To understand the world, watch what Western politicians do—never mind what they bluff.
The Jimmy Lai verdict has landed in the court of Hong Kong, the Alliance case is rolling forward, and right on cue, Western politicians start throwing their weight around. The European Parliament fires off statements. American lawmakers grandstand about judicial independence. But two recent incidents expose just how hollow that moral posturing really is.
Ten Bullets, One Phone
Minnesota just gave America another grim lesson in how it really treats protesters. On January 24, federal agents hunting undocumented immigrants in Minneapolis pinned male nurse Alex Pretti to the ground and shot him ten times from behind. His weapon? A smartphone. The entire execution played out on camera for everyone to see.
Officers had already disarmed Pretti before they killed him. That didn't stop Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem from declaring—without a shred of evidence—that Pretti had committed "domestic terrorism". Border Patrol commander John Bovino piled on, claiming Pretti intended to "massacre" law enforcement officers, justifying the kill shot.
American public opinion erupted. The New York Times published a blistering editorial accusing Trump administration officials of outright lying and demanding Justice Department intervention. The Times pointed out something even more disturbing: this wasn't an isolated incident.
The Pattern Repeats
Earlier in January, another Minneapolis resident—Renée Good—was shot dead by a federal agent. Good's same-sex partner was filming federal officers arresting undocumented residents when agents interfered. As Good attempted to drive away, an ICE agent fired three shots, killing her. The Trump administration demonized Good as well, and actively obstructed the state government's investigation.
Remember Nancy Pelosi calling Hong Kong's Black Riots a "beautiful sight to behold"? Hong Kong police never killed a single protester who showed no intention of resisting. Compared to Hong Kong's extreme restraint, America operates in a completely different universe. Back in 2021, a Capitol security officer shot and killed a female protester on camera during the January 6 riot.
America enforces harsh national security laws with brutal methods—what standing does it have to lecture Hong Kong? Why doesn't the European Parliament dare condemn America's violent tactics?
Allies Abandoned in Syria
Syrian government forces just seized the country's largest oil field—the Omar field—and surrounding gas facilities in Deir ez-Zor province. The operation delivered a crushing blow to the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), America's former battlefield partners. While Syrian forces celebrated victory, horrific footage emerged online showing Kurdish female fighters massacred.
The 1949 Geneva Convention explicitly prohibits torture, retaliation, or intimidation of prisoners of war. Syrian government forces' actions blatantly violate international law. Yet Trump stays silent on the slaughter of America's Kurdish allies.
The Kurds number 30 million, spread across four countries, and have pursued independence for decades. The SDF once controlled 25% of Syrian territory in the north and east—including oil fields that form the country's economic backbone. Washington backed the SDF to fight ISIS while opposing Assad's regime. The SDF did America's dirty work.
Friends and Enemies
Syria's current president, Ahmed al-Sharaa, was once on America's wanted list. But al-Sharaa is politically astute. After taking power in January 2025, he moved aggressively to improve relations with Washington, even secretly negotiating with the US and Israel to cede parts of the Golan Heights. That won Trump over. The administration now welcomes this former designated terrorist to the White House.
Russia, meanwhile, suffered a heavy blow in the Syrian reshuffling. Moscow had strongly backed the Assad regime, using Syria as a crucial Middle East base. Russian troops were stationed throughout Deir ez-Zor province, but after the SDF's defeat, Russian forces had to hastily withdraw from the region.
The Syrian massacre exposes this world's true operating principles: naked interests and raw power, nothing more. Al-Sharaa took power through the barrel of a gun, without any democratic election. He follows extreme Islamic teachings that fundamentally contradict America's professed principles of democracy and freedom. But operating on the logic that the enemy of my enemy is my friend, Washington now allies with President al-Sharaa.
The West has completely lost any moral high ground. Stop commenting on Hong Kong's affairs. If American politicians have time, they should focus on the male nurse shot dead at home and the massacred Kurds in Syria. Hong Kong is doing just fine—we don't need your concern.
Lo Wing-hung
Bastille Commentary
** The blog article is the sole responsibility of the author and does not represent the position of our company. **
The US war against Iran has dragged on for over half a month. Trump has clearly miscalculated.
The US's greatest success came on February 28, the first day of the war, when it killed Iran's supreme leader Khamenei. But as the conflict unfolded, it has gradually shifted into a situation unfavorable for the US.
