite well in your hypothetical scenario..

Re: Cryptic, allusive messages from Hong Kong's wealthiest tycoon

#52

Post by idlewords » Thu, Aug 22, 2019, 1:13 PM UTC

thecopy wrote: post #4

The impasse Hong Kong finds itself must be solved by the Chief Executive. Her leadership in this matter is severely lacking and one wonders if the has any autonomous power at all, or if its all controlled by Beijing. Especially seeing how she evaded that question quite gracelessly a few days ago when asked by a reporter.

The widespread rumor among the foreign Hong Kong press corps is that Lam has tried several times to resign, and not been permitted to do so.

Re: Cryptic, allusive messages from Hong Kong's wealthiest tycoon

#53

Post by idlewords » Thu, Aug 22, 2019, 1:14 PM UTC

remotecool wrote: post #38

neonIcon wrote: post #33

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Really illustrates the importance of our own second amendment.

This has been my thought too. China is allowing these protests to go on. At any point, they can roll in the tanks, and they will be over. Without meaningful ways to defend themselves, there really is no way to win against the Chinese government.

How do you defend yourself against the Chinese army with just handguns and rifles? You can post the answer here, or better yet, sell it to Taiwan confidentially for billions of dollars.

Re: Cryptic, allusive messages from Hong Kong's wealthiest tycoon

#54

Post by franzwong » Thu, Aug 22, 2019, 1:15 PM UTC

SoylentOrange wrote: post #20

To the Chinese native speakers here on HN: how clear would the message have been to you, if you didn’t read the explanation on this website?

I didn't notice that when I first read it. However, mainland Chinese can get the message easier because they always use this way to avoid the "big brother". Not only politics, Chinese government enforces heavy control on the speech.

Re: Cryptic, allusive messages from Hong Kong's wealthiest tycoon

#55

Post by Udik » Thu, Aug 22, 2019, 1:15 PM UTC

remotecool wrote: post #38

neonIcon wrote: post #33

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Really illustrates the importance of our own second amendment.

This has been my thought too. China is allowing these protests to go on. At any point, they can roll in the tanks, and they will be over. Without meaningful ways to defend themselves, there really is no way to win against the Chinese government.

I hope you're being sarcastic. Partly because the idea of civilians using guns bought at the supermarket to oppose the Chinese army is hilarious; partly because the idea that you need guns to get freedom, is general, even more laughable. Sorry.

Re: Cryptic, allusive messages from Hong Kong's wealthiest tycoon

#56

Post by devoply » Thu, Aug 22, 2019, 1:16 PM UTC

neonIcon wrote: post #51

devoply wrote: post #40

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not really, say Texas wanted to declare independence. How long would a Texan militia last against the US military? Modern empires can't be resisted period. It's just a question of whether you want to destroy yourself to keep them from ruling you. In that case they still can't be resisted but at least you deny them their victory. You either belong to one empire or another. The only way for Hong Kong to resist would ha…

Consider if you will how well we fared in Korea, Vietnam, and in the Middle East against farmers and normal folks. As a Texan myself, I'd like to point out that a large percentage of the United States military happens to originate from or was stationed in our great state. I happen to think we would fare quite well in your hypothetical scenario..

With Korea, the US basically conquered half of it and made it kind of territory or vassal. Vietnam would be the only victory for the belligerent. The Middle East with US intervention is pretty much destroyed, where Iraq is more or less a vassal state and Afghanistan is still out of control but more or less destroyed, and Syria is burning. In foreign cases the invading army will eventually leave the country if you can make victory for them too difficult politically or militarily, not so if the army is domestic.

Re: Cryptic, allusive messages from Hong Kong's wealthiest tycoon

#57

Post by omnimus » Thu, Aug 22, 2019, 1:18 PM UTC

remotecool wrote: post #38

neonIcon wrote: post #33

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Really illustrates the importance of our own second amendment.

This has been my thought too. China is allowing these protests to go on. At any point, they can roll in the tanks, and they will be over. Without meaningful ways to defend themselves, there really is no way to win against the Chinese government.

Public armed with personal arms would change nothing when tanks roll in.

Power of public is in numbers. Revolutions happen when everybody including soldiers become the protesters.

Unfortunately in this media age thats going to be harder and harder.

Re: Cryptic, allusive messages from Hong Kong's wealthiest tycoon

#58

Post by longsangstan » Thu, Aug 22, 2019, 1:19 PM UTC

SoylentOrange wrote: post #20

To the Chinese native speakers here on HN: how clear would the message have been to you, if you didn’t read the explanation on this website?

I have to admit it's not obvious to me at first. Especially for the second ad, you need to have good knowledge of Chinese literature to know the story behind the poem.

But once I read the explanation it became quite clear since there isn't really other ways to interpret it.

Re: Cryptic, allusive messages from Hong Kong's wealthiest tycoon

#59

Post by starfallg » Thu, Aug 22, 2019, 1:20 PM UTC

smcl wrote: post #5

Can someone who knows HK weigh in on how likely this is to be subtle deliberate messaging, or whether it’s like Qanon (where “Q” just says vague things, and the followers go wild with all sorts of interpretations that confirm what they already think).

It's blindingly obvious that it's deliberate. Whether it's the graphic designer or LKS that actually formulated it, that is debatable. I wouldn't bet on the former though.

Keep in mind that Li fell out with Beijing and have cashed out most of his assets in the Mainland over the last several years.

There is no way that the following phrase, formed by the the end characters of each phrase in the ad, could be a coincidence.

因果由國容港治己義憤民誠

The only slightly questionable word choice is 由, but as the phrases are supposed to be read as stanzas in a poem, I think liberties can be taken in composition.

Re: Cryptic, allusive messages from Hong Kong's wealthiest tycoon

#60

Post by mattlondon » Thu, Aug 22, 2019, 1:21 PM UTC

pessimizer wrote: post #17

b_tterc_p wrote: post #11

> “everyone knows what 4 / 6 /89 signifies” This annoyed me quite a bit. No I don’t. Most people probably don’t. It’s the date of Tiananmen Square.

That's like getting annoyed when people refer to 9/11.

What happened on the 9th November?

As the song goes: "Remember remember the fith of November", but I don't remember the 9th.

...supposedly universal cultural references are hard :-)