Solidarity: Wear Yellow for Hong Kong and Carry an Umbrella

" People talk about the impatience of the populace; but sound historians know that most tyrannies have been possible because men moved too late. It is often essential to resist a tyranny before it exists." - G.K. Chesterton, "Eugenics and Other Evils"

Protestors hold up their cellphones in a display of solidarity (AFP/Getty)

Today, in Hong Kong huge numbers of residents are taking to the streets in nonviolent protest because according to Yang Jianli, president of Initiative for China, Teng Biao, a human-rights lawyer, and Hu Jia , winner of the Sakharov Prize, "Beijing is reneging on the 'One Country Two Systems' principle laid out in the Sino-British Joint Declaration of 1984 and the Basic Law, Hong Kong's constitution." The people of Hong Kong, according to the nongovernmental organization Human Rights in China "are rejecting the August 31, 2014 decision of the National People’s Congress Standing Committee on the “selection” of the Chief Executive, which requires candidates to be endorsed by a majority of a Beijing-controlled nominating committee. In the face of threats and Beijing’s hardline stance, the students, supported by Hong Kong labor unions and the public, have resorted to civil disobedience—class boycotts and peaceful sit-ins—to press for meaningful universal suffrage."

Whats taking place in Hong Kong has some similarities to Venezuela ( and this has generated some confusion in a video that went viral). In both places totalitarians are tightening controls over a free people, who are rising up nonviolently in defense of their freedoms.

The Chinese dictatorship has responded threatening a crackdown on protesters and their exists the possibility of another Tiananmen Square like massacre but this time in Hong Kong. Unfortunately, big money interests and lobbyists for the Peoples Republic of China, such as Henry Kissinger are known to disregard human rights embracing the worse of regimes for narrow interests. Listen to the students who took part in a week long boycott of classes and were interviewed on September 22, 2014. No doubt many are now out in the mass demonstrations:


Twenty five years ago in June the international community turned its back on demonstrators in Beijing and following the slaughter continued business as usual led by the United States with the Chinese regime that had murdered thousands of its own citizens and jailed thousands more for nonviolently demonstrating for an end to corruption and democratic reforms. Economic interests trumped human rights. The legacy of the crackdown has been succinctly described by Human Rights in China:

In 1989, millions of democracy and labor activists and other citizens throughout China demanded reforms. The leaders responded with tanks and violence and then attempted to silence demands for political reform with the benefits of economic liberalization. What the Chinese people got are unsustainable and inequitable development, growing social conflicts, and massive environmental and human costs.

The movement in Hong Kong is nonviolent and international solidarity and support needs to be nonviolent in order to have a positive impact. Solidarity demonstrations are being held around the world in Delhi, Washington DC,  New York City, and a college student, Heather Pickerell, has called on students to wear yellow in solidarity with demonstrators in Hong Kong on October 1st. More information is available on the campaign's facebook page and on tumblr.

Tomorrow I will be wearing yellow and carrying an umbrella in solidarity with protesters in Hong Kong. Hope to see you doing the same.

Communist China's Shameful Record Cannot be Hidden Even by the Empire State Building

Communist China's Shameful Record Cannot be Hidden Even by the Empire State Building

It is better to deserve honors and not have them than to have them and not deserve them.
~Mark Twain

The Empire State Building Company L.L.C. has honored that which is dishonorable and in the process dishonored itself. The People's Republic of China is responsible for over 65million deaths and counting over its 60 year rampage over China.
It is a testament to the insecurity of the Chinese communist dictatorship that it seeks to legitimize itself using national landmarks such as the Empire State Building or flying the Chinese communist flag over San Francisco's City Hall. I wonder how much Chinese officials had to pay to get the the Empire State Building lit up and how much to get the flag flying over San Francisco's city hall. Sad days for America.

In the interests of remembering the victims of this six decade and ongoing horror I am posting the following videos and links which I invite you to visit and reflect on as we observe this important anniversary:

Be sure to visit Frontline's website for The Tank Man and watch the full documentary there or here or here which is the most complete version online and offers an expose on how this regime impacts Chinese.

Tibet has been under occupation for fifty years and has suffered under a genocide committed by Chinese communists beginning with Mao Ze Dong.



This has been going on for a long time. The following images are from 1988:



Today Students for a Free Tibet demonstrated in front of the Empire State Building and explained why this 60th anniversary was a tragedy not something to be honored.



I look forward to the day that Chinese Communism joins Soviet Communism on the ash heap of history.