Wherever people live, whether in peace, in conflict or in transition, they all have one defining aspiration - to-be: to have a future - to live happily in secure environments under the rule of law and free of incitements that promote division and hate, which could ultimately lead to violence and decline.

For decades, the United States (US) has always stood as the epitome of one such place to-be. Sadly, in the past two-years, especially and more prolific, in recent weeks, the great Republic of Washington, Lincoln, Roosevelt, Kennedy, Reagan and Obama has witnessed, under a mountain of divisive actions, a drowning of the beacon that once offered hope to-be.

China, via its Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office, earlier today, issued a stern rebuke of recent violence associated with protests in its territory of Hong Kong. 

Since April, record numbers of the people of Hong Kong have taken to the streets in protest of a proposed extradition law that would have allowed extradition of criminal suspects from Hong Kong to mainland China, and other jurisdictions. The former British colony has extradition treaties with some 21 countries, including the United States (US) and the United Kingdom (UK).

Under an acrid atmosphere of populism, of division, of racist and of nationalist incitements; rising inequality among the world's people, will continue fuel present and future protests.

From Hong Kong, to Sudan, to Algeria, to Venezuela, to Brazil, to Palestine, to the United States (US) and elsewhere, a broadening gap between 'the haves and the haves-not' will contribute to increase incidents of protests from the people.

And the current condition in Hong Kong, which some might faliably attribute to democratic aspirations, really stands as the epitome of the concerns of many of the world's youth - an outcry for parity, for opportunity and for self-security in terms of housing, employment, the rule of law and happiness.

..."one country, two systems" is China's established policy rule over Hong Kong. Hence, by China's own admission, in as much as Hong Kong is China, Hong Kong, having its former British colonial footprint and its high autonomy, remains unlike any other part of China.

Therefore, Beijing's mindful admission of the status of Hong Kong should be tempered with caution throughout the current series of protests by the people of strategic port city and financial hub.

Actions Beijing would normally take to quell dissent within the Mainland, should not be taken in Hong Kong since such insistence upon stringent order, could have disastrous secondary effects within Hong Kong that might transcend to other non-Mainland interests of Beijing.

Many civilians, including scores of innocent children, continue to die across Syria in a war that simply appears perpetual to those suffering under the continuous assault bombings from the Bashar al-Assad regime, and his backer, Russia.

United Nations (UN) Human Rights chief, Michelle Bachelet, complained earlier today of the apparent international indifference to the persistent violence that continues to devour innocent civilians in northwest Syria. As reported by France24, the human rights chief remains concerned over the 103 civilians, including 23 children, killed in regime bombings in the last 10-days.

Climate Change action activist, ecologist and school girl, Greta Thunberg, 16, of Sweden, addressed the French National Assembly on Tuesday and again implored politicians to take action to protecting the environment. 

Miss Thunberg and the growing number of children, who have joined her in asking world leaders to take action on Climate Change, should be commended for her service on behalf of humanity and the continuity of the human species on Planet Earth.

While most of France and the international community continue to admire and to respect Miss Thunberg's endeavors carried out in the name sake of all the world's people, an unfortunate few denying, aging, attention-seeking and dying relics of the human species example, still stand in opposition to the scientific message of the young Swede.

All of the indigenous peoples, who were once charged as guardians of Mother Earth, were successful in sustaining a healthy environment.

However, as native peoples have been forcefully relieved of their stewardship of the Planet, profit seeking and taking humankind has, sadly, neglected crucial secondary effects of the development of industry and the advancement of technology amid an insatiable appetite for and the depletion of Earth's fixed resources.

As a result of human denial, neglect and failure to recognize the scope of Earth's ill-environmental health, humanity on this hot July day, 2019, faces a major predicament to fixing the Planet.

The racist tweets by President Donald Trump against female members of the United States (US) Congress is explicitly indicative of the diminishing decency of the High Office of President and affirmation of Trump's racist nature. 

While some of Trump's antics prior to winning, and while within the White House, have been riddled with arrogance featuring a clear racial sentiment, his Tweets last Sunday against House of Representatives women - Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ilhan Omar, Rashida Tlaib and Ayanna Pressley, are sufficient to confirm to non-Trump America that the president has a problem with women, with race, with national origin, with color and with religion.

Months of technical difficulties with my Internet publishing platform are forcing a transition to a new publishing system, which should be phased in over the next 10-days. 

Thanks for your patience and continued readership. Hopefully, the system should be up and operating before my Europe visit to the great French Republic and the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, in August.

Carrie Lam's seemingly condescending and apathetic response to the demands and actions of demonstrators in Hong Kong might not be deliberate. Instead, Lam's attitude might be the sum of a persona she created or was given that expects her to assume a tough act after years of surviving in the male-dominated world of politics and power in Asia.

My comments are not criticisms of Lam for she must be congratulated for rising from humble beginnings, to the British civil service in Hong Kong, to become Secretary of Development from 2007-12, to Chief Secretary for Administration from 2012-17 before ascending to become Hong Kong's first female Chief Executive in 2017.