4 ms·

Well, that's true enough. I was bracing myself for something edgier. I don't know what I expected, "China has freer speech than America because Facebook censo

Well, that's true enough. I was bracing myself for something edgier. I don't know what I expected, "China has freer speech than America because Facebook censored antivax content" or something :)

the_af 10mo ago
You seem to be arguing against strawmen. You picked a very fringe and bizarre belief (I honestly never read anything even remotely paraphrasing what you just typed) and made it seem so common that "as often as not" this is what people claim when they criticize the West. It reeks of dishonesty. This isn't defending "Liberal democracy" as you claimed in another comment, it's attacking dissenting opinions by picking (or creating) the worst, most bizarre argument possible and presenting it as the norm.
- thomassmith65 10mo ago
  What a mystifying comment. Cheers, though.
  - the_af 10mo ago
    What is mystifying about it?
    - thomassmith65 10mo ago
      With respect, you seem immediately to have started out on the war path, and since then have been arguing with some imagined opponent (is he modeled on the 'love it or leave it, Tommy' character in Born on the Fourth of July?). Responding to your criticisms today - and hopefully you're just having an off day today - is a dull task. They show little engagement, aside from the fixation with small phrases like 'useful idiot', with what I actually write.
      - the_af 10mo ago
        I wouldn't say "on the war path", but specifically about your dismissal of other narratives than the dominant one. I engaged you after I read more replies by you that confirmed my suspicions about your initial question. It's not just about the term "useful idiot"; if you're being honest you'll admit you stated more things, including a bizarre strawman about people arguing "China is freer than the US". Do you deny this? In another comment I went into more detail, but I guess if you're comfortable deflecting and claiming "you can't be bothered" that's ok.

Well, that's true enough. I was bracing myself for something edgier. I don't know what I expected, "China has freer speech than America because Facebook censored antivax content" or something :)

the_af 10mo ago

You seem to be arguing against strawmen. You picked a very fringe and bizarre belief (I honestly never read anything even remotely paraphrasing what you just typed) and made it seem so common that "as often as not" this is what people claim when they criticize the West. It reeks of dishonesty. This isn't defending "Liberal democracy" as you claimed in another comment, it's attacking dissenting opinions by picking (or creating) the worst, most bizarre argument possible and presenting it as the norm.

thomassmith65 10mo ago
What a mystifying comment. Cheers, though.
- the_af 10mo ago
  What is mystifying about it?
  - thomassmith65 10mo ago
    With respect, you seem immediately to have started out on the war path, and since then have been arguing with some imagined opponent (is he modeled on the 'love it or leave it, Tommy' character in Born on the Fourth of July?). Responding to your criticisms today - and hopefully you're just having an off day today - is a dull task. They show little engagement, aside from the fixation with small phrases like 'useful idiot', with what I actually write.
    - the_af 10mo ago
      I wouldn't say "on the war path", but specifically about your dismissal of other narratives than the dominant one. I engaged you after I read more replies by you that confirmed my suspicions about your initial question. It's not just about the term "useful idiot"; if you're being honest you'll admit you stated more things, including a bizarre strawman about people arguing "China is freer than the US". Do you deny this? In another comment I went into more detail, but I guess if you're comfortable deflecting and claiming "you can't be bothered" that's ok.