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U.S. refused to help Joshua Wong flee Hong Kong, sources say 😂 (asia.nikkei.com)

submitted 10 months ago by yogthos@lemmygrad.ml to c/us_news@lemmygrad.ml

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[–] ikiru@lemmy.ml 11 points 10 months ago (4 children)

Maybe its just my downer vibes today but I do feel sorry for him.

He was just a kid during that time, but he learned the hard way that the US/West is not the savior he imagined. A costly lesson.

[–] Munrock@lemmygrad.ml 28 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Under Hong Kong laws he can't be charged as an adult for things he did as a minor.

However, he wasn't a minor when he held elected office.

And it's no coincidence that the first set of protests went off when he ceased to be a minor and became a much more useful pawn for the US, after they built him up as some kind of messianic child prodigy in the preceding years.

And yeah, 18 is still just a kid in many ways, but so many of us fuck up at that age and spend our lives affected by the consequences. The difference between Wong and the people in this community who fucked up at 18, is that Wong will be able to get a book deal out of his fuckup when he gets out.

[–] ikiru@lemmy.ml 11 points 10 months ago

And yeah, 18 is still just a kid in many ways, but so many of us fuck up at that age and spend our lives affected by the consequences.

Yeah, this and possible life imprisonment as a result is more of what I was empathizing with even though I don't sympathize with his politics. Because I know it was a very plausible alternative timeline where I got locked up at the same age for Leftist protests in the US. But, to be honest, even though I don't know shit about this dude and didn't even realize he held an office at some point I already know we probably wouldn't agree politically so I'm really not trying to defend him generally speaking.

[–] Idliketothinkimsmart@lemmygrad.ml 25 points 10 months ago

He was arrested in September 2020 and is awaiting sentencing for conspiracy to commit subversion over his role in an unofficial primary election.

Doesn't seem like the focus of his arrest is because of his student activism. He would've been 23 at this point. Not quite a child, but more than old enough to know what he was doing was subversive.

[–] bennieandthez@lemmygrad.ml 24 points 10 months ago

kid or not, he had enough time to think things through and did not. Do not feel sorry for him, he absolutely enjoyed his TIME awards and "nobel peace prize" nominations, now it's time to reap the consequences of his actions.

[–] LarkinDePark@lemmygrad.ml 22 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago) (1 children)

He was 24 years old. A grown adult with the capacity of free will. He did an untold amount of damage and harm.

[–] ikiru@lemmy.ml 11 points 10 months ago (1 children)

Oh, was he? Article mentioned he was 17 when he got involved.

Still pretty young either way though, but you make a good point.

[–] LarkinDePark@lemmygrad.ml 17 points 10 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago)

I had to double check. Born October 96. 23 in the 2019 riots. I think that's what he's up for, not the protests in 2014.