Re:The China Cultural Clash
by paxys on Tuesday October 08, 2019 @01:33PM
(#21194747)
So what's the alternative? Don't speak out about real issues because you don't want to piss off Chinese citizens and make them think you are the enemy?
[ Parent
| on HN ]
Perhaps differentiate between the CCP and the average Chinese citizen?
How? I don't know anyone that currently lives in China. I don't see posts like, anywhere, from people who currently live in China.
From my perspective, they seem to be basically cut off from the rest of the world. So how can I differentiate between the chinese government and the individual, when for all I know most of the individuals support everything their government is doing?
Re:The China Cultural Clash
by notebookstack on Tuesday October 08, 2019 @03:43PM
(#21196337)
So...because you don't personally know any of these 1.4 billion people, you feel like it's okay to make whatever assumptions you want about every single one of them? Is that not dehumanization? Would you enjoy having others' assumptions of you being whatever worst crime your government has ever perpetrated? How about even the simple assumption that you are your government and agree with every single one of their current policies and actions?
Re:The China Cultural Clash
by lwansbrough on Tuesday October 08, 2019 @03:43PM
(#21196340)
> when for all I know most of the individuals support everything their government is doing?
They most certainly do, but that's not their fault. They've grown up with the CCP and aren't given the freedom to learn about the world from a broader perspective. They live in total ignorance of their government's control over them. Everything they know and understand is blessed by the CCP.
That's the fault of the CCP, not the individual.
Re:The China Cultural Clash
by lwansbrough on Tuesday October 08, 2019 @03:40PM
(#21196307)
Well, your issue isn't actually with the people with China. Therefore, it would be wise to frame the argument around Xi and the CCP, as opposed to "China." It's like when radicals in the middle east yell "death to America" they're not talking about the people, but instead "the system."
The entire NBA fiasco started because of a 7-word tweet - "Fight for freedom, stand with Hong Kong." China wasn't even directly mentioned. This is about as mild as you can get.
Re:The China Cultural Clash
by lwansbrough on Tuesday October 08, 2019 @08:11PM
(#21198659)
Yeah I don’t disagree. I was more commenting on the general trend towards China bashing that I’ve seen online more recently. If we don’t bother to make the distinction in our writing we eventually won’t bother to make the distinction in our thinking, which would be playing into the hands of the CCP, who desperately want an enemy in the West.