The comment basically says that China has forced the Tibetans into slavery. Is that typical of Chinese propaganda?

> the Chinese government has also forced Tibetans to build a massive amount of greenhouses...they have to work in the greenhouses taking care of tomatoes.

If you are interested in seeing what Tibet is like today (literally) this vlogger is currently travelling through it (some of the farthest corners) in a camper: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJPCo6WJCb0aXShfcDDUffg/vid...

This episode https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g2BtvivdbOw may be relevant to how "forced" is used in the original comment. The video shows villagers collecting trash off the sides of a remote highway to keep the land clean. On the face of it the video looks like a volunteer/community service outing but villagers are actually paid. It is not the most pleasant work, but they look happy to be doing it (and probably do not mind keeping their environment clean). The Quora answerer could have used "forced" to describe the same scene out of a sense of sarcasm (since everything is presumably "forced" there) and he would likely be tickled that this brings slavery into the discussion.

What do you mean when you say "since everything is presumably 'forced' there"?

If it is forced labor, even if paid, the distinction between forced labor and slavery is trivial compared to the distinction between forced labor and freedom.

And there are other chilling mentions of the government forcing citizens to do things, reeducation camps, and surveillance throughout the article (all listed as good things).

Did Chinese government ever mention liberty as a value?

Their story is peace, satiety, social harmony, collective achievement and glory — as long as subjects conform.

I think to many Chinese people, being forced to do something that is perceived as for their own good is seen as a good thing. It's kind of in the Asian culture that the end justifies the means, as opposed to Western culture where you are free to do as you choose but you bear the consequences.

Not saying it's wrong, just a different perspective.

> being forced to do something that is perceived as for their own good is seen as a good thing

I sometimes wonder if Los Angeles commuters would actually be better off and happier if the government (somehow) had the legal right to force us all to use buses and rail instead of individual cars.

The government(s) were the ones who built the roads and mandated minimum parking lots.

Absolutely, you're right. I'm just wondering what would happen if the government reversed course.

Well China's national anthem makes a point about her people not being slaves... so much for that fantasy. That said, it's still a great accomplishment being able to provide cheap produce (that we take for granted) to the middle class in Tibet, a region that's not known for it.

Yes. It seems like it's not the kind of thing a government should be saying because you're from the west. Forcing someone to do something that betters their lives is not seen as bad or propagandized as bad in China.

The basic point in the post is "Look, those Tibetans no longer waste their time worshiping gods and are instead working hard to better their lives thanks to the Chinese Government."