New Beijing Airport https://t.co/NYRYcdpiDe #BeijingDaxingInternationalAirport #urbanplanning
— Paramendra Kumar Bhagat (@paramendra) September 27, 2019
Friday, September 27, 2019
New Beijing Airport
A Criticism Of The Hong Kong Protestors
I attempt a criticism of the Hong Kong protestors because they are fighting for democracy, and it is a democratic act to criticize. I hope this is considered constructive criticism.
First of all, let me make it clear. Mahatma Gandhi said at one point, if it is a choice between protesting injustice violently and nonviolently, I'd prefer you protest nonviolently. But if it is a choice between protesting violently and not protesting at all, I'd prefer you protest. What are a few blocked roads or burnt railings between friends!
But having said that, I'd like to emphasize, if there are even only a few acts of vandalism, a few acts of property damage, a few acts of violence, that shows the movement lacks internal discipline of the highest degree. That internal discipline is what gives you moral authority.
It does not matter what the police do. The Hong Kong police have crossed the line a few times, true. The Hong Kong police protected vigilantes have crossed the line many times, true. But if you respond in kind, you lose some of your moral authority. The right political thing to do is to not react, to maintain internal discipline. And to create and maintain that internal discipline, you need internal political organization, internal dialogue.
"If we burn, you burn" is not a political program. I have been hearing more and more of that lately. That line of thought has to be consciously abandoned. Beijing is trying hard to tell the world, this is like the yellow vest protests in France or the forest fires in California. It will burn and die out on its own.
Unless the Hong Kong protest movement makes the extra effort towards that internal discipline and away from the "if we burn you burn" mantra, the movement might break all records in terms of how long it might last, but it might not see the success it seeks.
That is one thing I have to say about the method.
Another thing is dialogue. The Hong Kong protest movement needs to engage Carrie Lam and Beijing in an intense dialogue. Beijing has put out comment after comment on the protests in the global media. Those comments have gone unanswered. They need to be answered. Every such utterance needs to be answered.
You can not be fighting for democracy and say, Carrie Lam, we don't want to talk to you. Dialogue is basic to democracy.
Why do you want to talk to Carrie Lam?
The top of the five demands has already been met. The final demand, that of a directly elected Chief Executive, and a fully directly elected legislature is most important to me.
But there is room for compromise on some of the other demands. I agree that all protesters who have been detained should be released and their charges dropped. But when you ask for an independent inquiry of the police behavior, one has to ask, to what end? So the police officers might face disciplinary action? The room for compromise is to forgive and be forgiven.
A good outcome of a direct dialogue with Carrie Lam will also be to get her to say that it is simply not in her powers to meet the final demand. It is above her paygrade level. And that is true.
So, she has met one demand. I think she can meet another, that of releasing the 1,000 plus protestors that have been detained. But the protest movement has to be willing to compromise on two others. And the final demand has to be taken to Beijing. How do you do that?
There is a protest path. And there is a dialogue path.
If you only partially shut the city, you might have to do it a long time. But if you shut the city down 100%, the movement might win in a few short weeks. But the risk is those tanks in Shenzen might roll.
The dialogue path is, is Beijing even talking? It is not even at the table. Beijing big, Hong Kong tiny. That is the Beijing thinking. You already have Carrie Lam. That is what they say.
Creating a credible threat to independence might be the only way to get Beijing to budge. That is one thing Beijing does care about. On the other hand, if you can not build that credible threat, you perhaps should be willing to compromise.
Carrie Lam was basically appointed by Beijing. That makes an administrator. I hear a few years ago Beijing offered an arrangement whereby it would offer two candidates and Hong Kongers will get to pick one through direct vote. I wish that is how they elected the president of China every five years. The CCP offered two candidates to the billion-plus Chinese.
A compromise position between what Beijing was willing to give a few years ago and what Hong Kong wants today might be, okay, so Beijing gets to offer two candidates, but Hong Kong will also offer two candidates. There would at first be a primary. And the top two vote-getters will go into the final round. And the four candidates would contest.
Even that Beijing might not go for. But the beauty of being in constant dialogue mode is you force them to take positions. Dialogue is not just sitting across the table, or Xi Jinping giving one of you a call. Dialogue is already happening. Beijing has been issuing statement after statement. The movement has not been responding.
That is a political slam dunk for Beijing.
For example, when Joshua Wong showed up in Berlin, Beijing said, the west can not solve its own problems, how is it going to solve your problems? What did Joshua Wong say in response? Crickets.
