What was the exact quote? The article doesn't mention it. I assume it was in support of the HK protestors.
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The Chinese are correct to be afraid, they have spent the last half century cleansing the concept of freedom from their society and they are terrified of what comes next.
People are going to start dying publicly in HK very soon, and the rest of the world will have to decide which side of history they want to stand on.
The American's needed allies to succeed in their revolution against a much more powerful nation, HK will need allies too.
I have had conversations about this over drinks with quite a few of them and the general consensus is that people will die, and all of them hope to be as far away from it as possible when it happens.