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In this second part of our interview, journalist Pepe Escobar explains the protests in Hong Kong, and says the oligarchs and local leader Carrie Lam “fucked up”.Escobar lived in Hong Kong for many years, and returned a week ago, filing this dispatch with his observations.
Asked if the US National Endowment for Democracy is stoking the protests, or if they are purely organic, Escobar responds that it’s both. Add he gives a fascinating explanation of influence of the old line Hong Kong oligarchs, while contrasting their wealth with the daily struggle of working people.
Escobar mentions that he covered the handover of Hong Kong from Britain to China in 1999, and says that integration with Beijing is inevitable. With the 70th Anniversary of communist rule approaching October 1, he thinks Beijing will find ways to snuff out the protests by then.