Thousands of people are fighting for freedom and democracy. They stand up against the rise of authoritarian power with determination, creativity and courage. While Europe seems to be shell shocked by Johnson, Orban, Salivini and the lot, and Democrats in the US are tearing each other apart over minor political issues instead of uniting against the assaulter in chief, these young people are fighting for our future.

The people of Hong Kong offer an incredible inspiration. They are rising up, against the odds. ‘They can’t win’ is the wisdom of realpolitik. They can’t win in the same way as the Polish workers at the Lenin shipyard couldn’t win in 1981. At that time, reasonable progressive liberals told them that they have a good cause, but unfortunately they happen to live on the wrong side of the iron curtain. Today, the silent assumption of the liberal west seems to be that we should stay calm not to provoke mainland China. Access to Chinese markets or to Chinese overseas investment seems to be the highest western value.