I really don't understand this post. What exactly was the objection to my comment? I merely pointed out that most Americans, nay, most people, would not know major details about a single city (albeit a famous, politically volatile one) on the other side of the world.
This is not an argument about the merits of knowing "important" world cities or major centers of commerce.
My objection was directed towards the poster's expectation that "Americans should know better", particularly about the socio-political and cultural structure of Hong Kong.
I'm not Chinese, or from Hong Kong, I don't travel there (and I'm not interested in doing so), and I have absolutely no need to know the so-called "difference" between Hong Kong and mainland China. As a military vet, the IS no difference. Hong Kong is under the jurisdiction of the Chinese Army, so as far as I'm concerned, Hong Kong IS in China.
I'd venture to say that most people in the world don't spend their time traveling (like you apparently do). We get our info from school and the news. Everything else comes from either the business/industry we're in or personal interest. I'm not interested in what happens in Hong Kong any more than what happens in LA or Paris, two cities I don't live in, aside from whoopteedoo curiosity.
And for the record, I don't use an iPhone at all, so I don't get where you were going with that.
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I was being facetious about the kung fu vs wushu thing...I've been a big fan of martial arts and their films since the 70's, and am well aware of the language differences (it IS illustrated to sometimes hilarious effect in many of Jackie's and Sammo Hung movies).
I also don't presume to know anything about what it is really like to live there, any more than an HK citizen knowing what it is like to live in San Francisco or London when they haven't lived there.
I definitely was not aware that HK folks don't like to call themselves Chinese. Thanks for the clarification!
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Should I care? Why?
I get it, man. You have an interest in HK because you are either from there, or really like it. Cool.
But I'm not from there, my family is not from there, I don't do business there, and I don't care to even go there, despite it being a "world-class city". NYC is also a, if not THE, world-class city and I care about it just as much.
This doesn't diminish the city's value. It's just not important in
my life.
Maybe you're getting hung up on the word "care" a bit too much.
So to make it clear: if I never saw or heard or learned ANYTHING about Hong Kong, my daily life would not change AT ALL.
I'd venture to say that is true of most people in the WORLD, let alone Americans (who aren't from there).