First of all, let me make it clear. Mahatma Gandhi said at one point, if it is a choice between protesting injustice violently and nonviolently, I'd prefer you protest nonviolently. But if it is a choice between protesting violently and not protesting at all, I'd prefer you protest. What are a few blocked roads or burnt railings between friends!
But having said that, I'd like to emphasize, if there are even only a few acts of vandalism, a few acts of property damage, a few acts of violence, that shows the movement lacks internal discipline of the highest degree. That internal discipline is what gives you moral authority.
It does not matter what the police do. The Hong Kong police have crossed the line a few times, true. The Hong Kong police protected vigilantes have crossed the line many times, true. But if you respond in kind, you lose some of your moral authority. The right political thing to do is to not react, to maintain internal discipline. And to create and maintain that internal discipline, you need internal political organization, internal dialogue.
"If we burn, you burn" is not a political program. I have been hearing more and more of that lately. That line of thought has to be consciously abandoned. Beijing is trying hard to tell the world, this is like the yellow vest protests in France or the forest fires in California. It will burn and die out on its own.
Unless the Hong Kong protest movement makes the extra effort towards that internal discipline and away from the "if we burn you burn" mantra, the movement might break all records in terms of how long it might last, but it might not see the success it seeks.
That is one thing I have to say about the method.
Another thing is dialogue. The Hong Kong protest movement needs to engage Carrie Lam and Beijing in an intense dialogue. Beijing has put out comment after comment on the protests in the global media. Those comments have gone unanswered. They need to be answered. Every such utterance needs to be answered.
You can not be fighting for democracy and say, Carrie Lam, we don't want to talk to you. Dialogue is basic to democracy.
Why do you want to talk to Carrie Lam?
The top of the five demands has already been met. The final demand, that of a directly elected Chief Executive, and a fully directly elected legislature is most important to me.
But there is room for compromise on some of the other demands. I agree that all protesters who have been detained should be released and their charges dropped. But when you ask for an independent inquiry of the police behavior, one has to ask, to what end? So the police officers might face disciplinary action? The room for compromise is to forgive and be forgiven.
A good outcome of a direct dialogue with Carrie Lam will also be to get her to say that it is simply not in her powers to meet the final demand. It is above her paygrade level. And that is true.
So, she has met one demand. I think she can meet another, that of releasing the 1,000 plus protestors that have been detained. But the protest movement has to be willing to compromise on two others. And the final demand has to be taken to Beijing. How do you do that?
There is a protest path. And there is a dialogue path.
If you only partially shut the city, you might have to do it a long time. But if you shut the city down 100%, the movement might win in a few short weeks. But the risk is those tanks in Shenzen might roll.
The dialogue path is, is Beijing even talking? It is not even at the table. Beijing big, Hong Kong tiny. That is the Beijing thinking. You already have Carrie Lam. That is what they say.
Creating a credible threat to independence might be the only way to get Beijing to budge. That is one thing Beijing does care about. On the other hand, if you can not build that credible threat, you perhaps should be willing to compromise.
Carrie Lam was basically appointed by Beijing. That makes an administrator. I hear a few years ago Beijing offered an arrangement whereby it would offer two candidates and Hong Kongers will get to pick one through direct vote. I wish that is how they elected the president of China every five years. The CCP offered two candidates to the billion-plus Chinese.
A compromise position between what Beijing was willing to give a few years ago and what Hong Kong wants today might be, okay, so Beijing gets to offer two candidates, but Hong Kong will also offer two candidates. There would at first be a primary. And the top two vote-getters will go into the final round. And the four candidates would contest.
Even that Beijing might not go for. But the beauty of being in constant dialogue mode is you force them to take positions. Dialogue is not just sitting across the table, or Xi Jinping giving one of you a call. Dialogue is already happening. Beijing has been issuing statement after statement. The movement has not been responding.
That is a political slam dunk for Beijing.
For example, when Joshua Wong showed up in Berlin, Beijing said, the west can not solve its own problems, how is it going to solve your problems? What did Joshua Wong say in response? Crickets.
