Any movement that has to rely on its ability to turn out hundreds of thousands of people on a regular basis to block government initiatives is ultimately doomed to fail. And so it is in Hong Kong; the Chinese government is too single-minded, too ruthless, and too strong to lose in the long run. Still, you have to be hugely impressed by the courage and the fortitude of the demonstrators. They are showing the world that liberal democratic values aren’t simply about money, and that some people can’t be bought, even in today’s world.
Donald Trump, for his part, couldn’t care less; after all, it wasn’t about him, and he thinks liberal democratic values are a nuisance.
The images of the demonstrations have gone out all over the world. For the Chinese government, which has invested billions in soft power, they are a nightmare. To which I say: good. Pandas, kung fu movies, and investments in infrastructure only get you so far.