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Comment by nieksand | Hacker News Reader

Advocating for Hong Kong independence can also earn you a life sentence:

"Crimes of secession, subversion, terrorism and collusion with foreign forces are punishable by a maximum sentence of life in prison"

I'm not sure if criticizing Chairman Xi or the CCP would qualify as subversion.

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Aren't there also similar laws like that in USA? People are being recommended life sentences for throwing a molotov at an empty police vehicle during these George Floyd protests and are being labeled as terrorists by Trump.

https://www.cnn.com/2020/06/17/us/brooklyn-molotov-lawyers-p...

Good. I don't care if it's a police car or someone's personal car or an empty cardboard box. If you're throwing around molotov cocktails you should go to jail.

I agree that they should have jail time, but life in prison after not actually harming anyone physically? That's authoritarian and exactly what I was replying to in OP's comment.

What if the car exploded, hurting people nearby? What if there was a police canine in the vehicle that wasn't see, or someone crouching on the other side of the car out of sight? Throwing a molotov cocktail into a vehicle, in my opinion, should be charged as attempted manslaughter.

Hypotheticals don't belong in criminal trials.

To be fair though, even if you think people should go to jail for that (and I don't think that's an unreasonable view), surely you'd agree that a life sentence is excessive?

A life sentence is excessive yes, but why are we trying to justify throwing molotiv cocktails in the first place? What happened to civility?

No.

You are free to criticize the government all you want.

You can also advocate for independence without fear of imprisonment. Both California and Texas have supporters of succession.

You aren't free to blow up police cars though. For that you'll face consequences.

No, as for the US there is still a difference what Leadership tweets or gaffes into a microphone and what becomes law or passes judicial review.

This stands in contrast to these "kickers" since they are already Chinese law – and let's not even start comparing Beijings supreme court with that of the US…

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