The Endgame in Hong Kong

This paragraph from Bill Blain, of Blain’s Morning Porridge, via Zero Hedge offers as good a realistic summary of the possible outcomes of the Hong Kong protest movement. I warn you in advance. Writing from Great Britain, Blain is not optimistic:

Realistically, the protestors have zero chance of achieving democracy, and they must know  that.  The protests are impressive, but poking a hornet’s nest is never smart. Eventually China will clamp down or the Hong Kong economy becomes irrelevant.  The cynical position for the US is a win/win: Pro-democracy protests will ultimately undermine Xi’s authority, while precipitous action by China will allow the US to claim the moral high-ground.  But the protestors will be very mistaken if they expect the US to bail them out.  Hong Kong isn’t on the US list.  But is full of smart, well educated UK passport holders who could be of great use here in the UK.  (Years ago someone proposed the UK gives Hong Kong 100 square miles of otherwise empty land, and 50 years later it would be the richest city in Europe!)