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Cryptic, allusive messages from Hong Kong's wealthiest tycoon

languagelog.ldc.upenn.edu

161–170 of 189 posts

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

#161

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Really illustrates the importance of our own second amendment.

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.

> Civil disobedience is the only historically effective way to defeat a modern state

No. Ordinary civil disobedience will do utterly nothing. You need a certain amount of violence - just look at France, only after the riots were utterly massive the government caved. The alternative is a massive general strike, which has fallen out of favor in modern times as many jobs are easily replaceable and people are afraid of getting fired.

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

#162

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How long would a Texan militia last against the US military? Depends, are there any nuclear or biological assets deployed in Texas?

You really seem to like the idea of nuking folks.. You okay buddy?

Just a Gedankenexperiment, you know, take an idea to its logical conclusion.

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

#163

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don’t think anybody seriously thinks Hong Kong has any meaningful level of autonomy. The impasse is that Hong Kongers want freedom and democracy, and China wants Hong Kong to be China. I can’t see what the Chief Executive could possibly do. Either the protestors will give up, or stage a revolution, which seems unlikely for a population armed with umbrellas.

Really illustrates the importance of our own second amendment.

Discussion of practicality aside, thinking "$bad_thing can't happen here because of $blank" is base exceptionalism that only results in creating a blind spot for yourself.

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

#164

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> 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).

History is more than a century long, but a modern state by military standards has been a thing since around the time of the civil war when rifles replaced muskets and industrialization became a thing. That's the point where unlike in the Napoleonic era, you can't win decisive victory on the battlefield, things depend on political will, manpower and economic function. Using your example of the British Empire, India di…

I think you have an absurd understanding of history if you believe all of this decolonisation happened nonviolently. Almost every independence movement relied on the threat of violence. You are using the civil war itself as the starting point, a brutally violent regime change. Ireland gained its independence from Britain in no insignificant way thanks to violent means. Most African nations gained their independence through violence. And even India was not just freed through a barefoot bespectacled man walking around singing kumbaya. Simplifying it to mere acts of civil disobedience is grossly misrepresenting how complex the situation was.

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

#165

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> The key is how to say it and how to behave with respect to China and the government. Can you elaborate why it matters to be respectful to a dictator for life who puts huge numbers of Uighurs in concentration camps?

with respect to = regarding

It's ironic I interpreted the sentence wrong given the topic of the article.

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

#166
post #155

Earlier quoted context omitted.

For reference, that is 9 November 1989.

Yes, I'm aware, was just pointing out the 'in 1989' part has 2 distinct cultural-landmark events for me

I gave the specific date so people can see the date for both in this thread.

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

#168

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> committed it by coincidence were sentenced to death So they sentenced themselves to death with an unfortunate sentence structure.

I believe the correct joke is simply: So they sentenced themselves to death.

Probably, I have a tendency to overcomplicate things, particularly when explaining or otherwise talking to others, which can really wreck jokes...

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

#169

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> committed it by coincidence were sentenced to death So they sentenced themselves to death with an unfortunate sentence structure.

I believe the correct joke is simply: So they sentenced themselves to death.

Talk about a death sentence

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

#170

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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

Eh no. Let me also be clear I say this and cannot remember the date of Pearl Harbor, Cherynobl, or a number of other major events. 9/11 is a bit of a weird case in that the name of the event is also the event itself... that usually does not happen. Please label your dates folks (except 9/11 I guess...)

I'd prefer September the 11th. I can never tell from dates if the day isn't over 12 whether it's in american or everywhere else date format.
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