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"U.S. Vice President Mike Pence criticized it in October as 'an Orwellian system premised on controlling virtually every facet of human life.'" Americans forge

"U.S. Vice President Mike Pence criticized it in October as 'an Orwellian system premised on controlling virtually every facet of human life.'" Americans forget we have our own "social credit" system, and I'm not convinced China's is any worse than ours. Want to sign up for TSA Pre-check? Certify you're not a convicted felon, otherwise you're ineligible. Want to coach little league? Background check. Rent an apartment? Background check. Get a job? Background check. Want to vote? Depending on the state, you can be imprisoned if you've been convicted of something (i.e. low social credit score). And, finally, if you're a defendant, if the other side wants to dig out every little secret they can find and trot it out before the judge, jury, and/or public, expect a ding to your social credit for every matter they bring up, in terms of the outcome you receive. Before we point out the sawdust in China's eye, we should acknowledge the plank in our own.

snarf21 8y ago
There is a speck of truth to what you say but I think you are conflating things. There is a difference between keeping convicted pedophiles away from children and suspecting terrorists off airplanes and the other checks you list. A lot of the things you cite aren't even government checks but financial risk assessments of businesses. Having a friend that tweets anti-government thoughts shouldn't mean you can't take the train. Drinking alcohol shouldn't prohibit you from applying for a government job. Playing too much video games shouldn't mean you can't leave leave your town. A lot of the information about this system and its rollout is hard to get accurate facts about since everyone on both sides is most interested in sensationalism. I've never seen any information about if you can ever improve your social score. Even people who commit crimes have the about to do their time and work to start over. People need 2nd chances.

snarf21 8y ago

There is a speck of truth to what you say but I think you are conflating things. There is a difference between keeping convicted pedophiles away from children and suspecting terrorists off airplanes and the other checks you list. A lot of the things you cite aren't even government checks but financial risk assessments of businesses. Having a friend that tweets anti-government thoughts shouldn't mean you can't take the train. Drinking alcohol shouldn't prohibit you from applying for a government job. Playing too much video games shouldn't mean you can't leave leave your town. A lot of the information about this system and its rollout is hard to get accurate facts about since everyone on both sides is most interested in sensationalism. I've never seen any information about if you can ever improve your social score. Even people who commit crimes have the about to do their time and work to start over. People need 2nd chances.