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Protester shot in chest by live police round during Hong Kong protests

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628 points nodea2345 | 7 comments | 01 Oct 19 11:19 UTC | HN request time: 0.008s | source | bottom
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program_whiz ◴[01 Oct 19 13:26 UTC] No.21125050[source]▶
Sure, the kid was swinging at the officer, and I suppose that warrants the officer acting in self-defense. But another question is, what are the protesters supposed to do? The government has all the power, and can simply snuff out any resistence. If you just stand in the streets, they really don't care, they are going to take your freedom. Imagine if the US suddenly had a dictator that just decided they were going to take all property rights and freedoms like that -- I think taking to the streets, and even resorting to violence might be necessary (otherwise the powers-that-be have no reason to listen to a bunch of people standing in a street hundreds of miles away).
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1. mc32 ◴[01 Oct 19 13:38 UTC] No.21125159[source]▶
Obviously this is very complicated. Protesters have rights but so do police officers —we hope both operate within the bounds of the law and then that politicians would do the work for a compromise.

But, it becomes really complicated rather fast when rights get eroded.

When the Russians were caught unprepared for war, it wasn’t “right” to send their young conscripts to war with antiquated arms against a modernized force. But what was the alternative to certain carnage? Supplicant carnage? I don’t condone what the Soviets did to their own, but at the same time they had little alternative, though it was due to negligence at the highest office at the time.

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2. program_whiz ◴[01 Oct 19 14:22 UTC] No.21125595[source]▶
Yeah, I don't favor violence against anyone. But also have to question the ethics of someone who would join the police force to take the rights of HK citizenry by force.

But we need compassion for those officers too, likely they didn't have many options, and dropping party loyalty because you're getting squeemish is a recipe for disappearing or at least a life of poverty and suffering (I'm guessing).

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3. djsumdog ◴[01 Oct 19 15:05 UTC] No.21126093[source]▶
Surrender? People criticize the French and others prior to WW2, but would it really have been better to fight unprepared and let a few tens or hundreds of thousands die right off the bat? Sometimes the strategic decision is not the emotional one.

"A strange game. The only winning move is not to play." -Wargames

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4. amanaplanacanal ◴[01 Oct 19 15:34 UTC] No.21126525[source]▶
And those people have families too. People are willing to give up a lot to take care of their families. How many of us would do the right thing knowing what might happen to our families? I bet not many.
5. ApolloFortyNine ◴[01 Oct 19 17:57 UTC] No.21128516[source]▶
Are you implying Russia should have surrendered?

The UK would have likely been forced out of the war before the U.S ever got involved. And then you'd give Germany all the resources of Europe to work with for their next war.

Truly, what are you saying.

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6. 24gttghh ◴[01 Oct 19 20:03 UTC] No.21129940{3}[source]▶
GP is clearly talking about France, not Russia.
7. galkk ◴[01 Oct 19 23:25 UTC] No.21131985[source]▶
> Surrender?

Well, as a person of Russian descent I can say fk you with such offers. The Nazis had pretty clear goals for Slavic people. Hitler gave pretty clear picture in Mein Kampf what he planned for East territories, and there were no plans for anybody but Germans.

Here what Nazis did on occupied territories with people who "surrendered"

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ostarbeiter