Two Different Worlds: Hong Kong, Syria

Yesterday’s two major headlines seem to reflect two different worlds, two different kinds of power, two possible futures.

The Unlikely Umbrella Revolution

First the good news: “Tens of Thousands Continue Occupy Hong Kong; Authorities Deadlocked.” The eruption of this spontaneous, self-organized mass uprising is great cause for celebration. The spirit of ‘Occupy 2011,” dormant in the west, seems to have migrated east and taken deep root in the city-state of Hong Kong, where it animates a huge mass movement, sparked by the bold leadership of a seven-teen year old high-school student and his cohorts. Harsh police repression against the student demonstrators has provoked an outpouring of active sympathy throughout the population – from non-student youth to adult workers in every category – as it did in France in May ’68. Soon key parts of the city-state were blockaded by huge crowds conducting a non-violent sit-in and occupation on a mass scale Martin Luther King could only dream of.