projection?
> the west always focus fire on the Chinese when they talk about human right issues?
we don't. maybe you just pay attention to those stories more though.
> Also, an unbaised standard does not exist when it comes to international affairs.
i'll agree with this, however it doesn't make morally wrong things less wrong, or mean people don't suffer.
> as a Chinese living in the US, many Americans have asked me [...] do I have microwaves/tap water back in China
this could just be a weird thing Americans do, even in Canada or Europe they'll ask if it's safe to drink tap water.
out of interest, how many of your countrymen to have access to clean tap water?
Right or wrong do exist, I also think Xi is an a-hole. But people ignore issues that are "inconvenient" for them and their allies is what drives me crazy. I would prefer people put their own oxygen masks on before helping others.
For the southern parts of China, I would say almost all the countrymen have access to tap water. For the northwestern parts, it is still pretty bad, a lot of them still rely on rivers/wells, although I don't have numbers. As for how clean the water is, that is something I have no idea about, and I am not optimistic.
Edit: grammar.
But then I starting thinking about what life would have been like in Tibet, under the Buddhist theocracy. Maybe benign enough, but not so much freedom for the serfs.
As I've said, individual rights and freedoms matter a lot to me. I'm pretty radical about it. More or less an anarchist, in the Crowley sense. Or as Stover would say, a Cainist.
But still, I do my best to be open-minded. There's always the risk of infection, I know, but my mental immune system is pretty damn hardcore.
Look at some of the comments here, people have no idea what they are talking about. Seriously? A civil war is good in his/her book? How many people do you think is going to die? And would the US and the Europe happily accept Chinese refugees? It is fine for millions of people from other parts of the world to die, billions to suffer, as long as it is for western values. Just look at the Middle East.
Also, an unbaised standard does not exist when it comes to international affairs. Do you think the billions of poor people in India are enjoying their lives? How come the west always focus fire on the Chinese when they talk about human right issues? Have you heard of the caste system?
About culture, as a Chinese living in the US, many Americans have asked me whether I eat dogs, or do I have microwaves/tap water back in China. Do you think they will change their minds even if I try my best to explain my experience to them? Americans want culture diversity as much as kids want to visit a zoo: lol look at these barbarians, now let's go back to our modern, superior way of life.
Edit: People read several biased articles online and think they know everything about China, because why would the media lie? We obviously do not need to set foot on this huge country to see it for ourselves, a few news reports are all we need.