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A comment on Chinese hacking spree hit an ‘astronomical’ number of victims. Parent comment

Re:Chinese hacking spree hit an ‘astronomical’ number of vic... by AnimalMuppet on Saturday March 06, 2021 @05:38PM (#26371164)
Read the news. You see headlines like "US sends two carriers to Persian Gulf". Not "Government of the US", but "US". That is, in external affairs - military and diplomatic and espionage - it is a normal, customary usage to refer to the government of the country by the name of the country. It's used that way, whether you agree or not.

Now, the point you're making - that there is a difference between the government and the people, and we need to remember it - is a valid point, and an important one. But you're splitting the wrong hair to make that point.

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Re:Chinese hacking spree hit an ‘astronomical’ number of vic... by dvfjsdhgfv on Sunday March 07, 2021 @10:31AM (#26376581)
> it is a normal, customary usage to refer to the government of the country by the name of the country.

And this is more or less fine. Not just in the news, in normal conversation we do the same. Not just "China is doing this" but also "Chinese are doing this." That's also logically true, because some subset (however big or small) of Chinese is doing this.

However, I object to this particular expression - "China is a hostile nation." I don't know why it's even a point of contention. Maybe when people use the term 'nation' they actually mean 'state'? Because 'nation' by and large refers to people the country consist of.

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Re:Chinese hacking spree hit an ‘astronomical’ number of vic... by AnimalMuppet on Sunday March 07, 2021 @03:45PM (#26379610)
> Maybe when people use the term 'nation' they actually mean 'state'?

Yes, they do.

> Because 'nation' by and large refers to people the country consist of.

No, it doesn't. We keep telling you this, over and over and over, and you keep not listening, but I'm going to say it one more time: No, it doesn't. When you're talking about international things - things between countries - "nation" by and large refers to the government, not the people.

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