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We've all got problems. China's problems are routinely exaggerated and "othered" far in excess of Western problems. After all, we understand the context for W

We've all got problems. China's problems are routinely exaggerated and "othered" far in excess of Western problems. After all, we understand the context for Western missteps. "Its complicated." For example, can you believe that China is overreacting and violating civil rights after terror attacks from Central Asian Muslims? I've never heard of such a thing. Certainly no Western country aside from the USA, Russia, the UK and France would do that. Meanwhile, lifting hundreds of millions out of poverty doesn't seem to count for much. They have a different history, different culture and different challenges. Demonization is not only wrong, it's a surefire way to mishandle the situation out of ignorance.

hannasanarion 8y ago
For one thing, that's not an example of "overexaggeration in excess of western problems". Just because Chinese crimes against humanity in their western provinces is new to you doesn't mean they are new. Do you think the Dalai Lama is living in India because he likes the weather? When was the last time America rolled tanks onto their university campuses to shoot students until they fell in line?
- yourbandsucks 8y ago
  I think you misunderstood my sarcasm. Edited parent post to make it clearer, thanks. America invaded Afghanistan, Iraq and killed hundreds of thousands of unrelated Arabs last time we were attacked by Central Asian Muslims. Russia? The UK? They've done plenty too, in response to very specifically the same broad ethnic group. So how come only China gets a daily 2 minutes' hate on hacker news? Maybe it's nationalism and the thucydides trap? EDIT responding to below, I'm rate limited, have a good night: I'm saying that: 1) There's no genocide. There's a mass internment. You're proving my point about bias by using that word. 2) I'm not qualified to judge relative morality of mass internment of your own citizens vs mass death of foreigners. But most importantly, 3) I'm not even talking about China so much as I am about hacker news. At least nationalist conservatives are honest about their motivations.
  - hannasanarion 8y ago
    If America's government were like Chinas, secret police would be knocking down your door for daring to criticize the government's warmaking decisions. Tangentially, the 9/11 attackers were Arab, not Central Asian, and the decision to invade Iraq had nothing to do with 9/11, not even as an excuse. Regardless, you're trying to tell me that invading another country on poor pretenses and botching the occupation is totally the same thing as committing genocide of your own citizens, and then murdering anyone who says fie?
- pjc50 8y ago
  > When was the last time America rolled tanks onto their university campuses to shoot students until they fell in line? Well ... May 4, 1970. But there were no tanks and they only killed 4 students.
  - kortilla 8y ago
    So... never.
Aeolun 8y ago
I’m sure they do, and morality is relative anyway. But from my perspective, and probably a lot of the rest of the western world. China is evil.
- yourbandsucks 8y ago
  You're kinda begging me for a prequel memes response here :) A lot of harm has been done by people who were positive they were good and the other country is evil.

hannasanarion 8y ago

For one thing, that's not an example of "overexaggeration in excess of western problems". Just because Chinese crimes against humanity in their western provinces is new to you doesn't mean they are new. Do you think the Dalai Lama is living in India because he likes the weather? When was the last time America rolled tanks onto their university campuses to shoot students until they fell in line?

yourbandsucks 8y ago
I think you misunderstood my sarcasm. Edited parent post to make it clearer, thanks. America invaded Afghanistan, Iraq and killed hundreds of thousands of unrelated Arabs last time we were attacked by Central Asian Muslims. Russia? The UK? They've done plenty too, in response to very specifically the same broad ethnic group. So how come only China gets a daily 2 minutes' hate on hacker news? Maybe it's nationalism and the thucydides trap? EDIT responding to below, I'm rate limited, have a good night: I'm saying that: 1) There's no genocide. There's a mass internment. You're proving my point about bias by using that word. 2) I'm not qualified to judge relative morality of mass internment of your own citizens vs mass death of foreigners. But most importantly, 3) I'm not even talking about China so much as I am about hacker news. At least nationalist conservatives are honest about their motivations.
- hannasanarion 8y ago
  If America's government were like Chinas, secret police would be knocking down your door for daring to criticize the government's warmaking decisions. Tangentially, the 9/11 attackers were Arab, not Central Asian, and the decision to invade Iraq had nothing to do with 9/11, not even as an excuse. Regardless, you're trying to tell me that invading another country on poor pretenses and botching the occupation is totally the same thing as committing genocide of your own citizens, and then murdering anyone who says fie?
pjc50 8y ago
> When was the last time America rolled tanks onto their university campuses to shoot students until they fell in line? Well ... May 4, 1970. But there were no tanks and they only killed 4 students.
- kortilla 8y ago
  So... never.

Aeolun 8y ago

I’m sure they do, and morality is relative anyway. But from my perspective, and probably a lot of the rest of the western world. China is evil.

yourbandsucks 8y ago
You're kinda begging me for a prequel memes response here :) A lot of harm has been done by people who were positive they were good and the other country is evil.