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Hey, sorry, I think a lot of people got the impression I was condoning their censorship. I didn't really mean to do that. It's more that in the west we just se

Hey, sorry, I think a lot of people got the impression I was condoning their censorship. I didn't really mean to do that. It's more that in the west we just see it as this horrible evil thing and it seems completely bizarre that anyone would be okay with it. I guess we just assume they must put up with it when in fact they have their own rational for supporting it (which ultimately is flawed, but it's still very interesting) Have you traveled to Taiwan? I went there a few weeks ago and I found it a fascinating place. While it's definitely got it's own identity it also is definitely very "Chinese". Like more "Chinese" than probably some provinces in the mainland. And on the mainland they get TV shows and stuff from Taiwan and people know where Taipei and Kunming are on a map. People look forward to visiting Kenting some day. Families are split between mainland and Taiwan etc. So I can sorta see why they look at it all and think it's all part of the same country. (kinda how we think Canadians are basically Americans) And you're right, they definitely have no idea about how it'd actually work haha and they definitely have a complete disregard for what the Taiwanese want (needs of the many > needs of the few I guess??). One thing I heard is them wanting to have a Hong Kong type of deal with Taiwan ... to which I said: "yeah right, over all their collective dead bodies"

studentrob 10y ago
> It's more that in the west we just see it as this horrible evil thing and it seems completely bizarre that anyone would be okay with it It is definitely a horrible evil thing. > I guess we just assume they must put up with it when in fact they have their own rational for supporting it Yeah, if they don't support it, they go to prison. > One thing I heard is them wanting to have a Hong Kong type of deal with Taiwan ... Taiwan is 100% self-governed. Today is the first day of term for their fourth directly elected president.
malaeisd 10y ago
Yup, and there is a difference between "Chinese nationality" and "Chinese culture/civilization." The Taiwanese still consider themselves a part of Chinese culture, in fact, they actually feel that they are the true "practitioners" of Chinese culture because the Mainland Chinese went through the Cultural Revolution. > kinda how we think Canadians are basically Americans I think an even closer analogy would be between American Northerners vs. Southerners. As in, after the Civil War each side considers themselves to be "more American." The best way to explain it is this: If you ask a Taiwanese person to know the greatest works of art "his people" have created "in their history," then he will name works of art created in Mainland China, but authors and artists that lived and died in Mainland China.

studentrob 10y ago

> It's more that in the west we just see it as this horrible evil thing and it seems completely bizarre that anyone would be okay with it It is definitely a horrible evil thing. > I guess we just assume they must put up with it when in fact they have their own rational for supporting it Yeah, if they don't support it, they go to prison. > One thing I heard is them wanting to have a Hong Kong type of deal with Taiwan ... Taiwan is 100% self-governed. Today is the first day of term for their fourth directly elected president.

malaeisd 10y ago

Yup, and there is a difference between "Chinese nationality" and "Chinese culture/civilization." The Taiwanese still consider themselves a part of Chinese culture, in fact, they actually feel that they are the true "practitioners" of Chinese culture because the Mainland Chinese went through the Cultural Revolution. > kinda how we think Canadians are basically Americans I think an even closer analogy would be between American Northerners vs. Southerners. As in, after the Civil War each side considers themselves to be "more American." The best way to explain it is this: If you ask a Taiwanese person to know the greatest works of art "his people" have created "in their history," then he will name works of art created in Mainland China, but authors and artists that lived and died in Mainland China.