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This article on China's recent crazyiness doesn't mention its long-standing oppression of minorities. It looks as though getting at the obvious root of the obvi

This article on China's recent crazyiness doesn't mention its long-standing oppression of minorities. It looks as though getting at the obvious root of the obvious problem is not on the table. That said, there's plenty of madness at loose in the world. When we in the US get our own house cleaned up, finger-pointing will see less absurd.

yourbandsucks 8y ago
.. could we have just one humanist piece about life in China without people breaking out the battle axes? We don't shoehorn the Iraq war into everything about America. We could do with a lot more understanding and a lot less context-free outrage if we're gonna get through this century with the peace intact.
- CptFribble 8y ago
  Actions that cost lives should always be front and center. Maybe we should be talking more about the Iraq war in the USA, considering our actions led to the death of hundreds of thousands of people. I contend the opposite: The only way to survive the next century is if we identify sources of death and misery, and (try) to hold leaders accountable to stamp them out.
  - yourbandsucks 8y ago
    The Chinese government has overwhelmingly reduced death and misery within their borders. Half a billion people moved from third world to first world. Half. A. Billion. And their big foreign policy power play consists of building infrastructure for other third world countries. Turns out you can do that for 10 countries cheaper than invading one. Yet the popular opinion ever since dragonfly was proposed is that they're the worst country ever. How about some perspective?
    - taneq 8y ago
      The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few, eh?
      - yourbandsucks 8y ago
        More like: Life is complicated and not black and white. The Chinese actions in Xinjiang are an overreaction, and wrong, but: 1) Every western country has an equivalently bad record regarding reaction to terror attacks and/or separatist movements. 2) Nobody in the tech community cared until the dragonfly thing came up and they all went on wikipedia looking for reasons to hate China. The way people talk about China these days reminds me of McCarthyism more than humanism. I have to wonder, if China were less successful, and the people were poorer, would they be less upset? They're fine with buying cheap goods, after all..
        PavlovsCat 8y ago
        > Life is complicated and not black and white. vs. stuff like > yet the popular opinion ever since dragonfly was proposed is that they're the worst country ever. and > Nobody in the tech community cared until the dragonfly thing came up and they all went on wikipedia looking for reasons to hate China. Nobody cared? Went on Wikipedia looking for reasons to hate China? Is anyone allowed to guess about the causes of such sophistry, or does that just go one way?
        yourbandsucks 8y ago
        Check the record. We didn't have 3 hate pieces a day on China hitting the front page of HN until dragonfly. Maybe you want to take a crack at why?
        PavlovsCat 8y ago
        I'm not up for games around something as important as this. Face what I wrote, or let your inability to do that be the answer.
    - hueving 8y ago
      >And their big foreign policy power play consists of building infrastructure for other third world countries. We'll ignore the whole part about stealing everyone's intellectual property as a matter of business and that activity in the South China Sea. How about Taiwan? >Yet the popular opinion ever since dragonfly was proposed is that they're the worst country ever. People criticize their shitty actions because they are shitty. Nobody said they are the worst country at all. They just said that a company who cares about organizing the worlds information and not being evil shouldn't partake in oppressive censorship.
- hueving 8y ago
  >We don't shoehorn the Iraq war into everything about America Yes, we do. Anything gushing about a country always brings people out to point out the flaws in fawning over it. The only thing that seems to be unique is using whataboutisms in criticisms of pro-china articles as if the Iraq war excuses abhorrent behavior in China. Again, the US constantly fucks up, but that has nothing to do with criticism of China on an article about China.
withhighprod 8y ago
Minority race get 6 bonus points for free in college entrance examination, in Henan that could mean 60-120k up In the rank
doombolt 8y ago
At least they do not seem to have oppression by minorities. One important ultra-unreal piece they don't have.
- thecanman 8y ago
  Maybe "oppression" is too strong a word, but some definitely take advantage (in a negative context) of others because of their status. For example, I work on a gov't site where we are required to buy from minority-owned groups. Well they know this so they charge outrageous prices when selling to us and we can't do anything about it. This is with tax money to boot.
chillacy 8y ago
My understanding is that China aims to integrate its minorities completely (which is how the current Han came to exist) while in America the majority wants nothing to do with minorities.
- throwaway5032 8y ago
  Yup. While the US had anti-miscegenation laws, China gives bonuses to inter-ethnic marriages.
throwaway5032 8y ago
It also misses the affirmative action given to these minorities. For example, extra exam points to get into college, secured government jobs, and the biggest is they were not bound by the 1-child policy.

yourbandsucks 8y ago

.. could we have just one humanist piece about life in China without people breaking out the battle axes? We don't shoehorn the Iraq war into everything about America. We could do with a lot more understanding and a lot less context-free outrage if we're gonna get through this century with the peace intact.

