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But would refusing to trade with China improve the life of the average Chinese person? Would it free the economic slaves you're concerned about, or would it for
by Veen 6y ago
But would refusing to trade with China improve the life of the average Chinese person? Would it free the economic slaves you're concerned about, or would it force hundreds of millions of people into poverty?
What you suggest sounds nice in principle, but it would devastate the Chinese economy and most Western economies too. Sometimes, there is no good choice, no principled stand that doesn't make the world worse. With China, we have to choose between bad outcomes and very bad outcomes.
- leereeves 6y agoAs China continues to expand they make more people's lives worse, as we saw recently in Hong Kong, not so long ago in Tibet, and may soon see in Taiwan. That expansion is fueled by trade. So even if you're right that refusing to trade with China would not improve the life of the average Chinese person, it might improve the lives of people near China.
- hutzlibu 6y agoSo, did US recent military interventions improved life of the local people? I really see no benefit of creating a new iron curtain. Rather the contrary. And collective punishments usually just tighten the collective bonds. So the best way to unite the chinese people behind their government would be the "free" world uniting against china. How did the sowjet union fall? By trade embargos? Or that its people were finally fed up with it?
- leereeves 6y agoWhy were the Soviet Union's people finally fed up with it? The poor standard of living was surely a part of that. By the same reasoning, trade with China helps sustain the CCP.
- hutzlibu 6y agoPoor standard of living, no freedom, constantly being lied to - and being aware of it and having finally the courage to do something about. Because other people had the courage first. Thats how it came down. Chinas populations is increasing their standard of living. So you think the outside world has to cripple their economy so the chinese people turn against their rulers? How would you feel about that, if you would live in china just trying to pass by - and have your income halfed because of foreign powers? Would you believe the foreign powers words that they did so because of human rights?
- leereeves 6y agoBoycotts, disinvestment, and sanctions is how civil rights movements are fought. Of course the Chinese people won't know why other countries are pulling away, because their government won't allow that information to reach them and will blame foreign enemies instead, but blaming foreign powers only works for a limited time. And what better strategy would you suggest? What we shouldn't do is overlook abuses in other nations simply because our own nations are imperfect.
- hutzlibu 6y ago"Boycotts, disinvestment, and sanctions is how civil rights movements are fought." How about: leading by good example? There are plenty of chinese people outside of the great firewall regulary going back. So that information would get in.
- leereeves 6y agoWhy not both? We can (and should) lead by good example while also actively opposing human rights abuses in China.
- hutzlibu 6y agoYeah, but since the US is NOT leading by shiny good example and continues to be allied with really bad examples like saudi arabia - the rest of the world views it all as just power struggle between china and US - which it mostly is.