US Hypocrisy on Display
Once again the US is meddling in the internal affairs of other counties while going on a hissy fit when any country does that to us.
Please consider [U.S. House Passes Bill Aimed at Supporting Hong Kong Protests](U.S. House Passes Bill Aimed at Supporting Hong Kong Protests)
The Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act is one of four measures passed by the House Tuesday in unanimous voice votes. The bill provides for sanctions against officials “responsible for undermining fundamental freedoms and autonomy in Hong Kong.”
“Human rights and freedoms in Hong Kong are fully protected by the Basic Law, the Hong Kong Bill of Rights Ordinance and other legislation. The HKSAR government attaches great importance to them and is determined to safeguard them,” the spokesman said, referring to the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.
The Chinese government opposes the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act, H.R. 3289, saying that it “grossly interferes in China’s internal affairs.”
“China strongly urges certain people in the U.S. Congress to grasp the situation, immediately stop advancing the bill regarding Hong Kong and interfering in Hong Kong’s affairs to avoid further damaging China-U.S. relations,” said Geng Shuang, a spokesman for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Outrage
Imagine the outrage if China, the EU, or Japan passed a bill condemning US drone policy, US involvement in Afghanistan, or any other well-deserved criticism of the US.
We would tell them to butt out.
Yet, the US feels free to butt into the affairs of every other country in the world.
US meddling
History shows that US meddling created problems in Iraq, Syria, Libya, Iran, Afghanistan, and Vietnam for starters.
Individual expression is one thing, and I support that.
But official US meddling is counterproductive.
It’s very disappointing that the bill passed unanimously. Can’t anyone think?
Trump should veto this legislation if the Senate is foolish enough to go along.
Mike “Mish” Shedlock
The real issue is we know which countries have a representative democracy with elections and which dont. You can hem and haw about the US but in China this blog would not even be allowed. Mish you should move to China since you think everything is so hunky dory there.
As a former American expat who lived and worked in Hong Kong for 7.5 years, I’ve been watching with dismay the process of peaceful protests in HK devolving, for the last several months, into a campaign of violence, vandalism, hurling petrol bombs and rocks at the police, disrupting transportation infrastructure and general mass criminal behavior.
Any other government, no matter how democratic – including our own – would have zero tolerance for mass criminal behavior.
As purely a thought exercise, imagine the Native American tribes launching a violent campaign to reclaim lands taken from them. As much as Native Americans deserve support for past mistreatment, do we really think that the US government will not use the police to control such violence? And how would we feel if public figures in China were to publicly condemn, under the guise of supporting human rights, the US government’s efforts to control such violence?
Oh wait – didn’t the National Guard shoot dead 4 students and wound 9 others during the unarmed student protest at Kent State, Ohio in 1970? That was just one incident and it led to 67 live rounds being fired.
In contrast, the HK police seems downright restrained, as there have been no casualties yet of police shootings over there despite months of violent protests and rioting (a few shots have been fired into the air as warning to rioters and one person was shot – not fatally – as he rushed toward a police officer with a metal bar or pipe, and that’s about it as far as what the news reports show to date).
I am not aware of the Chinese government ever passing laws to condemn the US on human rights grounds for the Kent State shootings. It does seem hypocritical that the US House is now passing bills to condemn HK and Chinese governments on how the riots in HK have been handled.
Sometimes I wonder why the MSM and US political leaders seem blind to the widespread adoration of many elements of American culture and people that exists in China. For example, NBA superstars like LeBron James and James Harden have received flak for either speaking out against that infamous tweet by Rockets GM Morey regarding the HK “protests” or declining to support that tweet. They are criticized for bowing to monetary pressures. However, what many seem to be missing is that these NBA players are welcomed like national heroes in China. I imagine that their sense of being appreciated and admired is at least as real as the money that they stand to make in China.
I wish Americans would hasten to factor in the goodwill that they have enjoyed in China when formulating trade or other government policies toward China, as that goodwill is now eroding fast, thanks to things like the trade war and the House bills in question.
Kudos to Mish for another objective analysis. I know you have a lot of critical views about the Chinese government (I have several of my own) but thanks for showing us a disciplined mind in refusing to get caught up in the hysteria against China in discussing a matter that really pertains more to our politicians’ double standards than anything else.
Bingo! I couldn’t say it any better! Bravo for speaking up！
Thanks, ATG. The US-China relationship is too important to be frittered away like what we are seeing with the House bills.
American hypocrisy & double standards knows no bounds. Look @ the coverage of Hong Kong vs France, Catalonia, etc. What would happen to violent protesters attacking police, attacking government buildings here in the US? Are you kidding me? Would get brutally suppressed quickly & protesters would be universally demonized. On the surface, it appears those in HK have more freedom than we do. Extradition law for criminals seems reasonable compared to US snatching Assange, a publisher. Again, the hypocrisy is mind boggling.
american politicians are simply jokes
“Mish, add Ukraine to the list of US meddling.”
Absolutely
The waving of American flags in Hong Kong as well as the support for rioting by the American government will certainly not help to improve matters or introduce democracy to Hong Kong. This act is mere virtue-signaling. Foreign policy establishment will be happiest if the situation in Hong Kong becomes a lasting crisis for the Chinese government, regardless of what it means for the population.
