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I've been to China and before entering the country I was hugely critical of all the things we read on our mainstream media. However, after spending time travell

I've been to China and before entering the country I was hugely critical of all the things we read on our mainstream media. However, after spending time travelling through large parts of China I'm on the opposite side now. People in China are so calm, so polite and helpful. Their streets are extremely quiet because there is not a single motorized two wheel vehicle. Even though it is a 1.4 billion nation, the largest on the planet, people live comfortable lives, they have space and time to recreate together (you literally see people exercise before and after work everywhere) and most importantly the nation is not divided. Yes, they have problems and not everything is perfect, but heck, they are 1.4 billion people and their president is not Trump, they don't hate each other and nobody shoots children in schools, people don't spend all day on Twitter to kill each other and nobody gets publicly shamed for a small mistake. Their problems in relation to their size are literally peanuts. Maybe democracy and freedom the way we know in the Western world is not that great for everyone after all. They are in a unique position and China is doing pretty well, so whatever they do which makes you think is bad, it seems to work for them better than for the US. On one hand we read how foreign nations manipulate and taint the minds of our people through social media and that we drown in fake news, biased one sided reporting and an agressive ad driven consumerism which makes us vulnerable, but on the other hand we are critical of a nation which basically says no to this through censorship. Maybe the only way to keep 1.4 billion people at peace is through censorship, who knows? We only have one country to measure this experiment and they seem to be doing fine, right? EDIT: Lol, lots of people saying I was in China only for a day or what not and pointing out all the problems the country had to justify their criticism. I don't say they don't have problems, I'm saying their problems in relation to their unique size are actually not that big. The US has also lotsbof big problems, 100s of years of slavery, Vietnam war, Iraq war, killing lots of innocent people for no reason, Guantanamo bay, torture, etc Yes, China is not a role model in human rights when you look at their history, but please save your poor criticism if you can't honestly compare two things without national pride and bias.

tnolet 8y ago
I hope you realize the “non divisiveness” of the Chinese people is a state enforced ruling. Dissidents are jailed or expelled. Just saying looks and initial impressions can be deceiving. I was always reminded of this whenever I saw Ai Weiwei walking up the street in Berlin to his studio https://qz.com/1325316/why-berlin-is-the-favorite-city-of-chinese-dissidents/ https://qz.com/1325316/why-berlin-is-the-favorite-city-of-ch...
GuardianCaveman 8y ago
I’ve only been to Beijing and there were plenty of two-wheeled scooters. Maybe they were electric but they were all over the road. And while I understand your point, I can’t help but think of the 1 million Uighurs in concentration camps and that this system is not a good one. This is the same system where the cultural revolution thrived where mao ordered all the birds shot and then locusts swarmed without predators and millions starved to death. And let’s not forget their current President is in power forever now. Imagine trump for life. I don’t think it’s a good model to follow.
jMyles 8y ago
...but this is the same state that shot people in public in cold blood and now forbids discussion of that act. I've never been to China, but I'm not surprised by the positive vibes you describe. But is it worth it? The US is full of positive vibes too, but I don't use that as a way to suggest that our government structure is working well.
tmpthrowtmp2 8y ago
This is an idiotic comment made by an obvious fly-by tourist that hasn’t lived in China for more than a few days. If you actually lived in the country you would be infuriated by - toxic milk powder. Which the government has done very little to punish the offenders. The offenders got rich and fled. Oh yeah, if you complain in we chat, you get censored - disgusting air in Beijing and elsewhere. - tons of ponzu schemes that go unpunished. And hey if you protest, you get jailed and your sesame score goes way down Etc etc etc
- beaconstudios 8y ago
  to say nothing of the people-eating escalators.
forgottenpass 8y ago
The regular people in countries with repressive regimes are still just regular people. The fact that this was a discovery to you is what surprises me.
- dustinmoris 8y ago
  What to me was a surprise is that people in a politically oppressed country, were happier and mentally healthier, than some fat potatoe chip eating people running around with rifles in a politically "free" environment where everyone blames their misfortune on the next person with darker skin or foreign accent, manipulated by consumerism and lead by an erratic maniac.
  - forgottenpass 8y ago
    >fat potatoe chip eating people running around with rifles in a politically "free" environment where everyone blames their misfortune on the next person with darker skin or foreign accent This isn't an assessment of a population. This is you regurgitating political propaganda that taught you to hate that population.

tnolet 8y ago

I hope you realize the “non divisiveness” of the Chinese people is a state enforced ruling. Dissidents are jailed or expelled. Just saying looks and initial impressions can be deceiving. I was always reminded of this whenever I saw Ai Weiwei walking up the street in Berlin to his studio https://qz.com/1325316/why-berlin-is-the-favorite-city-of-chinese-dissidents/ https://qz.com/1325316/why-berlin-is-the-favorite-city-of-ch...

GuardianCaveman 8y ago

I’ve only been to Beijing and there were plenty of two-wheeled scooters. Maybe they were electric but they were all over the road. And while I understand your point, I can’t help but think of the 1 million Uighurs in concentration camps and that this system is not a good one. This is the same system where the cultural revolution thrived where mao ordered all the birds shot and then locusts swarmed without predators and millions starved to death. And let’s not forget their current President is in power forever now. Imagine trump for life. I don’t think it’s a good model to follow.

jMyles 8y ago

...but this is the same state that shot people in public in cold blood and now forbids discussion of that act. I've never been to China, but I'm not surprised by the positive vibes you describe. But is it worth it? The US is full of positive vibes too, but I don't use that as a way to suggest that our government structure is working well.

tmpthrowtmp2 8y ago

This is an idiotic comment made by an obvious fly-by tourist that hasn’t lived in China for more than a few days. If you actually lived in the country you would be infuriated by - toxic milk powder. Which the government has done very little to punish the offenders. The offenders got rich and fled. Oh yeah, if you complain in we chat, you get censored - disgusting air in Beijing and elsewhere. - tons of ponzu schemes that go unpunished. And hey if you protest, you get jailed and your sesame score goes way down Etc etc etc

beaconstudios 8y ago
to say nothing of the people-eating escalators.

forgottenpass 8y ago

The regular people in countries with repressive regimes are still just regular people. The fact that this was a discovery to you is what surprises me.

dustinmoris 8y ago
What to me was a surprise is that people in a politically oppressed country, were happier and mentally healthier, than some fat potatoe chip eating people running around with rifles in a politically "free" environment where everyone blames their misfortune on the next person with darker skin or foreign accent, manipulated by consumerism and lead by an erratic maniac.
- forgottenpass 8y ago
  >fat potatoe chip eating people running around with rifles in a politically "free" environment where everyone blames their misfortune on the next person with darker skin or foreign accent This isn't an assessment of a population. This is you regurgitating political propaganda that taught you to hate that population.