The #HongKongHumanRightsAndDemocracyAct today passed unanimously in both the @HouseForeign Affairs & the @SenateForeign Relations Committees. The @CECCgov Chairs pledge to push for quick passage of this legislation. https://t.co/31hhoDQryd
— China Commission (@CECCgov) September 25, 2019
A Criticism Of The Hong Kong Protestors https://t.co/KMxIdEIycO @demosisto @joshuawongcf @nathanlawkc @maryhui @kinlinglo @sumlokkei @rachel_cheung1 @lokinhei @HKDemocrats @WilsonLeungWS @HongKongPLG@jasonyng @BillyOYLi @cng1238 @Fight4HongKong #HongKong #HongKongProtest
— Paramendra Kumar Bhagat (@paramendra) September 27, 2019
A Criticism Of The Hong Kong Protestors https://t.co/KMxIdEIycO @FreedomHKG @BeWaterHKG @ezracheungtoto @antd @RichScotford @XinqiSu @holmeschan_ @chowtingagnes @ray_slowbeat @hk_watch @hkpoliceforce @EricCheungwc @hoccgoomusic #HongKongHumanRightsAndDemocracyAct #HongKongProtest
— Paramendra Kumar Bhagat (@paramendra) September 27, 2019
A Criticism Of The Hong Kong Protestors https://t.co/KMxIdEIycO @lokinhei @kevinkfyam @hkjohnsonyeung @AmnestyHK @HKWORLDCITY @missy_lao @elson_tong @hkchrislau @alexhofford @alexhofford @GlobalSolidHK @antd @BillyOYLi @hk_watch @bequelin #HongKongProtest #HongKongProtestors
— Paramendra Kumar Bhagat (@paramendra) September 27, 2019
Thursday, September 26, 2019
I Worry For The Hong Kong Protestors
Running out of options, Hong Kong protesters dig in Police crackdowns have failed, and protesters have no trust in dialogue with an intransigent administration ....... On June 9, Jason So joined the sea of people stretching from Hong Kong's Victoria Park to its seat of government at Admiralty. On that day, more than a million people took to the streets to protest against a proposed bill allowing criminal suspects to be deported from Hong Kong to the mainland, a law that many saw as emblematic of a wider, creeping erosion of the city's treasured civil liberties.
What the Hong Kong protestors need are (1) political organization, (2) political conversations, (3) political strategy, and (4) elected political leadership. In short, sophistication.
If the goal is to almost shut down the city, mission accomplished. But that is not the goal.
If you just organize more protests, Beijing is simply going to wait you out. Not necessarily because that is their active strategy. But it is possible they really don't know what to make of the protests. Maybe they are deer in the headlights.
All protestors should actively join one political party or another. Those parties should have elected leadership at all levels. The leaders of the party should form a coalition. There is need for internal conversation.
Every effort should me made to engage Carrie Lam and Beijig in dialogue. Unless there is much internal dialogue, that external dialogue is less possible.
This has gone on for long. It can not go on forever.
What the Hong Kong protestors need are (1) political organization, (2) political conversations, (3) political strategy, and (4) elected political leadership. In short, sophistication.
If the goal is to almost shut down the city, mission accomplished. But that is not the goal.
If you just organize more protests, Beijing is simply going to wait you out. Not necessarily because that is their active strategy. But it is possible they really don't know what to make of the protests. Maybe they are deer in the headlights.
All protestors should actively join one political party or another. Those parties should have elected leadership at all levels. The leaders of the party should form a coalition. There is need for internal conversation.
Every effort should me made to engage Carrie Lam and Beijig in dialogue. Unless there is much internal dialogue, that external dialogue is less possible.
This has gone on for long. It can not go on forever.
