Source https://lemmy.world/comment/20565031
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Idk as someone with Chinese friends who have told me a lot about it, I don’t think this is super true. They will say yeah the government will spy on absolutely everything, so don’t say anything TOO crazy(same in the US but we won’t get disappeared hopefully), but as an example during covid lockdowns in China where people were being denied food and medical care, tons of people protested what the government was doing and it did change, albeit very very slowly.
The best explanation I got was the government does what the majority of people agree with, and it will change if the majority changes what they think. If you’re not part of the majority too bad keep it to yourself. For instance most Chinese people think the uyghyr genocide/ re education is not a big deal because they’re religious nutjobs / a cult. It’s sort of unity over self expression and fairness.
Also them using China as an example of communism is hilarious, China is as communist as lacroix is a soda. 90% of your life is ruled by money just like the US, the government just has way more power.
I did a thing for Chinese TV once, and we were getting the tourist views of the city in, and the producer was frantic that we not get anyone with a placard in the shot because protest even as a concept is itself “politically sensitive”, and there would be hell to pay if any reference to someone airing their opinion made it to broadcast.
You are not well-informed on this topic. Yes, there was a protest, but the government retaliated harshly against those who participated.
https://www.npr.org/2023/01/11/1148251868/china-covid-lockdown-protests-arrests
And I mean sure, most Chinese support the actions of their government… but it’s hard to avoid the conclusion that this is only true because they don’t have access to true information about its brutality. And no one around them is allowed to criticize it. This is classic manufactured consent.
Bubbles, artificial flavoring, idk, seems close enough for me.
Maybe “Soda with Water characteristics?”
Appreciate your nuanced view on the topic, actually. Obligatory fuck Chinese capitalism (and American capitalism while we’re at it), but I always suspect it’s less obligatory than we make it seem here in the west.
After all, most people are just people, and take to live and let live first. It’s the greedy motherfuckers at the top ruining it for the rest of us, not the average citizens, Chinese, American or otherwise.