Phew… It was a grueling and exhausting four-day weekend for anyone on Planet Twitter, where the Trump administration’s ‘Muslim Ban’ unleashed incessant, full-scale, howling, hysterical outrage. Such a deluge of righteous fury about fascism and evil is not only unsustainable, but probably disproportionate given the prospects for stupider, nastier and scarier measures in the near future.
Much depends on how soon and how often such policy-mayhem erupts, but I can’t see Trump finishing a four-year term by a long shot. Reality will intrude, his Svengali-advisor-freaks will eat each other, and his ‘friends’, allies and apologists will slink or scurry away. In frustration, he will suddenly detonate – blame everyone else for their failure and betrayal, declare the nation and world unworthy of his visionary leadership and genius, and probably set fire to the Oval Office before storming out.
It all seems so much calmer and more relaxing here in Hong Kong. Our only mildly shocking and unthinkable horror today is that Mainland agents operating out of their jurisdiction have (allegedly/presumably/obviously) abducted another person as part of ever-so-powerful-and-confident Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s struggle for political survival.
The local press struggle to explain Xiao Jianhua’s disappearance, while the Hong Kong authorities treat it as a case of man-left-hotel-with-bunch-of-guys. Behind the scenes, the Chinese censors and propagandists concoct a highly convincing and reassuring story that may or may not entail (wah – so original!) medical treatment.
The most parochial and pitiful part of the drama is yet to come – when Carrie Lam and other Chief Executive hopefuls have to self-flagellate by parroting a Communist Party-friendly line no-one believes.
Who wouldn’t like a free trip to China with 8 badly suited friends! Road Trip!
Have you had a HOT DONALD today?
https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Hot+Donald
Xiao has a diplomatic passport from Antigua and this is where things get interesting. Antigua vs. China ? Tough one to call. Antigua’s got a lot of juice and can call on the support of regional “big guns” like Guadeloupe and the Virgin Islands. Given the possibility of escalation , what will happen if Antigua sends it’s fleet (Capital Ship the dredger “Feelin’ High”) to the South China Sea?
reductio
A few quibbles.
Antigua is a Commonwealth Realm, with HM the Queen as head of state. If China starts pushing Antigua around (of course, this didn’t do Grenada much good when the Yanks invaded it), it will be able to call upon the might of the Empire to help it put Peking in its place.
It would be quite pointless of Antigua to enlist aid from Guadeloupe as the latter is a French possession, and Johnny Frog doesn’t exactly have a particularly impressive recent record when it comes to bellicose activity. May, 1940 and Indochina spring immediately to mind.
As for the Virgin Islands, it very much depends on whether you mean the British Virgin Islands or the American ones. As you imply, it is unlikely that the BVI, as a British Overseas Territory, could offer much help other than moral, but it does have the Royal Navy and the Brigade of Guards to call upon in emergencies.
The AVI, on the other hand, constitute an entirely different kettle of fish. I have no doubt that were the powers that be in Charlotte Amalie to whisper in Washington’s ear that their chums in Antigua were getting pushed around by those fiendish orientals in far Cathay, Donald Chump would be more than willing to send in the cavalry.
Watch this space.
@Red Dragon
I was taking the piss.
@ reductio
The was obvious (and amusing).
Red D was just embellishing your jest, rather well.
@Red D and Pie Chucker
Sorry about that.