What the Heck?! Thread (Closed)

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MwRYum

Major
In the US, that would be poetic justice.
Amen to that.
Local Hong Kong news have revealed additional information where the Indigenous group had earlier solicited illegal street food vendors to relocate from nearby neighborhoods to Mongkok that night. The Indigenous group had also made online appeals ahead of time to use violence to protect illegal street food vendors. Apparently there has not been particular ramping up of cracking down by authorities on illegal street food vendors, just the usual rounds of cat and mouse. Given all this information this incident was definitely a setup by the fringe political group using illegal street food vendors as a pretext.
So, this is no longer simple riot, but an organised terrorism activity, by an alliance of several local terrorist organisations, which has planned this attack and stockpiled weapons for months.

And as expected, student unions stood with their terrorist breathen:
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「不冷血割蓆」 多校學生會﹕政府激起民憤


【明報專訊】旺角大衝突中,香港大學及中文大學均有學生被捕,港大回應稱校方會密切留意情况,校方將視乎實際需要提供協助。中大則認為,任何暴力行為均不可接受,對有多人在事件中受傷感到痛心,大學會繼續關注事態發展,現時初步知悉有兩名同學被捕,校方會繼續了解情况。

港大學生會﹕永遠站在反抗者一方

有泛民政黨譴責暴力和縱火行為,多間大專院校學生會發表聲明則 沒與同學「割蓆」,其中港大學生會以〈永遠站在反抗者一方〉為題,表示「旺角之役」是因警方刻意挑起民憤,市民克服恐懼及反擊是大義之舉,「掀起新式抗爭 之序幕」。聲明稱讚市民冒性命危險和刑責風險,赤身對抗警察血腥暴行,故該會會向被捕同學提供一切可行協助,「絕不冷血割蓆,絕不令行動者孤立無援」。

浸會大學學生會以「旺角魚蛋革命」形容事件,該會強烈譴責港府以不合理武力對待示威者,認為正是特區政府將港人逼上勇武之路,聲明又指政府若打壓,「示威者定必十倍奉還」,呼籲全民起義。高牆與雞蛋,該會稱永遠站在雞蛋一方,雞蛋「那怕武裝了,它仍然是雞蛋」。

嶺南大學學生會亦批評警方鎮壓驅趕小販,呼籲為未來更激烈抗爭作準備,把槍頭指向不義政權及其國家機器。中大學生會則稱「政權長久以來肆意的打壓」,引發市民積怨,才燃起抗暴之火,呼籲港人緊記極權暴行,團結抗爭。

理工大學學生會聲明則譴責衝突中多名警員濫用武力,該會不願見到社會動盪或人命傷亡,但相信激烈示威背後是種種社會事件,香港政府須正視及解決,不可推卸責任予市民。
 
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Amen to that.

So, this is no longer simple riot, but an organised terrorism activity, by an alliance of several local terrorist organisations, which has planned this attack and stockpiled weapons for months.

And as expected, student unions stood with their terrorist breathen:
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Terrorist is probably too strong a term but certainly instigators of political violence. Just like dealing with terrorism though the Hong Kong government needs a co-ordinated hearts and minds campaign. At the same time it needs to understand and explicitly identify and address the real economic and identity problems which deep down is what causes intense angst and fuels these sorts of extremist political views and actions among so many local youths.
 

MwRYum

Major
Terrorist is probably too strong a term but certainly instigators of political violence. Just like dealing with terrorism though the Hong Kong government needs a co-ordinated hearts and minds campaign. At the same time it needs to understand and explicitly identify and address the real economic and identity problems which deep down is what causes intense angst and fuels these sorts of extremist political views and actions among so many local youths.
There's nothing stronger than fact itself, and fact has proven everything. They're terrorist in idealogy and finally terrorist in deeds as well. So, why ain't they qualify as terrorist? You want to wait till there's a cop-killer or beheading live-stream on YouTube/Facebook then agree with me? Wait till the mushroom cloud and that'd be too late.

Personally, I applaud the US and Israeli approach - even if it's up to and including black site detainment and extrajudicial killing we are talking about - especially when the legal system is awash with terrorist sympathisers, like in HK....don't believe me? Wait till you see those who are arrested and formally charged today got extra-light sentences. It's because the HK Judiciary has been so sympathetic towards the insurgents, that they could become so bold and now evolved as terrorists.

And economic uplifting...while I agreed in principle, doing so during a recession could be difficult, worse the Administration is plagued by indecisiveness...it's not like in Singapore where the government is strong, y'know.
 

plawolf

Lieutenant General
The BBC propaganda onslaught intensifies.

