Hong Kong Colonial Conundrum

[MASCARO at humnet.ucla.edu]

In the insane rush to finish my work and prepare something for GRGR(7) I haen't 
followed this colonialism thread too closely, nor the related Steely/Chris/Diana clashes, 
but yesterday a weird thing happened that ought to --complicate--this discussion, or at 
least give it momentary pause:  Hong Kong took another slip-slide step into the great Red 
maw with the installation of its new *leader*--apparently a stooge of Bejing, a-and a filthy 
rich international capitalist at the same time!  Now, are we rejoicing at the liberation of 
another victim of Western imperialism here?  How weird--it's been a colony of England 
for 150 years and now it's as free as, as, well, almost as free as Tibet!!  I am not, god knows, 
saying the slightest thing in favor of colonialism, but I have to say that in this case it 
seems better than the alternative.

So what should we feel about Hong Kong's *liberation*?

john m