CptFribble 8y ago
Actions that cost lives should always be front and center. Maybe we should be talking more about the Iraq war in the USA, considering our actions led to the death of hundreds of thousands of people. I contend the opposite: The only way to survive the next century is if we identify sources of death and misery, and (try) to hold leaders accountable to stamp them out.
- yourbandsucks 8y ago
  The Chinese government has overwhelmingly reduced death and misery within their borders. Half a billion people moved from third world to first world. Half. A. Billion. And their big foreign policy power play consists of building infrastructure for other third world countries. Turns out you can do that for 10 countries cheaper than invading one. Yet the popular opinion ever since dragonfly was proposed is that they're the worst country ever. How about some perspective?
  - taneq 8y ago
    The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few, eh?
    - yourbandsucks 8y ago
      More like: Life is complicated and not black and white. The Chinese actions in Xinjiang are an overreaction, and wrong, but: 1) Every western country has an equivalently bad record regarding reaction to terror attacks and/or separatist movements. 2) Nobody in the tech community cared until the dragonfly thing came up and they all went on wikipedia looking for reasons to hate China. The way people talk about China these days reminds me of McCarthyism more than humanism. I have to wonder, if China were less successful, and the people were poorer, would they be less upset? They're fine with buying cheap goods, after all..
      - PavlovsCat 8y ago
        > Life is complicated and not black and white. vs. stuff like > yet the popular opinion ever since dragonfly was proposed is that they're the worst country ever. and > Nobody in the tech community cared until the dragonfly thing came up and they all went on wikipedia looking for reasons to hate China. Nobody cared? Went on Wikipedia looking for reasons to hate China? Is anyone allowed to guess about the causes of such sophistry, or does that just go one way?
        yourbandsucks 8y ago
        Check the record. We didn't have 3 hate pieces a day on China hitting the front page of HN until dragonfly. Maybe you want to take a crack at why?
        PavlovsCat 8y ago
        I'm not up for games around something as important as this. Face what I wrote, or let your inability to do that be the answer.
  - hueving 8y ago
    >And their big foreign policy power play consists of building infrastructure for other third world countries. We'll ignore the whole part about stealing everyone's intellectual property as a matter of business and that activity in the South China Sea. How about Taiwan? >Yet the popular opinion ever since dragonfly was proposed is that they're the worst country ever. People criticize their shitty actions because they are shitty. Nobody said they are the worst country at all. They just said that a company who cares about organizing the worlds information and not being evil shouldn't partake in oppressive censorship.
hueving 8y ago
>We don't shoehorn the Iraq war into everything about America Yes, we do. Anything gushing about a country always brings people out to point out the flaws in fawning over it. The only thing that seems to be unique is using whataboutisms in criticisms of pro-china articles as if the Iraq war excuses abhorrent behavior in China. Again, the US constantly fucks up, but that has nothing to do with criticism of China on an article about China.

withhighprod 8y ago

Minority race get 6 bonus points for free in college entrance examination, in Henan that could mean 60-120k up In the rank

doombolt 8y ago

At least they do not seem to have oppression by minorities. One important ultra-unreal piece they don't have.

thecanman 8y ago
Maybe "oppression" is too strong a word, but some definitely take advantage (in a negative context) of others because of their status. For example, I work on a gov't site where we are required to buy from minority-owned groups. Well they know this so they charge outrageous prices when selling to us and we can't do anything about it. This is with tax money to boot.

chillacy 8y ago

My understanding is that China aims to integrate its minorities completely (which is how the current Han came to exist) while in America the majority wants nothing to do with minorities.

throwaway5032 8y ago
Yup. While the US had anti-miscegenation laws, China gives bonuses to inter-ethnic marriages.

throwaway5032 8y ago

It also misses the affirmative action given to these minorities. For example, extra exam points to get into college, secured government jobs, and the biggest is they were not bound by the 1-child policy.