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What are Hong Kong's localists angry about?
By Grace Tsoi & Tessa WongBBC News
_88210629_031361662-1.jpg
Image copyrightAP
Image captionProtesters lit fires on the roads during the Mong Kok clashes
The clashes in Hong Kong earlier this week may on the surface have been about unlicensed food stalls, but were fuelled by a growing "localist" sentiment.

Localists champion greater autonomy for Hong Kong, and protection against what they see as the dilution of the city's identity amid growing social and political influence from mainland China.

But what is it that has made them so angry?

The localist movement is driven primarily by two loose groups - Hong Kong Indigenous and Civic Passion - which grew in strength in the aftermath of the 2014 pro-democracy protests, staging demonstrations and fielding candidates in political races.

Though Hong Kong has many pro-democracy groups, localists and their supporters are known for favouring direct action and not shying away from confrontation with authorities.

Growing income inequality
Sing Ming, a politics professor at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, says localists tend to be young people who cherish their Hong Kong identities, as well as those who face economic difficulties.

Government figures show that about 960,000 out of Hong Kong's population of 7.2 million live below the poverty line, making it the 12th most unequal place in the world.

There is a sense among localists that the government has failed to address the needs of the poor.

Mr Sing says some localists are "extremely dissatisfied" with the government's handling of this, and "may even think that the policies are the results of collusion between government and business".

Itinerant street hawkers, in particular, are seen as one symbol of the income gap as their trade has traditionally been seen as a way out of poverty.

But the government stopped issuing new licences in 1970s, and has conducted increasingly strict crackdowns on illegal hawking due to food safety and obstruction concerns, as was the case in Mong Kok.

Some localists believe these moves happened because of political pressure from property developers, who regard hawkers as a nuisance and eyesore.

Meanwhile, shop rents have grown increasingly expensive, which means food vending is now a dying trade. Many people believe the poor are being deprived of one legitimate means of income.

But some also see the clearances of illegal hawkers, as happened in Mong Kok, as a failure by the government to recognise how integral they are to local culture, and a sign that the government has grown out of touch with ordinary Hong Kongers' desire to preserve their unique identity and freedoms.

Hong Kong Polytechnic University lecturer Leung Chi-yuen, who has been studying hawkers for a decade, says the issue has become a "powder keg" in Hong Kong in recent years.

"The government has underestimated the socio-political environment," he says, and if it decides to further crack down "it will bring unforeseeable consequences".

'Out of touch' government
Politically, the current government, under Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying, is widely seen as pro-Beijing, a view that was reinforced by the crackdown on the 2014 pro-democracy protests.

Incidents such as
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associated with a shop known for selling books critical of the mainland have only enhanced the perception that the city's freedoms are being eroded.

_88210631_031356306-1.jpg
Image copyrightAP
Image captionProtesters scuffled with riot police in Mong Kok
Former head of the civil service, Joseph Wong Wing-ping, notes that the government has been dismissive of its unpopularity and has pressed on with controversial decisions, such as
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despite fervent opposition.

What happened in Mong Kok "may just be the beginning" of more violence to come, he says.

'Failed' Umbrella Movement
The perception of many localists is that after the collapse of the peaceful Umbrella Movement, more direct action is needed.

Two of the founders of key localist group Hong Kong Indigenous, Edward Leung and Ray Wong, told BBC Chinese last year that they regarded the Umbrella Movement as a "complete and utter" failure.

Mr Wong said that during the 2014 protests, "I saw with my own eyes the police inflicting unacceptable violence on unarmed citizens, releasing tear gas."

He added that the "use of force to prevent violence [from police]" was justified in order for protesters to protect themselves and others.

_88210791_629f55a7-918d-4cd5-bb60-20be3a954684.jpg
Image copyrightBBC Chinese
Image captionRay Wong (left) and Edward Leung (right) are two of the founders of HK Indigenous
Both were at the protests in Mong Kok. Mr Leung has already been charged with rioting and in a Facebook post on Thursday, Mr Wong said he expected to be arrested soon.

"Once Hong Kong was the land of the Hongkongers, but as I grew older, I noticed that it is no longer the case," he said, saying he had gone to Mong Kok to protect the market.

"There are going to be more protests. But I urge you, my fellow Hongkongers, to persist."

