5 ms·
Ahh yes! China, that benign and progressive of states. Nevermind destroying all freedom of speech, oppressing minorities, actively engaging in destroying (most
by googlemike 8y ago
Ahh yes! China, that benign and progressive of states.
Nevermind destroying all freedom of speech, oppressing minorities, actively engaging in destroying (mostly by actively diluting) non han nationalities within china. What are you talking about?
- wongarsu 8y agobenign foreign policy. Your examples are not foreign policy
- garmaine 8y agoChina’s foreign policy is not benign. It is currently using its economic muscle to force 65 sovereign nations into debt traps that reproduce the unequal treaties and extrajudicial leases of late-stage colonialism.
- snapdangle 8y agoHow many governments have they overthrown for bananas and oil, though?
- garmaine 8y agoSo?
- tareqak 8y agoCould you please clarify? Are you saying that it's alright to overthrow foreign governments for access to their resources, or that debt traps disguised as foreign aid are worse?
- garmaine 8y agoNo I’m implying that whataboutism isn’t an interesting, or useful line of inquiry to respond to.
- wongarsu 8y agoWe are in the context of an article about a CIA operation to overthrow an Iranian government, in a comment thread about China having benign foreign policy. I don't think comparing China to the US is whataboutism in this context.
- garmaine 8y agoWhataboutism is a rhetorical technique and not a context dependent determination. If I say “X is bad”, you following up with “but Y is also bad!” is not a logical argument. It carries no persuasive weight in rational discourse.
- zrav 8y agoUntil recently China ran a foreign policy of stability. But they have changed gears now, pursuing unilateral goals with increasing aggressiveness, also filling the power vacuum left by the waning US.
- A2017U1 8y agoThose same countries have the option to go to the World Bank for loans, the problem is the World Bank is used to enforce Western ideals onto different cultures in return for the loans. The Chinese loans come with no strings attached other than the infrastructure being the collateral if the country can't pay.
- garmaine 8y agoIt did come with conditions of legal reform and entering the belt and road trade zone.