The Hong Kong protests is a sign of the times, just in case you've missed all of the others. At different points in history there were thinkers and fighters, some considered revolutionary, who vehemently opposed the world's imperialist governments, their interference in another country's internal affairs, and the collaborators amongst their own that supported them.

More importantly, these revolutionaries were deemed terrorists, radicals or dictators by the West in aggressive propaganda campaigns to discredit such leaders and movements who had the audacity to defend their autonomy against foreign aggressors.

Much has changed in the information age where globalization, social media and mass culture have made specific ideas (Western ones, and this is no accident) universal, normalized and accepted without skepticism or opposition. Nowadays it's people of color the world over actively enforcing the imperialist agenda and white supremacy with the end goal of submission and homogeneity.

Here's a rundown of how to be revolutionary in 2019.

1. Start a leaderless movement.

Any movement that lacks a credible figurehead can still subscribe to a strong principal message endorsed by its supporters. Lack of organization and guidelines leads to the absence of discipline, which creates chaos and a hysterical mob fueled by unchecked emotions and this is the best way to generate attention towards your cause.

2. Be Westernized and see the United States, United Kingdom and their allies as superior.

This is crucial for your movement to work because the herd operates on the “by association” mentality. Wherever power, popularity and white people are, that’s where the herd — possibly fueled by feelings of internalized racism as well — will be.

It’s not much different from high school. The hangers-on and social climbers seeking validation gravitate towards the rich, popular kids who throw the best parties every weekend. Despite the bullying of those considered uncool, the victims still desperately crave the approval of their abusers, who get off on the power trip.

As long as you get a pat on the head from the cool kids — in Hong Kong’s case, this is the US corporate media and all imperialist political parties in the US and UK— this equates to meaningful support, and probably an invite into their club (otherwise known as a green card).

3. Receive funding from those foreign governments.

Financial backing is crucial, and the US and UK are generous in this regard. Even if those governments are selective as to which human rights causes they’ll sponsor, in other words, how those protests can benefit Western governments entirely in the outcome, this will generate worldwide support for your protest.

In Hong Kong’s case, numerous organizations involved with the terrorization of their own city receive funding from the National Endowment for Democracy, a modern day offshoot of the CIA which has two of its four branches based in Hong Kong. The NED “has played a critical role in innumerable U.S. regime-change operations,” as Alexander Rubenstein points out at Mint News Press. When the cool kids want to get pally with you, know that this will legitimize your cause.

4. Wear a mask, preferably a Guy Fawkes one.

Not to sound like a pedant or anything but if going by the history books Guy Fawkes was essentially a religious extremist and terrorist reinvented in a Hollywood script as a political hero to be lauded. The point is that revolutionaries and freedom fighters today prefer anonymity, probably to escape accountability for their courageous actions though, weirdly enough, this is also a customary practice of criminals.

It’s not cowardice and criminal if it’s for human rights purposes — it’s all about affecting change through humility. Don’t draw attention from your cause by having your face and other physical attributes overshadow it.

5. Possess a sense of entitlement.

Forget what I wrote in the previous point about humility. In the age of widespread narcissism and competitive individualism, a sense of entitlement is requisite. Damaging public property, harassing other citizens, ruining businesses and people’s sources of income, disrupting public transportation, setting things and people on fire — especially if it’s one person confronting a group of vandals — and showing disregard for law and order in general is the right of freedom fighters demanding human rights and democracy.

You are right and everyone that opposes you is wrong.

6. Wave another country’s flag around, preferably ones who have a history of interfering in the domestic affairs of other nations or at one point in history occupied them.

See #2.

7. Have one of your own receive humanitarian awards from the countries whose governments are orchestrating the downfall of your own.

Joshua Wong, Secretary General of Demosisto, a political group that sprung up out of nowhere, was nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize by US Senator Marco Rubio last year. Rubio, who gets paid by the National Rifle Association to deny Americans the right to protect their children, supports Saudi carnage in Yemen, staunchly defends illegal Israeli settlements on Palestinian land and approved of the illegal invasion of Iraq is a first-class endorsement for any human rights activist.

Wong was also the recipient of the 2018 Lantos Human Rights Prize, and was recently banned from traveling to the UK to accept a human rights award from British Parliament.

8. Live in the freest economy in the world.

In past revolutionary movements, activists fought against slavery, racism, colonization, imperialism, poverty and corruption. Today activists in Hong Kong seem to be fighting for those things, whether they realize it or not.

Regarded as the world’s freest economy for the past 25 years, Hong Kong ranks higher in the Human Freedom Index than their liberators, the US and UK.

9. Be devoid of integrity and self-awareness.

It's the age of character-impaired individuals and the massified herd. Meaningful words are redefined and abused to the point where they’ve lost all meaning. Utilizing deceptive tactics such as inventing lies about an imagined threat and playing the victim will get you sympathy and attention. Jumping on the bandwagon and aligning one’s self with current trends, the self-designated cool kids and whoever buys your friendship takes precedence over self-respect and critical thinking, paving the way further towards global homogeneity in which hypocrisy trumps all.

10. Contradict yourselves and make no sense whatsoever.

See all of the above.