- Overwhelming one-sided narrative by only quoting those opposed to the government and sympathetic to the rioters
- Deliberately downplaying and sanitising the violence committed by the rioters by characterising it as 'scuffles', utterly omitting the use of weapons and arson etc.
- Purposefully trying to create an alternative narrative to what actually happened, case in point, they only quoted the claim of a single journalist who said he was attacked by policed without mentioning the far great number of journalists who have been photographed and videoed to have been attacked by rioters
- Pinning all blame on the HK government, and China by extension. Case in point the decision to stop issuing new licenses from 1970, while HK was still under the romanticised rule of the British, yet they used that as an example of the HK government being out of touch with what the people want
- Outright lying by claiming the umbrella movement was peaceful. What utter BS.
- Acting as the mouthpiece of the most rabid of the rioter organisers by effectively advertising and promoting their extremist views, while basically treating them like martyrs
- Subliminally helping to champion the pro-independence movement's position and goals by helping to create and promote the notion that the HK (provisional) government is somehow betraying the people of HK or is in the wrong for carrying out the will of the Beijing (central) government. Would anyone be daft enough to suggest such BS when the city government of the likes of London, New York or Paris etc enacted national/federal policy?
 

MwRYum

Major
The BBC propaganda onslaught intensifies.

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- Overwhelming one-sided narrative by only quoting those opposed to the government and sympathetic to the rioters
- Deliberately downplaying and sanitising the violence committed by the rioters by characterising it as 'scuffles', utterly omitting the use of weapons and arson etc.
- Purposefully trying to create an alternative narrative to what actually happened, case in point, they only quoted the claim of a single journalist who said he was attacked by policed without mentioning the far great number of journalists who have been photographed and videoed to have been attacked by rioters
- Pinning all blame on the HK government, and China by extension. Case in point the decision to stop issuing new licenses from 1970, while HK was still under the romanticised rule of the British, yet they used that as an example of the HK government being out of touch with what the people want
- Outright lying by claiming the umbrella movement was peaceful. What utter BS.
- Acting as the mouthpiece of the most rabid of the rioter organisers by effectively advertising and promoting their extremist views, while basically treating them like martyrs
- Subliminally helping to champion the pro-independence movement's position and goals by helping to create and promote the notion that the HK (provisional) government is somehow betraying the people of HK or is in the wrong for carrying out the will of the Beijing (central) government. Would anyone be daft enough to suggest such BS when the city government of the likes of London, New York or Paris etc enacted national/federal policy?
It was not the first time the BBC lied so shamelessly, remember 2008? Ask any Chinese and they'd recall it all, with simmering rage against the Western world.

That makes the BBC the worst kind of terrorist sympathisers.

Me? From now on I'd use #MongKokTerrorAttack as hashtag for all twitt/re-twitt on this, and I welcome any and everyone to join this cause.
 

Skye_ZTZ_113

Junior Member
Registered Member
You could say that the BBC is the mouthpiece of the British government, who are still bitter over the return of Hong Kong to China.

I don't know solarz. I live in the UK and the government very rarely mention the HK handover or HK in general. Yes, you could argue that some individuals, certainly the last governor are bitter, but it isn't a sinister plot. I can't excuse the blatant ridiculousness of the BBC article. That is pretty low by even their standards. I suspect it was more that case that some disgruntled individuals in the BBC and related circles used this as an excuse for an anti-China perspective. OTOH it is also irrelevant as the domestic HK press/people are so against the rioters, that no amount of spinning can change that.
 

siegecrossbow

General
Staff member
Super Moderator
Not an F-35 hater myself. Just thought the news was really funny.

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As further proof that budgetary cuts are taking a toll on the U.S. Air Force, Maj. Gen. James Martin Jr., the Air Force’s deputy assistant secretary for budget, fainted at the podium while discussing the F-35 in the Pentagon Press Briefing Room on Feb. 9. Without missing a beat, Martin’s colleague, the silver-tongued Assistant Air Force Deputy for Budget Carolyn Gleason quipped, “This is what the F-35 will do to you,” before picking up the brief where the good general left off.

Gleason was, of course, referencing the drama that’s engulfed the F-35 program since its conception, including spiraling costs, delays in production, and a 2015 report by thePentagon’s Director of Operational Test and Evaluation, which
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that every F-35 that has been purchased so far “requires modifications prior to use in combat.” Most recently, on Feb. 9, a prematurely posted copy of the 2017 Air Force budget revealed that 45 F-35s would be cut from purchase plans over the next 10 years. That number is higher than what was previously expected.

As Martin slumped head-first into the lectern, several people rushed to his aid and escorted him out of the room –– but not before Gleason got in one more jab. “He kept threatening to pull a hammy,” she joked, “but I didn’t think he really meant it.” After a short stint in the hospital, the general reportedly walked out on his own and is now said to be doing OK.
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out of Columbus, Ohio, Martin was suffering from the flu or a cold. Think about that the next time you consider reaching for a Kleenex immediately after receiving the mandatory nasal flu vaccine.

You can watch the full video here:
 
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