I appreciate the dueling history lessons.
They weren't "dueling" history lessons. One was
actual history, the other was colonial apologia disguised as historical revisionism.
Do the opinions of the Hong Kong people matter at all?
Did England consider the opinions of the Chinese people before they seized Hong Kong?
Their opinions didn't matter then, yet somehow their opinions matter
now?
Have you looked at a map lately? Is Hong Kong near the West or is it in China?
The Chinese citizens of Hong Kong weren't given a choice whether or not to become a colony of England... they ultimately GOT USED TO IT AND MANAGED TO CHANGE THEIR LIFESTYLES.
Which is precisely what they currently must do... get used to the new lifestyle of being Chinese again. being Chinese isn't a fucking torture sentence. Considering being Chinese as being horrible and being Western as being great is simply Western exceptionalism at work.
Being Chinese is just fine and isn't at all worse than being Western.
The chance of protests and unrest having an ounce of an effect on the Chinese attitude about Hong Kong's sovereignty is nil.
All of which, to my mind, is more important than what happened decades or centuries ago.
Hilarious how the citizens, governments & media of the West (whom acted like pure murderous barbarians during their colonial periods) just want everyone to stop focusing on the past... stop focusing on their misdeeds and sins while let's all focus on how the feel "right now".
How about you consider what CHINA FEELS OR WHAT CHINA THINKS?
China's needs are never a consideration to the West.
China's great sin has always been the fact that they are not capitalist... a sin that is unforgivable and without redemption. The only redemption is to adopt capitalism. Until they do, the West will constantly demonize, criticize & interfere in the policies of China.