I Worry For The Hong Kong Protestors https://t.co/VUDYcAgdEi @demosisto @joshuawongcf @nathanlawkc @maryhui @kinlinglo @sumlokkei @rachel_cheung1 @lokinhei @HKDemocrats @WilsonLeungWS @HongKongPLG@jasonyng @BillyOYLi @cng1238 @Fight4HongKong #HongKong #HongKongProtests— Paramendra Kumar Bhagat (@paramendra) September 26, 2019
I Worry For The Hong Kong Protestors https://t.co/VUDYcAgdEi @FreedomHKG @BeWaterHKG @ezracheungtoto @antd @RichScotford @XinqiSu @holmeschan_ @chowtingagnes @ray_slowbeat @hk_watch @hkpoliceforce @EricCheungwc @hoccgoomusic #HongKongHumanRightsandDemocracyAct #HongKong— Paramendra Kumar Bhagat (@paramendra) September 26, 2019
I Worry For The Hong Kong Protestors https://t.co/VUDYcAgdEi @lokinhei @kevinkfyam @hkjohnsonyeung @AmnestyHK @HKWORLDCITY @missy_lao @elson_tong @hkchrislau @alexhofford @alexhofford @GlobalSolidHK @antd @BillyOYLi @hk_watch @bequelin #HongKongHumanRightsandDemocracyAct— Paramendra Kumar Bhagat (@paramendra) September 26, 2019
Wednesday, September 25, 2019
President Pelosi? Trending On Twitter
PRESIDENTIAL HARASSMENT!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 24, 2019
“President Pelosi” is trending because it just might happen.https://t.co/J4fSiwLp70
— Palmer Report (@PalmerReport) September 25, 2019
I'm not going to lie, it's not something I was thinking about, but President Pelosi does have a certain ring to it. pic.twitter.com/obqV0zElnR
— Ēva K (@uxordie) September 25, 2019
I rarely read intentionality into what Trump does -- he's mostly id -- but tying Pence to this is a pretty great way to signal to GOP Senators "If you vote to remove me, you gotta remove him. Do you WANT President Pelosi?" https://t.co/8dHHAGDZb5
— Emily VanDerWerff (@tvoti) September 25, 2019
Oh look just casually calling today's trending topic of President Pelosi back on OCTOBER 9, TWENTY SEVENTEEN
— Virginia Heffernan (@page88) September 25, 2019
Stick with me, Twitter, your prophetess https://t.co/ODEXgPmURy
Holy Shit
— YourPresidentIsARacist (@battletested5) September 25, 2019
trump is telling us Pence was involved in the Ukraine treason too
I mean I am fucking floored right now..he incriminating the Vice President of the United States
Hello President Pelosi!!!!!!!!!#TrumpImpeachment
There's a twisted logic here: Trump is gambling that if he shits up Pence enough, they won't dare break support with him because then the VP goes down, too.
— Nash Across the 8th Dimension (@Nash076) September 25, 2019
And if that happens, it's President Pelosi. https://t.co/bIDaNX9xWo
Practicing “President Pelosi” https://t.co/Phwwx79Aw9
— ChristineP (@ChristineParini) September 25, 2019
The moral of the story is: if you and your party allow a bully to embarrass and humiliate you, then you’ll end up with a president who has the likability of a teacher who replies to "Can I go to the bathroom?" with "I don't know can you?" Enjoy President Pelosi, GOP cowards. https://t.co/SMmM7Bha5v
— Marie Connor (@thistallawkgirl) September 25, 2019
Honestly, a President Pelosi, who refuses to run for the job in 2020 and makes her only goal until next January starting the process of rooting out the extensive Republican corruption in government sounds pretty great to me.
— Jason Karsh (@jkarsh) September 25, 2019
Ok. So, the President breaks the law. In his press conference he implicates his VP and AG and his clown attorney implicates the State Department. If they all keep this up, it will end with President Pelosi. You cannot make this stuff up.
— Fred Guttenberg (@fred_guttenberg) September 25, 2019
Remember Pence may be implicated so get ready for President Pelosi! pic.twitter.com/WIOnlFMcbA
— Rodney Santos (@thefinpundit) September 24, 2019
Dick Morris: Impeachment? Over What? https://t.co/7lCQwtFf9M
— Gary Akin (@GaryAkinMLM) September 25, 2019
President Pelosi? Trending On Twitter https://t.co/w0f2gVoxoO #TrumpImpeachment #presidentpelosi #Trump #impeachment
— Paramendra Kumar Bhagat (@paramendra) September 25, 2019
Trump lashes out at Pelosi over impeachment: "She’s no longer the speaker of the House" https://t.co/RJT6nWnZp9 pic.twitter.com/PKVYeP3SWJ
— The Hill (@thehill) September 25, 2019
Here's a copy the actual police report of the arrest of six-year-old Kaia by Orlando cop Dennis Turner.
— Rebecca J. Kavanagh (@DrRJKavanagh) September 25, 2019
Note her first-grade teacher wanting to pursue charges and testify in court against her. pic.twitter.com/LlRVCDlZS0
This is a huge game changer. @AOC is pushing a vision that is inclusive for all. https://t.co/s8SjuivjmN
— Guy Ben-Aharon (@gbenaharon) September 25, 2019
The same billionaires crushing our right to organize are crushing our children's future. American workers need a @GreenNewDeal.
