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

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

#131

Post by andromeduck » Thu, Aug 22, 2019, 2:36 PM UTC

nostalgk wrote: post #126

TheBranca18 wrote: post #112

Earlier quoted context omitted.

To add context here, I responded to someone who said the current Hong Kong situation illustrates the importance of the second amendment. Which I think truly was a myopic, insipid comment. As far as your contention that they haven't wiped out a few thousand foreign insurgents, are you referring to Iraq or Afghanistan? Afghanistan is an interesting case, I truly don't understand what the current goal is. I would add th…

I do agree that comparing the US culture of gun ownership + the second amendment (which, although may have been written as though to apply to all people regardless of national identity... doesn't) to the situation going on in Hong Kong is incredibly shortsighted and demonstrates a lack of understanding in cultural differences. My point on the "few thousand insurgents" is more specifically referring to Afghanistan, bu…

You don't need to win to deter, just need to mak it not worthwhile for your adversary. Second amendment works fine asa counter value capability.

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

#132

Post by kortilla » Thu, Aug 22, 2019, 2:37 PM UTC

TheBranca18 wrote: post #99

neonIcon wrote: post #61

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Is the creation of the United States laughable? What was used in order to gain that freedom from Britain? Firearms maybe?

It really is quite astounding that you are willfully ignoring the context of history in order to push this point about a tyrannical government. The current United States government is tyrannical and has been since its inception if you're of a certain race. And yet, the only time a large group rose up was to defend their right to enslave said race. So yes, the creation of the United States was laughable because it est…

Not sure you’re using the right definition of tyranny

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

#133

Post by b_tterc_p » Thu, Aug 22, 2019, 2:38 PM UTC

JansjoFromIkea wrote: post #14

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.

Would Tiananmen Square not be your first guess for any date remotely close to 1989 though, given the context?

I could place it with only +- 15 years if I’m going to be honest.

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

#134

Post by kortilla » Thu, Aug 22, 2019, 2:39 PM UTC

handelaar wrote: post #80

neonIcon wrote: post #51

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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..

In your wording "faring quite well" logically would involve between two and five decades of unending guerilla warfare. Doesn't sound like a great way to live if you're not a gun nut

Lasting 2 to 5 decades is pretty much in agreement with the parent though. Not easy for the US military at all.

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

#135

Post by awinder » Thu, Aug 22, 2019, 2:39 PM UTC

Clubber wrote: post #102

awinder wrote: post #85

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think the other 26 amendments + constitution probably have more to do individually, and absolutely do as a collective, with the freedoms of our society. I don't know if you've seen an obese person with a peashooter go up against an apache helicopter, for instance, but I don't think the state has had to worry about who can deploy more force in over a century.

You're being dismissive. We're leaving Afghanistan because some skinny guys in robes with little more than AK's successfully stood up to the most powerful military that ever marched, for going on 18 years now. It happened in Iraq too, and Vietnam.

These are all examples of a foreign power fighting a war, not an internal conflict which is mediated by internal violence. Winning a war by not losing is a completely orthogonal endeavor to getting what you want internally. How’d it work out for Syria?

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

#136

Post by chewz » Thu, Aug 22, 2019, 2:41 PM UTC

verttii wrote: post #73

Spooky23 wrote: post #46

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not really. Civil disobedience is the only historically effective way to defeat a modern state. With open warfare, the historical playbook for putting down this sort of thing is clear. Roll in the tanks, and infantry from Mongolia or whatever. Sometimes the revolt get put down immediately, sometimes you end up with guerrilla warfare.

There will be nothing like guerilla warfare in Hong Kong though. Literally no one has any military experience there, and nobody owns a weapon either. It's just not Singapore. Meanwhile, the Chinese PLA certainly doesn't suffer from any manpower shortages to contain the situation when they eventually want to.

> There will be nothing like guerilla warfare in Hong Kong though. Literally no one has any military experience there, and nobody owns a weapon either.

You don't need guns. Making car bombs and IEDs requires only determination and some practice. PLA as any modern army is poorly equiped to combat urban guerilla. Such a dense maze like Hong-Kong had never been experienced by any army.

Loss of face for China would be collosal if any sort of prolonged and effective resistance happend after intervention.

But I hope it won't be necessary.

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

#137

Post by spacehunt » Thu, Aug 22, 2019, 2:42 PM UTC

billfruit wrote: post #97

spacehunt wrote: post #79

Earlier quoted context omitted.

She declared it "dead" which is not a legal term.

Yes, but politicians speaking to the press often speak in a non-formal manner. At any rate the bill appears not to be under active consideration at present.

Doesn't matter; the government can still resume the second reading with only a few days notice and then rush through the bill within 24 hours, unless it is formally withdrawn.

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

#138

Post by bad_good_guy » Thu, Aug 22, 2019, 2:44 PM UTC

csyszf wrote: post #82

"From born to die, you will always buy Li Ka-Shing's goods" "If there's God in HongKong, his last name must be Li" He and other oligarchs raise prices and exploit profits from people. HK Gov tried several times to press down house prices (build public rental apartments provided by gov, called 新界东北发展计划 ), all failed. What's the funniest part is, HK GOV plan to dismantle the golf courses for building public apartments,…

I'd just like to point out to other commenters the context of where this opinion is coming from - that being that this user has a comment history that denies that the Tiananmen Square massacre took place.

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

#139

Post by arisAlexis » Thu, Aug 22, 2019, 2:51 PM UTC

guscost wrote: post #116

Spooky23 wrote: post #46

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not really. Civil disobedience is the only historically effective way to defeat a modern state. With open warfare, the historical playbook for putting down this sort of thing is clear. Roll in the tanks, and infantry from Mongolia or whatever. Sometimes the revolt get put down immediately, sometimes you end up with guerrilla warfare.

> the only historically effective ... modern state What a contorted argument. I assume that the British empire wasn’t a modern state, and that history is less than one century long (and full of holes).

It's inevitable that we will end up in Hitler, continue boys :)

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

#140

Post by toss1 » Thu, Aug 22, 2019, 2:56 PM UTC

idlewords wrote: post #52

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.

If so, then where can her career go from here?

Go completely CCP authoritarian will kill any trust of her by HK citizens, and could she advance anywhere in the mainland party?

Go to the HK side may regain trust but kill all CCP future.

Neither, the current state, will ensure that nobody is happy.

Seems like no possible exit plan? Could CCP push her hard enough that she must exit by taking her own life? If so, would that be a sufficient potential embarrassment for CCP to prevent them from doing so?