Hong Kong Crackdown Will Be Consequence-Free

This suggests that suppressing dissent, partly to prevent political infection of the Chinese mainland, is not Beijing's only goal. It has stifled critics and curtailed civic life, regulating Hong Kong in ways similar to those in mainland cities. But it is also expanding the city's role as a vital link to global finance, all to benefit China's wealthiest individuals, its largest companies, and their political friends. How that will help ordinary citizens of Hong Kong itself is less clear.