[Thread] I've spent way to much time grilling tankies, so I wanted to spend a little bit of time explaining to good-faith Western (and non-Western) leftists a little bit of what the socioeconomic situation is like in Hong Kong.

Picture this. Imagine the worst blights of neoliberalist development in the West. The unaffordable rents (highest in developed world), the ridiculous income and wealth disparity (highest in the developed world), and over 20% of the population in poverty around massive wealth.

In this environment where everything is unaffordable and cost of living is skyrocketing, the min. wage is $4.84 USD per hour. Yet the average rent is over $2,000 USD a month. Many working class HKers live in literal cages, perhaps 15 stacked on top of each other, sharing 1 bath.

The government relies heavily on revenue generated from land sales, and it continues the monopoly of the local economy by real estate developers. Tons of folks couch surf, other just spend the night at Mcdonalds or in parks, or just walk around.

There is almost no labour protection. You can join a union, but there is no protection against reprisal, so your employer can just fire you. There is NO statutory protection on working hours - your employer can make you work 90 hours a week if they wanted. NO overtime.

Okay you probably get the picture, it is somewhat similar in nature to the neoliberalist hell that many working class people face in Western cities - if more on the extreme side of the spectrum.

NOW its time to add the authoritarian-capitalist bullshit. Peep this.

Under the City's constitution, neither the Chief Executive (very appropriate for the name of the city's leader) nor the majority of the Legislature can be voted in by the people. Instead, the majority of the voting base is rigged so that it is controlled by corporate interests.

The Legislature is controlled by a mechanism called functional constituencies that allow special interests to dominate politics. This literally allows powerful corporations to essential vote on their own lawmakers. Imagine if like Goldman Sachs was allowed to vote in your Senator

Corporate interests form a political bloc in voting along with pro-Beijing authoritarian pro-police interests. So it is the literal and direct case that in HK, police protect state capitalist interest because they are voted in to do that.

Add to this a militarized police force and government that crushes all political dissent, has fired >16,000 canisters of tear gas so 88% of the city's population as been exposed to this chemical weapons. Has jailed >9,000 protesters including thousands of children.

Now with the National Security Law, any sort of political dissent (including having dissenting views on social media, shouting slogans, asking for foreign governments to sanction the government or help HKers) results in up to life in prison.

The government has also harassed opposition lawmakers and now literally banned any politicians from running in election if they show conduct that they intend to block laws or oppose government budgets. It's a fucking shitshow.

So HK is literally the worst of the both worlds. You've got the crushing, dehumanizing labour exploitation and relative poverty of neoliberalism + the stifling militarized law enforcement, surveillance, and carceral system of an authoritarian police state.

So are there reactionary elements of the movement? Sure. Because pretty much everyone is HK HATES the authoritarian police, the lack of civil rights, and the violent denial of democracy, kids going to jail, fucking everyone getting tear gas. So its a broad tent.

Leftists don't need to accept all parts of the movement - we've got our own shit to figure out internally. But they CAN uplift, amplify, and materially support the part of Hong Kong society which they do agree with. Anti-racist groups, unions, LGBTQ groups, migrant groups, etc.

Strengthen the left in Hong Kong! Reach out! Some ideas and organizations can be found in this awesome reflection by T, a longtime organizer, about the struggling Hong Kong left and need for support. https://lausan.hk/2020/situating-the-hong-kong-left/

Thanks so, so, so much @ginkgogoes for their Chinese translation!!! If folks want to share with a HK/Chinese audience! https://twitter.com/ginkgogoes/status/1289185203382972416?s=20