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China is spending billions on soft power

economist.com

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Re: China is spending billions on soft power

#61

Post by amgin3 »

paganel wrote: post #32
amgin3 wrote: post #25

If they really want people to like them, they really need to teach their citizens how to behave before they travel, or prevent them from traveling altogether. Maybe force them to take a mandatory etiquette class or something.

The same goes for the English youth who get wasted in different Southern European countries. The only two times when I got verbally harassed on the street while I was minding my own business (I'm talking as an adult) happened on a Greek island during the summer months, on both cases the culprits were English guys in their late-teens, early-20s we were drunk out of their minds.

Chinese tour groups are notorious for disrespecting and/or destroying everything they come in contact with. I've had to personally deal with them in several countries and it is never a pleasant experience.

Re: China is spending billions on soft power

#62

Post by product50 »

yomly wrote: post #41
kitschshrine wrote: post #26

so China is - lead by a billionnaire dictator and son of veteran communist party member, who has shown to purge his enemies, jail innocents/reporters without trial, disappear others. He oppresses the will of hong kongers to self govern, and acts like a crybaby whenever Taiwan, a self-governing democracy, does anything political - controlled by a "congress" of billionnaires, who work together to exploit workers for pe…

Let's take a look at America: They spy on you, regardless of if you live in the country or not, committing global espionage[0][1] They do not observe human rights when imprisoning you [2][3] They are happy to bomb civilians using automated robots in the name of freedom and enlisting you to their brand of freedom[4] They are happy to arm terrorists then assassinate them when they are no longer relevant to their cause[…

At least there are articles/opinions written down for what is happening in US which you can quote. For China, in many cases, you can't even do that given press/govt restrictions.

Also, to say that China has better human rights record vs. US is almost blasphemy. Why even quote that?

For the last point, what are you trying to say? Democracy doesn't work - lets all most to the communist model!? I know you are trying to be a the devils advocate, but using one off examples (while ignoring everything that China represents) to justify your points seems wrong.

Re: China is spending billions on soft power

#63

Post by kitschshrine »

kristianc wrote: post #58
kitschshrine wrote: post #26

so China is - lead by a billionnaire dictator and son of veteran communist party member, who has shown to purge his enemies, jail innocents/reporters without trial, disappear others. He oppresses the will of hong kongers to self govern, and acts like a crybaby whenever Taiwan, a self-governing democracy, does anything political - controlled by a "congress" of billionnaires, who work together to exploit workers for pe…

As it stands, this doesn't sound dissimilar to America (which also spends billions on making the world love it in the name of soft power)

well, then you probably need reading comprehension classes.

the world isn't black and white, it's shades of grey

Re: China is spending billions on soft power

#64

Post by caio1982 »

kristianc wrote: post #58
kitschshrine wrote: post #26

so China is - lead by a billionnaire dictator and son of veteran communist party member, who has shown to purge his enemies, jail innocents/reporters without trial, disappear others. He oppresses the will of hong kongers to self govern, and acts like a crybaby whenever Taiwan, a self-governing democracy, does anything political - controlled by a "congress" of billionnaires, who work together to exploit workers for pe…

As it stands, this doesn't sound dissimilar to America (which also spends billions on making the world love it in the name of soft power)

Your argument has a name: tu quoque.

Re: China is spending billions on soft power

#65

Post by jansho »

Animats wrote: post #39

There's a soft power war going on in Asia. Korea has a major effort to make K-pop a major cultural influence. Korean drama has become an export. In response, Japan has the Cool Japan Fund [1], funded by the Government and some of the big banks. They now run the largest anime translation operation, and a large anime site, "daisuki.net". (Somebody should propose to the Cool Japan Fund that they do something to make Jap…

Yeah I remember when Japan was hot (manga/anime) then it was S Korea (Haliu wave), at least in South East Asia. But the soft power war is not so clear cut though. Like Viki streams mostly K-dramas but it's owned by Japanese company Rakuten.

China on the other hand is definitely playing that game. Like only last month they banned most imported children's picture books, especially from SK and Japan, and they've pumped a lot of money into their content industry to match their nationalistic agenda and S Korea's. Hollywood seems to be helping too :)

Re: China is spending billions on soft power

#66

Post by kristianc »

caio1982 wrote: post #64
kristianc wrote: post #58

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As it stands, this doesn't sound dissimilar to America (which also spends billions on making the world love it in the name of soft power)

Your argument has a name: tu quoque.

Then that argument is true of the Economist's article too, which explicitly quotes Nye.

Re: China is spending billions on soft power

#67

Post by sosborn »

imjustsaying wrote: post #57
jldugger wrote: post #45

Earlier quoted context omitted.

We can (and should) complain about this, but the sins of another do not dismiss your own.

>They ...do not have free healthcare [no citations necessary] When I lived and worked in China, for a government entity, the insurance didn't cover anything I ever needed it for and I had to pay out of pocket 100% of the time for all costs. The private healthcare industry is exploding in China right now because the public healthcare system is inadequate. There is no such thing as free healthcare. Even if you install…

> people die on waiting lists like in Canada

People die on waiting lists in America too, so if you are going to make this argument, be specific. How many people, what are they on the waiting list for, and how is it worse than what we have in America?

Re: China is spending billions on soft power

#68

Post by kristianc »

kitschshrine wrote: post #63
kristianc wrote: post #58

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As it stands, this doesn't sound dissimilar to America (which also spends billions on making the world love it in the name of soft power)

well, then you probably need reading comprehension classes. the world isn't black and white, it's shades of grey

Trump has proposed exactly the same kind of 30% import tax, is also happy to turn a blind eye to air pollution and has handed over the Department of Education to a billionaire who to all intents and purposes bought the job.

Perhaps those American exceptionalism rose tinted sunglasses aren't working so well for you.

Re: China is spending billions on soft power

#69

Post by dave_sullivan »

kristianc wrote: post #58
kitschshrine wrote: post #26

so China is - lead by a billionnaire dictator and son of veteran communist party member, who has shown to purge his enemies, jail innocents/reporters without trial, disappear others. He oppresses the will of hong kongers to self govern, and acts like a crybaby whenever Taiwan, a self-governing democracy, does anything political - controlled by a "congress" of billionnaires, who work together to exploit workers for pe…

As it stands, this doesn't sound dissimilar to America (which also spends billions on making the world love it in the name of soft power)

Boo. False equivalency. Can we acknowledge that this is the favored argument by authoritarian propaganda machines and it's a baseless distraction? It has no place here.

More: http://www.npr.org/2017/03/17/520435073/trump-embraces-one-o...

Re: China is spending billions on soft power

#70

Post by user982 »

kitschshrine wrote: post #26

so China is - lead by a billionnaire dictator and son of veteran communist party member, who has shown to purge his enemies, jail innocents/reporters without trial, disappear others. He oppresses the will of hong kongers to self govern, and acts like a crybaby whenever Taiwan, a self-governing democracy, does anything political - controlled by a "congress" of billionnaires, who work together to exploit workers for pe…

Your HN account is singularly focused on demonizing China along every axis.
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