First, it failed to trigger regime change.
Trump was convinced Iran was just like Venezuela, riddled with internal fractures. After Venezuelan leader Maduro was captured by US invasion, interim president Rodríguez immediately reached an agreement with the US and restored diplomatic relations. Trump fully expected that after killing Khamenei, he could push Iran to install a pro-American regime. But Iran held firm and re-elected Khamenei's son Mojtaba as supreme leader.
Khamenei was actually a civilian by background and had served as Iran's president, whereas his son Mojtaba fought in the Iran-Iraq War in his youth, served in the elite volunteer corps of the Revolutionary Guards, and was subsequently viewed as a representative of the hardline pro-Revolutionary Guards faction within the regime—likely even more hardline than Khamenei. The US ended up pushing Iran to install an even more anti-American regime.
Second, the situation spiraled out of control.
Everyone expected the US-Iran conflict to mirror the 1991 Gulf War against Iraq, where the US deployed six aircraft carrier battle groups to saturate the Persian Gulf and Red Sea with attacks, systematically destroying Iraqi air defenses and counterattack capabilities before wrapping up the war quickly.
This time, however, played out entirely differently—the US performed poorly.
The USS Lincoln carrier battle group reportedly closed to within 346 kilometers of Iran before coming under attack. Iran fired four anti-ship missiles and four cruise missiles at the Lincoln. Iran claimed the carrier was damaged; the US denied it, but observers watched the Lincoln retreat steadily away from the Persian Gulf.
When the US deployed the USS Ford carrier battle group as backup, it too kept its distance from Iran. Iran declared that within its territorial waters and 700 kilometers of its coastline, not a single US warship remained—evidence, Iran argued, that the US feared Iranian missile strikes.
The damage extended further. Iran claimed it had destroyed four THAAD air defense systems at separate US military bases across the Middle East, plus one ground-based Pave Paws regional radar. Only eight THAAD systems exist globally—the only systems capable of intercepting missiles both inside and outside the atmosphere—and Iran eliminated four in one strike. Only seven Pave Paws regional radar systems exist worldwide; Iran took out one. The military achievement was staggering. The US urgently withdrew one THAAD system and Patriot missiles from South Korea to reinforce the Middle East.
US combat losses were unprecedented. Iran had never struck the US with this intensity before, exposing Trump's miscalculation: he believed Iran lacked the capability to retaliate effectively. Whether Iran had been holding back or simply unwilling to escalate further to preserve negotiating room remains unclear, but the US miscalculation proved costly.
Most US radar systems in the region were destroyed, leaving American forces essentially half-blind across the Middle East. US military bases in multiple countries now sat exposed to Iranian missile strikes. Israel continued absorbing heavy blows from Iran. After dismantling large swaths of US air defense radar, Iran announced it would no longer fire missiles under one ton—meaning it would deploy heavy missiles against US forces and Israel in the region, leaving the US in a severely weakened position.
Third, closing the Strait of Hormuz
Iran controls the throat of the Strait of Hormuz, through which 40% of the world's oil must pass. According to Lloyd's List data, only 77 vessels have transited the strait since March this year. In the same period last year, March 1 to 11, 1,229 vessels passed through. The Strait of Hormuz is approaching a de facto blockade. Oil prices have surged sharply, and Trump's approval ratings have plummeted. He's freaking out.
Trump's latest move is to drag China into the fray. In an interview with the Financial Times on Sunday, March 15, he demanded that countries join the United States in escorting vessels through the Strait of Hormuz. He said beneficiaries of the strait should help ensure nothing bad happens to it. Since 90% of China's oil passes through the Strait of Hormuz, he believes China should also provide assistance. He also suggested possibly delaying the planned end-of-month US-China summit with President Xi Jinping, hoping to know China's response before the meeting. Waiting two weeks until then would be too late.
Trump has now created a major crisis with Iran and cannot stop the conflict even if he wanted to. Even if the United States unilaterally ceases hostilities, it cannot guarantee that Iran will reopen the Strait of Hormuz and allow oil prices to fall rapidly. So while the US appears to want China to join in escorting vessels through the Strait of Hormuz, it may actually be asking China to play peacemaker and mediate the dispute between the US and Iran, allowing Trump to exit with dignity.
Trump is that pathetic character who creates trouble everywhere and then needs others to help clean up his mess.
Lo Wing-hung
