Yep. Abandoning HK is just the beginning. When the rot gets too bad in an empire the only outcome is fall. Ask Rome, or any of the 100s of lesser empires that have come and gone. The era of Chinese-brand communism, super-charged by free markets (!) and the ruthless use of technology, is upon us. It's a keep-your-mouth-shut-and-you'll-be-fine era, and I for one will not survive in it, and I will mourn the passing of our cultural of praising dissent and whistleblowers and the trouble-makers that, more often than not, contribute far more than anyone else.