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I suspect that any competition would always be portrayed as autocratic, corrupt and repressive, as we are influenced by the other side of the propaganda. Not th
by thiagoharry 8y ago
I suspect that any competition would always be portrayed as autocratic, corrupt and repressive, as we are influenced by the other side of the propaganda. Not that this is a lie. I really think that you will find some degree of repression, autocratism and corruption in any state seeking to attain or trying to keep some degree of global power and facing some opposition.
- elefanten 8y agoMaybe hypothetically. But in this case we know that we're talking about China so there's no need to speculate about relative autocracy, corruption and repression.
- losteric 8y agoThe degree and ends do matter. Chinese autocratic actions are not equivalent to the shaping of American discourse by for-profit institutions. I will trust the one that has codified free speech - however flawed.
- glenstein 8y agoI don't think whataboutism is automatically wrong. But in the context of hn threads on China, I feel it often adds an unhelpful layer of abstraction. It's never clear if people doing the whatabouting actually dispute the negative characterization of China, or whether they agree with it but also want to change the subject to a broader topic in way the unfocuses the lense of the conversation. The moral condemnation of what China is doing is not information I want to be lost from the conversation, and that seems to always be an effect of the whatabouting.
- dingoegret 8y agoI'm curious what it is about what about it not ism, that is so bad. I hear it flung around so much by westerners like some kind of slogan. Is there a purpose? Is pointing out hypocrisy bad?