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Warning: this thread is very likely to be heavily astroturfed by Chinese influence operations. This is exactly the type of question and discussion that provides

Warning: this thread is very likely to be heavily astroturfed by Chinese influence operations. This is exactly the type of question and discussion that provides a perfect opportunity to change or chip at your opinion on China. Hence: - “Taiwan is acqshually a dictatorship” - “The integration of HK was managed extremely well” - “China may have X, but whatabout Y in the US/decadent West/Europe” - “That’s it, I’m moving to China. Any tips?” I’m not saying any positive comments about China are manufactured. But given the amount of money and effort China spends on these type of influence operations, the context of this thread, and the type of audience HN attracts, chances are they are.

coupdejarnac 4y ago
Before the lab leak theory became socially acceptable, there were a lot of useful idiots speaking up on HN, and they were protected by the admins. It seems to be less of an issue lately, but then again I try to disengage from any discussion about China. It gets so frustrating reading opinions from people who have never been there or have been there for a week and think they have some deep insight.
rippercushions 4y ago
Citation needed: I'm not seeing a single comment claiming any of those. (Except noting that Taiwan was a dictatorship, but while it was, it's not one anymore.)
- antondd 4y ago
  Plenty. - A supposed Latin American account; only comments (whitewashing really) are on posts, issues or themes related to China - https://news.ycombinator.com/threads?id=RedCondor https://news.ycombinator.com/threads?id=RedCondor - An account with no comments elsewhere, bar this thread, commenting on how they want to move to China because: affordable housing, "great Chinese society", "going to let go off freedoms, but whatabout public shootings in the US", etc etc. etc. This is the identical messaging to what China is using on other SM platforms - https://news.ycombinator.com/threads?id=tiny_ta https://news.ycombinator.com/threads?id=tiny_ta - A Chinese / Chinese nationalist's account. If you look through their comments you see they leave mostly political comments with the themes of "russia is winning" (China has been following russia's propaganda almost in almost a complete lockstep.), "USA has not right to intervene vis-a-vis Taiwan", "US elite", posting garbage from "resources largely excluded from the American mainstream" (as usual), 'conflict in Ukraine'. They left comments in this thread as well (a sad attempt at whitewashing Tiannamen). This is more relevant, however: https://news.ycombinator.com/threads?id=xtian&next=34628768#34425784 https://news.ycombinator.com/threads?id=xtian&next=34628768#... Now back to this thread. This is a curious case of an issue being relevant from both internal and external angles. The former - like I said before, the aim is to influence you. The latter - anyone within China who is contemplating to leave the country, just like the author is doing. China has been known to focus heavily on retaining people with technical skills within the country and also campaigning for skilled Chinese nationals to return back 'home'. Chinese influence operations have been detected everywhere: from 4chan boards to youtube videos and [insert your social media platform here]. What would make HN an exception?
hnfong 4y ago
If you can't imagine some percentage of Chinese being genuinely patriotic, you probably need to expand your imagination a bit. Not that I agree with the narratives of those comments, but isn't it at least possible they are independent people with actual lives, and they genuinely believed what they wrote? (You might attribute their views to their upbringing, but the same can be said to everyone) With your logic I can probably conclude that Warren Buffet is a CIA shill.

coupdejarnac 4y ago

Before the lab leak theory became socially acceptable, there were a lot of useful idiots speaking up on HN, and they were protected by the admins. It seems to be less of an issue lately, but then again I try to disengage from any discussion about China. It gets so frustrating reading opinions from people who have never been there or have been there for a week and think they have some deep insight.

rippercushions 4y ago

Citation needed: I'm not seeing a single comment claiming any of those. (Except noting that Taiwan was a dictatorship, but while it was, it's not one anymore.)

antondd 4y ago
Plenty. - A supposed Latin American account; only comments (whitewashing really) are on posts, issues or themes related to China - https://news.ycombinator.com/threads?id=RedCondor https://news.ycombinator.com/threads?id=RedCondor - An account with no comments elsewhere, bar this thread, commenting on how they want to move to China because: affordable housing, "great Chinese society", "going to let go off freedoms, but whatabout public shootings in the US", etc etc. etc. This is the identical messaging to what China is using on other SM platforms - https://news.ycombinator.com/threads?id=tiny_ta https://news.ycombinator.com/threads?id=tiny_ta - A Chinese / Chinese nationalist's account. If you look through their comments you see they leave mostly political comments with the themes of "russia is winning" (China has been following russia's propaganda almost in almost a complete lockstep.), "USA has not right to intervene vis-a-vis Taiwan", "US elite", posting garbage from "resources largely excluded from the American mainstream" (as usual), 'conflict in Ukraine'. They left comments in this thread as well (a sad attempt at whitewashing Tiannamen). This is more relevant, however: https://news.ycombinator.com/threads?id=xtian&next=34628768#34425784 https://news.ycombinator.com/threads?id=xtian&next=34628768#... Now back to this thread. This is a curious case of an issue being relevant from both internal and external angles. The former - like I said before, the aim is to influence you. The latter - anyone within China who is contemplating to leave the country, just like the author is doing. China has been known to focus heavily on retaining people with technical skills within the country and also campaigning for skilled Chinese nationals to return back 'home'. Chinese influence operations have been detected everywhere: from 4chan boards to youtube videos and [insert your social media platform here]. What would make HN an exception?

hnfong 4y ago

If you can't imagine some percentage of Chinese being genuinely patriotic, you probably need to expand your imagination a bit. Not that I agree with the narratives of those comments, but isn't it at least possible they are independent people with actual lives, and they genuinely believed what they wrote? (You might attribute their views to their upbringing, but the same can be said to everyone) With your logic I can probably conclude that Warren Buffet is a CIA shill.