When Principles Die on America's Streets

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. **

America's double standards sometimes reach a truly appalling level. The US constantly presents itself as the world's defender of human rights — yet when the bodies pile up, human lives don’t seem to count.

On February 28 — the first day of joint US-Israel strikes on Iran — a girls' elementary school in Minab, in southern Iran, was hit. Local officials reported at least 175 deaths. More than 160 of the dead were female pupils.

Washington's first move was to dodge responsibility entirely. Trump suggested the school had been struck by inaccurate Iranian munitions. On March 7, aboard Air Force One, he told reporters: "In my opinion, based on what I've seen, that was done by Iran."

As the controversy grew, Trump changed his tune and claimed ignorance. Then Iran released images of missile debris recovered from the scene — clearly showing a US-made Tomahawk cruise missile, with the words "Made in USA" visibly inscribed on it.

Evidence Written on the Missile

Trump still dug in on March 9. At a press conference in Miami, asked directly whether it was a Tomahawk cruise missile that struck the girls' school, he insisted: "A Tomahawk is very generic. It's sold to other countries. Iran has some Tomahawks, and they want more. But whether it's Iran or somebody else, a Tomahawk is very commonly used." He added that the matter was under investigation.

Those claims were clearly baseless. Neither Iran nor Israel possesses Tomahawk missiles — the United States is effectively the sole operator. Tomahawk exports are strictly controlled; aside from the US, reportedly only Australia and the United Kingdom field these missiles, and there is absolutely no possibility either would sell them to Iran.

In the end, The New York Times — citing a preliminary US military investigation — reported that the girls' school was indeed struck by US forces. Military intelligence personnel had relied on outdated targeting data, mistaking the school for an Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps facility. Tomahawk cruise missiles finished the job, causing devastating casualties.

What makes it worse: the US military carried out a double-tap strike. A second attack arrived just minutes after the first hit on the school — a tactic classically associated with killing first responders. With the evidence overwhelming and the truth impossible to conceal, the US appears to have pre-emptively leaked the findings, acknowledging responsibility in hopes of containing the fallout.

A Front Page the World Won't Forget

The damage is done regardless. Striking an elementary school with cruise missiles has outraged people around the world. Iran's English-language newspaper, the Tehran Times, ran portraits of the more than 160 dead schoolgirls across its entire front page, under the headline: "Trump, Look Them in the Eyes."

Whether intentional or the result of faulty intelligence, this attack may well constitute a war crime under the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court. Article 8 of the Rome Statute lays out the key conditions clearly.

I. Existence of Armed Conflict

There must be an international armed conflict, and the act must be closely related to that conflict. Ordinary domestic disturbances do not qualify.

II. Victims Must Be Protected Persons

The targets must not be persons directly participating in hostilities — such as civilians, the wounded, and prisoners of war. Protected civilian property, including hospitals and schools, falls under the same prohibition.

III. Serious Violation of International Law

The act must constitute a grave breach of international humanitarian law. It must also have been criminalised under treaty or customary law.

The United States launched a war without UN authorisation — a serious violation of international law — and then missile-struck children who should be protected under the laws of armed conflict. That conduct is potentially criminal as a war crime. Washington readily intervenes in the affairs of other nations for all manner of reasons, yet brushes its own crimes aside with barely a word.

Make no mistake: no US military personnel will be held accountable for this massacre of Iranian schoolchildren. Not the intelligence officers who gathered the faulty data. Not the heads of the relevant intelligence agencies. Not the generals who ordered strikes in that area. Not the Secretary of Defense. Not the President himself. 

This episode carries a pointed message for Hong Kong. When those who have fled abroad continue to eagerly seek meetings with senior US government officials, urging them to keep sanctioning Hong Kong officials or demanding the release of Jimmy Lai, they would do well to remember: these American officials have blood on their hands. They start wars against other countries without justification.

Lo Wing-hung