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One man's freedom fighter is another man's terrorist etc. There are 11 year olds in Abu Ghraib. No one thinks they should be there, but here we are. If you're

One man's freedom fighter is another man's terrorist etc. There are 11 year olds in Abu Ghraib. No one thinks they should be there, but here we are. If you're position is US good, China bad, and Pompeo is not a China-hawk (forgone consensus among China watchers) then there's very little we can reconcile on. At the end of the day, these instruments aren't designed to be fair or moral, but welded for self-serving interests and China has hers. China didn't start the decoupling or cold war, nor start and continues to ramp up bellicose escalations. You're welcome to believe US/Pompeo is virtuous in their crusade, and CCP is bankrupt, but it doesn't stop the fact that China is big enough to respond, has responded, and will continue to.

camgunz 6y ago
> One man's freedom fighter is another man's terrorist etc. Having a BB gun in your backpack doesn't make you a terrorist [1]. This is absurd. > If you're position is US good, China bad, and Pompeo is not a China-hawk (forgone consensus among China watchers) then there's very little we can reconcile on. Pompeo appears to have had no position on China before becoming Secretary of State in '18. Furthermore he drew a clear distinction between the CCP and the Chinese people in his speech last week: "But our approach can’t just be about getting tough. That’s unlikely to achieve the outcome that we desire. We must also engage and empower the Chinese people, a dynamic, freedom-loving people who are completely distinct from the Chinese Communist Party." > China didn't start the decoupling or cold war, nor start and continues to ramp up bellicose escalations. The fact is that the CCP is a fascistic regime, and the US can no longer ignore it. We have been _exceedingly_ cool with them, have worked well together in the region, and we'd super love to get rich together. But we can't ignore the mass surveillance state. We can't ignore the Uighur concentration camps, the Great Firewall (and its DDoS attacks), the human rights abuses in Hong Kong, the invasion of India and the South China Sea, the missile-firing and election interference against Taiwan, the relentless cyberattacks, or honestly, just the fountain of cartoonish fury whenever someone tweets something like "Fight for Freedom. Stand with Hong Kong". > You're welcome to believe US/Pompeo is virtuous in their crusade, and CCP is bankrupt, but it doesn't stop the fact that China is big enough to respond, has responded, and will continue to. Well in US political terms I'm pretty progressive (the amount I donated to Senator Warren's presidential campaign is, uh, a good measure of my privilege haha) so I wouldn't say I believe either the US or Pompeo are "virtuous". What I will say though--to return to my original point--is that there is absolutely no comparison between the Magnitsky acts and the CCP's National Security Law. The Magnitsky acts target corrupt murderers; the NSL targets Hongkonger democracy activists. Case closed. I'll change my tune if the CCP writes up racist Alabama prosecutors though. Fair is fair (seriously). [1]: https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3024883/hong-kong-judge-rejects-retrial-teenage-independence https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/30...

camgunz 6y ago

> One man's freedom fighter is another man's terrorist etc. Having a BB gun in your backpack doesn't make you a terrorist [1]. This is absurd. > If you're position is US good, China bad, and Pompeo is not a China-hawk (forgone consensus among China watchers) then there's very little we can reconcile on. Pompeo appears to have had no position on China before becoming Secretary of State in '18. Furthermore he drew a clear distinction between the CCP and the Chinese people in his speech last week: "But our approach can’t just be about getting tough. That’s unlikely to achieve the outcome that we desire. We must also engage and empower the Chinese people, a dynamic, freedom-loving people who are completely distinct from the Chinese Communist Party." > China didn't start the decoupling or cold war, nor start and continues to ramp up bellicose escalations. The fact is that the CCP is a fascistic regime, and the US can no longer ignore it. We have been _exceedingly_ cool with them, have worked well together in the region, and we'd super love to get rich together. But we can't ignore the mass surveillance state. We can't ignore the Uighur concentration camps, the Great Firewall (and its DDoS attacks), the human rights abuses in Hong Kong, the invasion of India and the South China Sea, the missile-firing and election interference against Taiwan, the relentless cyberattacks, or honestly, just the fountain of cartoonish fury whenever someone tweets something like "Fight for Freedom. Stand with Hong Kong". > You're welcome to believe US/Pompeo is virtuous in their crusade, and CCP is bankrupt, but it doesn't stop the fact that China is big enough to respond, has responded, and will continue to. Well in US political terms I'm pretty progressive (the amount I donated to Senator Warren's presidential campaign is, uh, a good measure of my privilege haha) so I wouldn't say I believe either the US or Pompeo are "virtuous". What I will say though--to return to my original point--is that there is absolutely no comparison between the Magnitsky acts and the CCP's National Security Law. The Magnitsky acts target corrupt murderers; the NSL targets Hongkonger democracy activists. Case closed. I'll change my tune if the CCP writes up racist Alabama prosecutors though. Fair is fair (seriously). [1]: https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3024883/hong-kong-judge-rejects-retrial-teenage-independence https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/30...