Not just here, but also on reddit and other social media.
Sure, there is a propaganda war brewing wherein a lot of Western media are pushing exaggerated narratives, Adrian Zenz is a theological dope of an academic, and the CIA has a vested interest in accelerating conflict, etc. but surely there’s got to be room to also address the shortcomings of China as well? Whether it’s about LGBTQ+ issues, or the exploits of Chinese capitalism, or being able to criticize or make fun of Xi, I see posts here routinely and systemically brigaded and comments downvoted to oblivion that even sniff at criticism of China.
I consider myself a free agent, and China’s meteoric rise gives me some hope for a brighter tomorrow (in contrast to the US), but this blatant campaign of social media manipulation gives me pause for concern. It just screams insecurity and makes me not trust what feels like a counter-propaganda narrative. (Mods, please never get rid of the downvote counter.)
Anyway, here’s hoping for a brighter future, but please let ideas breathe.
Thanks for listening.
LGBTQ+ issues
ah yes like the dozens of times you jumped at mistranslations of things like PE programs or shutting down creepy idol businesses that exploited their employees and tried to act like a country that put gay hookup apps on the map with blued was cracking down on homosexuality or literally again because of a translation thought they were banning being a femboy
yeah why is nobody taking your concerns seriously when you again post a guardian or scmp article which uses manipulative language to bait you
you can only imply there is a subtle backlash against lgbt rights in china because the reality is if you compared hate crime statistics you would realize they don’t need western gay rights organizations to stamp out the problem and you’re blowing hot air
I have any number of critiques of China (Yeah I’m a Dengist, for Little Deng.) But they’re winning and despite occasional misgivings, they’re doing pretty well since Xi came in at reigning in the capitalists.
Also I have met people who have met Xi, both decades ago and now, and dine with his family. And they swear up and down that he’s a committed Marxist and takes building Socialism dead seriously, whatever other critiques they may have. But he needs to manage the Nationalists/ National Bourgoise/ and Neo Maoist/ultra factions carefully, and that usually means the ultras get shafted.
Its an open secret that Sixth Tone is personally protected by Xi.
Cause they’re right
two day old account with 10 out of 17 comments committed towards starting shit
hmm yes I think I should care
damn, i feel foolish for upvoting this and thinking this thread was in good faith lol
As always, these struggle sessions are functionally worthless because our opinions on the subject don’t matter. China is just gonna do China stuff no matter what we have to say about it, and we should mind our own damn business.
That said, one reason for China stanning has absolutely nothing to do with China and everything to do with China stans. Lots of MLs are people who rightly feel disempowered by their political and social systems. Oftentimes MLs also belong to marginalized groups that have been systematically abused or mistreated by Western capitalist countries. When you’re disenfranchised socially and denied membership in political spaces, claiming group membership in an entity that challenges the dominant system (and that the dominant system legitimately fears) is a way to feel like you have political power again. Sometimes it actually IS a way to obtain political power again.
People on here like to pretend they’re immune to political propaganda because they stan China even while Western countries make it out to be a bogeyman. In some or even most cases that might be true. However, I’m willing to bet a decent amount of people on here would never have supported China as intensely if it had not been painted as a big scary force by Western propaganda efforts. If you’ve been beaten down and trod upon by America or another Western country your entire life, why wouldn’t you want to cheer on what you’re being told is its biggest foe? Casting a specific country as a villain is useful not only because it allows you to rally support from your own base, but also because it grants a degree of control and predictability over opposition narratives.