— Fight For 15 (@fightfor15) September 25, 2019
Solidarity to @VarshPrakash and the @sunrisemvmt #FightFor15 pic.twitter.com/2UWREtYv5v
An entire presidency teetering because a couple of outer-borough goombahs are punching above their weight and tried to shake down a foreign leader like he's the Brooklyn land commissioner. https://t.co/yyA1aOFAKw
— Gary Legum (@GaryLegum) September 25, 2019
No. You *don't* ask foreign governments for help in our elections. That *is not* right. pic.twitter.com/gduXHWDNkK
— Nancy Pelosi (@TeamPelosi) September 25, 2019
Welp... https://t.co/jzKIP4bHs2
— heykim (@heykim) September 25, 2019
BREAKING: There's a second whistleblower who says Trump is interfering with the automatic IRS audits of POTUS and Pence. https://t.co/OqRNuDKyER
— Dirk Schwenk (@DirkSchwenk) September 25, 2019
Dick Morris: Impeachment? Over What? Just to be sure, they are also piling on everything they can think of and have been seeking to dredge up through their congressional subpoenas, all packaged into impeachment resolutions. Trump’s tax returns, his foundation activities, his hotel rentals for public events, and everything else is now fair game and likely to be wrapped into impeachment resolutions. ...... Their actions are not the considered opinions of responsible lawmakers. They are the desperate attempts of incumbent congressmen to avoid losing primary battles against pro-impeachment insurgents. ......
The ghost of Joe Crowley, defeated for re-election by Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, prowls the Democratic House cloakrooms and haunts its members.
They are pushing impeachment — on whatever grounds they can find — to avoid and win primary fights....... And I’m sorry, but if President Trump had picked up the phone and called Zelensky and said “I have some military aid that I am holding up from Ukraine and I want you to investigate the Bidens and their activity in your country. If you do that, I will release the aid,” I don’t believe an impeachable offense would have been committed...... In the phone call with Zelensky, Trump did not link aid to investigations, he hinted at it. Even had he said it explicitly, it would not be grounds for impeachment....... Voters who backed Democrats in 2018 elected a grand jury not a legislative chamber....... And, the process will doom Biden’s candidacy leaving only the un-electable Elizabeth Warren in its wake.Tuesday, September 24, 2019
Formula For Peace: Iran-Saudi-US, Taliban-US, India-Pakistan
Iran-Saudi-US
Situation: War is not an option. An all-out attack by the US on Iran and an all-out counter-attack is unthinkable. For one, there would be a global Depression. It would be like the global economy had a heart attack. A seizure. Even when you are not talking, you are essentially "talking," you are signaling.
Interesting: The Saudis, the Iranians and the Americans all are on excellent terms with both Imran Khan and Narendra Modi. Both Modi and Imran should come together and help out Saudi Arabia, Iran, and the US.
Solution: Go back to the Obama nuclear deal and while you are at it, negotiate on all other outstanding matters. Give full engagement to Iran as a conclusion step. Maximum trade, maximum tourism.
Rationale: If you want democracy in Iran, you want to engage to the maximum. Trade also prevents war. If the Chinese and American supply chains were not such a spaghetti, we would already have seen a US-China hot war by now.
Taliban-US
Situation: The Taliban and the Afghan government refuse to talk to each other, but both are willing to talk to Imran Khan.
Interesting: Both the Afghan government and the Taliban are eager to talk to Imran Khan. The Indian government is on good terms with the Afghan government.
Solution: Integrate the Afghan Army and the Taliban to create one unified army, like happened with the Maoists of Nepal and the Nepal Army in the mid 2000s.
Bottomline: The Taliban must agree to become a political party and contest elections in Afghanistan.
India-Pakistan
Situation: Indian Kashmir is under curfew for more than 50 days running now.
Interesting: Saudi Arabia, Iran, and the US are all on excellent terms with both Imran Khan and Narendra Modi.
Solution: Let Pakistan and India recognize the Line Of Control as the final border between the two countries and compete with each other to install democracy and human rights in both Kashmirs. This formula of recognizing the LOC as the final border is also the solution to the India-China border dispute. They have the longest disputed border in the world.
Bottomline: The curfew in Kashmir must be lifted immediately.
Formula For Peace: Iran-Saudi-US, Taliban-US, India-Pakistan https://t.co/WYH2zyif7Y @ImranKhanPTI @narendramodi @realDonaldTrump @IsraeliPM @USUN @StateDept #iran #SaudiArabia #Taliban #Afghanistan #KashmirStillUnderCurfew #india #pakistan #ImranKhanForPeace #ModiInUSA— Paramendra Kumar Bhagat (@paramendra) September 24, 2019
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