I'm always inspired by those who fight for their own lives and the freedom to live it. Freedom doesn't come for free, it need to be argued for and fought for. Complacency is a sure-fire way to serfdom.
But there's a pre-requisite: education. The fundamental cause of complacency and loss of freedom is the lack of understanding of what freedom is and the moral, political and philosophical ideas that it depends on.
It's easy to see the evil of a dictatorial state oppressing its citizens; it's much harder to see the philosophic and moral ideas that makes this possible. It's easy to see the evils of Nazi Germany and Fascism; it's harder to grasp the ideas that gave rise to this. And these are not superficial political discontent or tribal alliances, they are deep, philosophic ideas.
This is what needs to be understood. Learn about the moral ideas at the root of freedom and fight for those. Learn about the opposing moralities and fight against those.
The argument that liberal democracy is not self-sustaining is compelling because democratic institutions depend on informed citizens, transparency, and public accountability. Access to reliable public information helps people better understand their communities and participate meaningfully in civic life. Resources such as https://lakecountypropertyappraiser.org can illustrate how accessible records contribute to transparency and informed public discussion. Ultimately, a healthy democracy requires citizens who remain engaged, question institutions, and actively support the principles that allow democratic systems to endure.
It is so great to hear from someone who has actually come face to face with a truly repressive regime. Back when the transfer of Hong Kong from the UK to China I intuitively assumed that the "one country, two systems" was more of a marketing tool than any sort of real objective. I always assumed that what is happening to Hong Kong now was inevitable.
But as I read this what really struck me is how spoiled those of us who live in what is left of the liberal democracies have become. It just sickens me to hear Americans talk about our own government as some repressive ogre seeking souls to devour. Masks in pandemic? Repression! Vaccinations? Repression! The existence of trans people? Repression! Equal Employment Opportunity? Repression! I look at the laundry list of discontent that is generating so much of the political discourse in the West and then I compare that to what the really repressive regimes are dishing out to their people and I want to weep.
I am not a reflexive China basher. The sacrifices and mistakes of the past have led to vast improvements to the material lives of most of the Chinese people. Great good may come out of China but probably not before a lot of bad has come out first. I still don't know if Taiwan is worth a war.
As an old septuagenarian I find people like Nathan Law (and you youngin's at the Unpopulist!) as a hopeful sign of the future for a world better than what my generation left them. Without y'all I'd simply lapse into cynicism!
Thank you for this article. We lived in Northern China in 2002, and then in Sheung Shui and Tai Po until 2008. We planned to continue working and to retire there, but family illness brought us back to Canada. Hong Kong still holds a big piece of my heart, I miss it a lot.
Your article is a clear reminder of how quickly a stable, affluent, liberal democratic society can disappear. Too often we tell ourselves “it can’t happen here,” and we are wrong to think that.
I'm always inspired by those who fight for their own lives and the freedom to live it. Freedom doesn't come for free, it need to be argued for and fought for. Complacency is a sure-fire way to serfdom.
But there's a pre-requisite: education. The fundamental cause of complacency and loss of freedom is the lack of understanding of what freedom is and the moral, political and philosophical ideas that it depends on.
It's easy to see the evil of a dictatorial state oppressing its citizens; it's much harder to see the philosophic and moral ideas that makes this possible. It's easy to see the evils of Nazi Germany and Fascism; it's harder to grasp the ideas that gave rise to this. And these are not superficial political discontent or tribal alliances, they are deep, philosophic ideas.
This is what needs to be understood. Learn about the moral ideas at the root of freedom and fight for those. Learn about the opposing moralities and fight against those.
The argument that liberal democracy is not self-sustaining is compelling because democratic institutions depend on informed citizens, transparency, and public accountability. Access to reliable public information helps people better understand their communities and participate meaningfully in civic life. Resources such as https://lakecountypropertyappraiser.org can illustrate how accessible records contribute to transparency and informed public discussion. Ultimately, a healthy democracy requires citizens who remain engaged, question institutions, and actively support the principles that allow democratic systems to endure.
It is so great to hear from someone who has actually come face to face with a truly repressive regime. Back when the transfer of Hong Kong from the UK to China I intuitively assumed that the "one country, two systems" was more of a marketing tool than any sort of real objective. I always assumed that what is happening to Hong Kong now was inevitable.
But as I read this what really struck me is how spoiled those of us who live in what is left of the liberal democracies have become. It just sickens me to hear Americans talk about our own government as some repressive ogre seeking souls to devour. Masks in pandemic? Repression! Vaccinations? Repression! The existence of trans people? Repression! Equal Employment Opportunity? Repression! I look at the laundry list of discontent that is generating so much of the political discourse in the West and then I compare that to what the really repressive regimes are dishing out to their people and I want to weep.
I am not a reflexive China basher. The sacrifices and mistakes of the past have led to vast improvements to the material lives of most of the Chinese people. Great good may come out of China but probably not before a lot of bad has come out first. I still don't know if Taiwan is worth a war.
As an old septuagenarian I find people like Nathan Law (and you youngin's at the Unpopulist!) as a hopeful sign of the future for a world better than what my generation left them. Without y'all I'd simply lapse into cynicism!
Thank you for this article. We lived in Northern China in 2002, and then in Sheung Shui and Tai Po until 2008. We planned to continue working and to retire there, but family illness brought us back to Canada. Hong Kong still holds a big piece of my heart, I miss it a lot.
Your article is a clear reminder of how quickly a stable, affluent, liberal democratic society can disappear. Too often we tell ourselves “it can’t happen here,” and we are wrong to think that.