US Decries Hong Kong 'Democracy' Crackdown, Ignores Its Own
In Hong Kong, Jimmy Lai of Apple Daily was convicted under a Beijing-imposed national security law, a move widely condemned by Western nations as an assault on democracy and free speech. Yet, these same nations, particularly the United States, rarely acknowledge their own expansive interpretations of 'national security' that chill dissent. Imagine the outrage if a prominent U.S. media figure,
critical of government war policies, were tried for 'conspiracy' after meeting with foreign officials. The hypocrisy is glaring. Congressional records show the U.S. has invoked 'national security' to justify everything from prosecuting whistleblowers like Julian Assange (for which the White House doubled down as recently as May 2024, per AP) to supporting regimes with far worse human rights
records. One might be tempted to wonder if 'democracy' is only in peril when it's inconvenient for geopolitical rivals, not when it's sacrificed at home or among allies.