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Comment by nutcracker46 | Hacker News Reader

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There's nothing "fascist" about opposition to colonialism. The attitude of most Chinese people isn't that they're the greatest in the world. Quite the opposite, they generally admire the developed world and want to emulate it in many ways. They don't generally want to be better than everyone else, but rather to be treated with respect. British control over Hong Kong was a reminder of a time when China was not treated with respect, in which it was forced to submit to humiliating treaties, in which foreign countries could force China to accept opium imports, in which Chinese territory was carved up, and in which Chinese people suffered under foreign invasions and occupation.

It's easy to tell other countries to get over colonialism, but colonialism is a major issue in the modern history of China. That's why Hong Kong is a touchy issue, and why a lot of Chinese people will get pissed off if you tell them it's not part of China. It was taken from China in a war in which the British forced China to import opium. Just keep that in mind when you think about why Chinese people might react as they do.

But not a lot of British citizens get this violently or persistently up in arms about American independence, despite that war happening only a few years earlier.

The remaining descendants of French aristocratic families aren't trying to claim their rights stolen in that revolution.

There does come a point in time where past difficulties should be laid to rest.

Telling China to get over colonialism is like telling black people to get over racism.

These inhumane policies have been in place for centuries so after 3-4 decades of half-heartedly treating people as equals, "get over it" isn't going to fly.

Generally the victims decide when to move on, not the attackers.

Are you comparing the what happened to the Chinese in the Opium Wars to what happened to the British in the American revolution?

Was not my intent, but I see where I went off the rails. Thanks for the feedback and I'll rethink this.

Well, yes, colonialism is a major issue in the modern history of China; China acts like a colonizer towards its border territories. There's something fascist about ethnic cleansing, about re-education camps, about disappearing citizens without habeas corpus, about killing religious prisoners and harvesting their organs.

We can have both truths; it can both be true that China suffered greatly under British colonialism, and also be true that China is committing dire human rights violations which, to the degree that they further a Han Chinese ethnostate, are fascist. Tibetans, Uighurs, and indeed the people of Hong Kong are suffering under China's policies.

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