4 ms·

While I agree that Chinese soft imperialism is bad, I think it's tremendously funny that Americans are complaining about it now, after years of using military a

While I agree that Chinese soft imperialism is bad, I think it's tremendously funny that Americans are complaining about it now, after years of using military and economic power to enforce a similar imperialism everywhere.

ryanhuff 7y ago
Americans beginning to complain that the Chinese government is influencing American's free speech at home due to the financial entanglements made freely by American companies. In essence, US companies economic interests are impacting US citizen free speech.
chadmeister 7y ago
Great point! Now I we don't have to worry about it. Move along everyone, nothing to see here!
- LudwigNagasena 7y ago
  I don’t see the parent comment suggesting that you don’t have to worry about it.
  - throwaway2048 7y ago
    Then what exactly is the purpose of the comment? It's plainly being used as justification and deflection, like all whataboutery.
    - LudwigNagasena 7y ago
      To express the feelings of non-Americans that find it funny how Americans didn’t care about other countries when the US did the same thing to them as China is doing to the US now.
- draw_down 7y ago
  It's only bad when other countries do it.
tyri_kai_psomi 7y ago
The false equivalence is strong with this one. In no way shape or form is it even remotely similar.
- funny_username 7y ago
  Victor Jara would've loved to speak with you.
- molteanu 7y ago
  "Your boy cracked my son's head!" "Your boy started it first. He broke mine's leg!" "Yeah, a cracked head is not even remotely similar to a broken leg!" Moral of the story: Broken legs are normal.
  - bilbo0s 7y ago
    In the world of international relations, there really are no good guys. But in a world where everyone is a bad guy, hypocrisy can be forgiven, since it keeps other bad guys in check despite its self-serving intent. Hypocrisy, whether European, Russian, American or Chinese, keeps the peace.
    - markdown 7y ago
      > In the world of international relations, there really are no good guys. Bhutan. Bhutan are the good guys.
      - modulos 7y ago
        Bhutan engaged in ethnic cleansing and expelled over 100,000 Lhotshampa into Nepal.
        markdown 7y ago
        Googled it. Thanks for that. I was unaware. For anyone else: https://thediplomat.com/2016/09/bhutans-dark-secret-the-lhotshampa-expulsion/ https://thediplomat.com/2016/09/bhutans-dark-secret-the-lhot...
AWildC182 7y ago
Stop parroting this argument. Fundamentally, those in the US can talk about what happened. We can talk about the shit we did and what we did wrong. The Chinese people can't. Yes, in a very coarse way they're in the same place we were a while back but that doesn't mean it's ok in exactly the same way it wasn't ok for us. Moral relativism and whataboutism aren't morally sound arguments in this case.
ploxolo 7y ago
I agree with your premise. Still, at some point one has to pick sides and I know I by far prefer a world ruled by the US than a world ruled by China. That there are situations that could improve I won't argue but it does not change what is preferable for most people in the planet I would say.
dirtyid 7y ago
>It is difficult to get a man to understand something, when his ideology... I mean salary depends upon his not understanding it
newguy1234 7y ago
Yup, US power is being attacked on all fronts. Just look at how fearful congress was of the Libra cryptocurrency. They were literally talking about libra being a risk to the entire US financial system because libra could blackmail the USA by pulling USD as a reserve backing libra, causing high inflation in the USA. It is no surprise that people/countries/companies are trying to get out of the web we have created around the world (through the financial system). The problem is the USA is imposing all sorts of rules and regulations on foreign countries, threatening their sovereignty. Also the USA is usually extremely militant in how we enforce our rules. Don't comply with the rules - we shut down your accounts, seize your assets etc. Then we require ever financial institution to monitor their customer's activity and report it to authorities. Completely Orwellian system. No wonder people are trying to get out of it.

ryanhuff 7y ago

Americans beginning to complain that the Chinese government is influencing American's free speech at home due to the financial entanglements made freely by American companies. In essence, US companies economic interests are impacting US citizen free speech.

chadmeister 7y ago

Great point! Now I we don't have to worry about it. Move along everyone, nothing to see here!

LudwigNagasena 7y ago
I don’t see the parent comment suggesting that you don’t have to worry about it.
- throwaway2048 7y ago
  Then what exactly is the purpose of the comment? It's plainly being used as justification and deflection, like all whataboutery.
  - LudwigNagasena 7y ago
    To express the feelings of non-Americans that find it funny how Americans didn’t care about other countries when the US did the same thing to them as China is doing to the US now.
draw_down 7y ago
It's only bad when other countries do it.

tyri_kai_psomi 7y ago

The false equivalence is strong with this one. In no way shape or form is it even remotely similar.

funny_username 7y ago
Victor Jara would've loved to speak with you.
molteanu 7y ago
"Your boy cracked my son's head!" "Your boy started it first. He broke mine's leg!" "Yeah, a cracked head is not even remotely similar to a broken leg!" Moral of the story: Broken legs are normal.
- bilbo0s 7y ago
  In the world of international relations, there really are no good guys. But in a world where everyone is a bad guy, hypocrisy can be forgiven, since it keeps other bad guys in check despite its self-serving intent. Hypocrisy, whether European, Russian, American or Chinese, keeps the peace.
  - markdown 7y ago
    > In the world of international relations, there really are no good guys. Bhutan. Bhutan are the good guys.
    - modulos 7y ago
      Bhutan engaged in ethnic cleansing and expelled over 100,000 Lhotshampa into Nepal.
      - markdown 7y ago
        Googled it. Thanks for that. I was unaware. For anyone else: https://thediplomat.com/2016/09/bhutans-dark-secret-the-lhotshampa-expulsion/ https://thediplomat.com/2016/09/bhutans-dark-secret-the-lhot...

AWildC182 7y ago

Stop parroting this argument. Fundamentally, those in the US can talk about what happened. We can talk about the shit we did and what we did wrong. The Chinese people can't. Yes, in a very coarse way they're in the same place we were a while back but that doesn't mean it's ok in exactly the same way it wasn't ok for us. Moral relativism and whataboutism aren't morally sound arguments in this case.

ploxolo 7y ago

I agree with your premise. Still, at some point one has to pick sides and I know I by far prefer a world ruled by the US than a world ruled by China. That there are situations that could improve I won't argue but it does not change what is preferable for most people in the planet I would say.

dirtyid 7y ago

>It is difficult to get a man to understand something, when his ideology... I mean salary depends upon his not understanding it

newguy1234 7y ago

Yup, US power is being attacked on all fronts. Just look at how fearful congress was of the Libra cryptocurrency. They were literally talking about libra being a risk to the entire US financial system because libra could blackmail the USA by pulling USD as a reserve backing libra, causing high inflation in the USA. It is no surprise that people/countries/companies are trying to get out of the web we have created around the world (through the financial system). The problem is the USA is imposing all sorts of rules and regulations on foreign countries, threatening their sovereignty. Also the USA is usually extremely militant in how we enforce our rules. Don't comply with the rules - we shut down your accounts, seize your assets etc. Then we require ever financial institution to monitor their customer's activity and report it to authorities. Completely Orwellian system. No wonder people are trying to get out of it.