This all started with some rich guy who murdered his girlfriend in Taiwan (yes, not mainland China) but could not be prosecuted or extradited because Hong Kong has not extradition treaties with neighboring jurisdictions. The dissatisfied rioting youth have a lot of grievances (with the authorities in Hong Kong, not in Beijing) in addition to political ideas. Note that the British never gave them democracy either.
Mish doesn’t want to upset the global trade and supports the ChiComs as long as they can provide cheap stuff. He doesn’t want to look behind the curtain to see how it’s made. Avoiding seeing the slave labor, re-education camps, forced organ donations and rampant environmental destruction. Very sad!
The fact is no country likes to look beyond its own curtain.
We feel better about our own problems by looking at other countries. It is easier to focus on Hong Kong than deal with homelessness, gun violence, corruption, failing welfare programs, lousy education, incarceration, drugs, mental illness, human trafficking…
Everything isn’t perfect anywhere. Brilliant observation.
The true hypocrisy lies in having a negative emotional reaction to seeing the Nazi flag and a neutral reaction to seeing the Chinese national flag. Logically, there is no difference whatsoever in the morality of the Nazi versus the Communist regimes. If you think China is “okay”, you should also defend the Nazis for being unfairly criticized.
You are right. As a Jew I am more sensitive to the Nazi flag than the Chinese flag. I will work on this.
This is nothing. The awakened like to stand up against oppression and be called brave when in actuality, they stand nothing to lose by doing so. They frequently do it because they have something to lose if they don’t.
The most recent example is the NBA. They stand up to Charlotte over bathroom laws and move the all star game. It did them no damage and probably avoided damage. But, standing up to China, who has policies far worse than not letting transgenders pick what bathroom to use, is a big no no.
And LeBron is a huge hypocrite. He backs Kapernick for kneeling over something vague about police being racist and he defends China because he has a new movie coming out that’s expected to do well in China.
US interference aside, I wonder where all of this is going with Hong Kong?
Is China trying to weaken Hong Kong by keeping it in a constant state of rebellion? That may well be the case, China may be only too happy to see it decline as they are no longer so reliant on its economic power.
On the other hand, what do the protesters really want? Those 5 demands, independence? Maybe they want the British back or the Americans to roll in?
I have to say that I feel that China though isnt playing a very good long game. Ultimately what matters is how the people feel about themselves. Why not talk to them directly? Why rule with an iron fist, what does it get you really?
China does not want to weaken Hong Kong, but includes it in big plans, also wants to use it to change financial industry in China (gradually). China does not rule Hong Kong with an iron fist, otherwise there would be no Protests and no Hong Kong authority. China is critical of policies in Hong Kong which have lead to sky-high rents and immense concentration and inequality of wealth, and would probably revamp the political system there if it had more direct influence. The Protest is about a lot more than “democracy” (which Hong Kong never had under the British), and the grievances are certainly not even inspired mainly by Chinese “interference” in HK affairs.
Then what are the grievances inspired by?
Exceptional Country, or The Special Children who Ride the Little Bus?
Mish, add Ukraine to the list of US meddling.
The U.S. politicians cannot manage random gunshootings in the american cities. What the hell do they think they can manage affairs in the country a world away? Is this hypocrisy or stupidity or both?
Easy way for Democrats to mess with Trump trade deal with China
WHAT trade deal? Trump has failed on this for over a year.
I wonder how we’d react if the Hispanic population of San Diego County began violent demonstrations for joining, (re-joining) Mexico?
Give it time … they’ve already been out and marching with their flags.
Nice analogy, but not all Hispanics are Mexican and San Diego was only briefly part of Mexico, and never home to the Mayan Indians. As applied, the use of the word “Hispanic” is unprecedented to describe both the residents of a European colonial country and the residents of its colonized countries. For example, are folks from India and Ireland Anglics? Basically, Spnish Indians ashamed of their Indian ancestry choose to be identified with the conqueror. Kind of a loser preference.
To be fair, people of Spanish-Indian descent (mestizos) prefer to be called Latino or Chicano, not Hispanic. It’s possible that was the moniker bestowed upon them by their conquerors.
If petty grandstanding in “support” arbitrary PC “movements” halfway around the world, was any business of any part of the US government, the Founders would have included it as one of government’s strictly enumerated powers. They didn’t, hence it isn’t. There really isn’t anything to argue about, beyond that.
Ahhhh…. Ya might just wanna listen to this – Brigadier Gen. Robert Spalding: link to youtube.com
Bout time some Americans show some balls with China. I couldn’t care less if China condemns our drone policy or anything we do. What are they going to do, stop selling us their crap that we taught them how to make?
All the China butt kissing going on these days (Trump, Silver, etc.) would be hilarious if it wasn’t so pathetic!
This bill and 2 bits, er 20 bits, will buy you a cup of coffee. There is no substance, only symbolism, but the symbolism is useful. US businesses were clearly too afraid of monetary impact from China to actually say anything. Sometimes you have to stand up and say what is right.
Even though America is a major country, many individuals still root for the underdog.