Today Hong Kong enters China.
Whereas the autonomous region was officially handed over to Beijing over 17 years ago, the population of Hong Kong has until now enjoyed a smooth transition as the motherland gave them little hindrance to continue living and making money.
Never, until today, were Honkongers given a reminder of the radically different attitudes of their new landlords.
And now, in a desperate and futile attempt at obtaining scraps of democracy, a group of students will realize the true price of their quest, as did their equals in Beijing in 1989.
The sad truth of it all is that a majority of the local population has already bowed to the new regime. They see little gain in democracy, they accept and are content with the settling of a new power that rules them, happy with being alleviated from the burden of governing themselves.
The elite has now mostly been converted, or told to remain quiet and to bend over so as to reduce the discomfort.
The angiogenesis is complete and now feeds the new metastatic communist branch.
It was, of course, foolish of anyone to expect anything else.
And truth be told, things will remain mostly as they are for the average Joe Wong for years to come. Save, of course, for the occasional nudge in the judicial system, the sporadic censorship, the creeping propaganda, the odd concentration of powers and the incidental corruption. But is that really a bad thing, when you can still live and make money?
Democracy is a luxury only given to those worthy of it.
So long to the Hong Kong of yesterday and good luck to the Hong Kong of tomorrow, may you still manage to remain the unique city you became famous for.
{cue overdramatic sorrowful tears}
Oh, and if you think this has nothing to do with aviation in Hong Kong, think again.