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What Peng Shuai reveals about one-party rule

economist.com

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Re: What Peng Shuai reveals about one-party rule

#231

Post by FooBarWidget »

clove wrote: post #192
FooBarWidget wrote: post #133

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They aren't aiming to be harmful. But I've seen plenty of people paint everybody who have a non-mainstream opinion on China, as paid undercover propagandists.

You don't have a non-mainstream opinion on China; you hold every Chinese (domestic) mainstream opinion and parrot them on this Western forum. One only needs to look at your post history to see that all you do here is post CCP propaganda. Who would do that but a paid shill? HN is one of the few places online that both allows free speech and isn't riddled with bots/spammers/shills. I'd like to keep it that way, meaning…

No. There are a lot of things from the mainstream Chinese discourse that I agree with, but also things I disagree with. For example I tell mainland Chinese that anti-US conspiracy theories (e.g. Fort Dedrick) are wrong.

I compare arguments from both sides and I make up my own mind. I have my own agency and my own opinion, thank you.

If you're gonna call me a "paid shill" even though I have 20 years of online history in a different field, you're gonna have to prove it.

If you don't like what I have to say, then fine, don't listen to me. But don't prevent others from listening to me and don't prevent me from speaking.

Ultimately I want peace and understanding between both sides.

Re: What Peng Shuai reveals about one-party rule

#232

Post by FooBarWidget »

pphysch wrote: post #221
coupdejarnac wrote: post #204

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is laughable. Do you post to r/sino?

What is that?

It is a radically nationalist pro-China forum to the point where they regularly push anti-US conspiracy theories and regular usage of words like "Amerikkka".

Re: What Peng Shuai reveals about one-party rule

#233

Post by FooBarWidget »

frabbit wrote: post #178
FooBarWidget wrote: post #122

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Here's why both of them are not reliable sources: https://twitter.com/DanielDumbrill/status/145210963079286784...

In addition there was a marked change in tone from when they were in China. I subscribed and enjoyed that content and the two Exploring documentaries. Really good content. When they left China it started to sound like highly personalized hate speech. I initially assumed that it was because they were upset at having their livelihoods up-ended and a sense of rejection. But... initially they had great plans for wide-ran…

This is exactly how I feel about laowhy86 and serpentza too. So much great content in the past but times have changed.

Re: What Peng Shuai reveals about one-party rule

#234

Post by FooBarWidget »

miohtama wrote: post #157
FooBarWidget wrote: post #147

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You are free to disagree and I am free to disagree with you. But I am sure glad that 98% of Chinese people are happy and feel that the country is heading in the right direction, and I am glad that the world has a diverse set of governance systems.

How do you know 98% Chinese people are happy if there is no credible, independent study? Surely any study saying Chinese are unhappy would be censored.

Here you go, independent study by York University https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2021/05/05/did-pande...

Re: What Peng Shuai reveals about one-party rule

#235

Post by pphysch »

toxik wrote: post #228
pphysch wrote: post #184

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The CCP's "secret" is consistently materially improving the conditions of 1.4 billion people over decades. You have to answer the question: why wouldn't the Chinese support their government?

What? I never said the Chinese people should rebel. Your anti anti China rhetoric is frankly absurd. I said you cannot voice dissent towards CCP, so saying “x% approve” is utterly meaningless. Similarly, being a CCP member is not like being a member of a democratic party in some other country. I’m sure you understand that though, you’re just out here pushing against anti CCP sentiment in a thread about a woman who pu…

Good thing I'm not here for the HN karma or optics. If at least one person has read my comments and started asking questions and doing their own research into the current anti-China propaganda blitz, that's a win for me.

Seriously. Step back and look at what is going on here. One Chinese women opened up on social media and an emotional and traumatic experience she had long ago. Instantly, the entire Western propaganda apparatus amplifies it into a massive scandal. Every rumor is tested: it's a CCP coverup, Peng has been disappeared, the evidence of her being safe is all deep faked...

Meanwhile, every single day people are going through much, much worse. Including in America. But it's one Chinese lady that gets all the attention. Because we're in the midst of a political propaganda campaign against Beijing 2022.

Re: What Peng Shuai reveals about one-party rule

#236

Post by FooBarWidget »

twojacobtwo wrote: post #168
tomatofarmer wrote: post #125

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It works exactly how I think it works. As long as no one takes notice, I am free to say whatever I want. You should reflect on how much effort you spend defending such a regime all over this website, twitter, and elsewhere.

> You should reflect on how much effort you spend defending such a regime all over this website (...) Wow, you're right about that. I thought you might have been saying it as an offhand comment, but I just looked through the 4 most recent pages of FooBarWidget's comments and only 2 comments of those listed were not directly defending or espousing CCP talking points. Potential shill? edit: Their earlier comments have…

Yes I am speaking about China a lot lately. Because I am Chinese, I care about the subject a lot, and the whole Cold War and all the media lies have made me angry and pushed me to speak up.

You don't have to agree with me. But please don't say silly things like that I am a paid shill or that I don't belive what I say. I will remind you that I have a job.

If you are not open to my arguments then don't listen to me. No need to defame me.

Re: What Peng Shuai reveals about one-party rule

#237

Post by FooBarWidget »

clove wrote: post #186
FooBarWidget wrote: post #147

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You are free to disagree and I am free to disagree with you. But I am sure glad that 98% of Chinese people are happy and feel that the country is heading in the right direction, and I am glad that the world has a diverse set of governance systems.

>I am glad that the world has a diverse set of governance systems. Except when it comes to Taiwan, right?

I am in favor of Taiwan keeping its governance system. So...

Re: What Peng Shuai reveals about one-party rule

#238

Post by FooBarWidget »

mthoms wrote: post #156
FooBarWidget wrote: post #129

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I respect your interpretation. I am just saying that there are indeed people out there who don't agree. Of course you are free to disagree with them. Being pro-democratic, we respect each others' differences in opinion.

>I respect your interpretation What's your interpretation of her panicked crying? You just spent 4 paragraphs outlining how you think her allegation is ambiguous. Now you're attempting to outright dodge a perfectly valid counterpoint.

Why do you keep pushing for that? I just want to highlight data and different opinions and let people make up their own minds. No need for me to impose my views.

Others can listen to me in they are interested. If they are not interested, that is fine too.

Re: What Peng Shuai reveals about one-party rule

#239

Post by FooBarWidget »

tomatofarmer wrote: post #213
sudosysgen wrote: post #211

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm sure it happens in the abstract. They're definitely not a shill though. As far as we've seen China has no shill operation outside of its borders outside of bots and some vote manipulation by Chinese companies for profit.

He may not be a paid shill, but he is not arguing from a position of sincerity. FooBarWidget is far too intelligent to actually believe half of what he's saying, especially his claim that 98% of Chinese citizens are happy with their government. That number is absurdly high. For reference, trust in government is 84% in Switzerland (highest in the OECD), 65% in Germany, 46% in the US, 42% in Japan, 35% in the UK. Even…

Yes that number is absurdly high. But it doesn't change the fact that I pulled it from the York University study https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2021/05/05/did-pande...

Do you know why I am angry and pushed to speak up so much about China lately? Because the reality on the ground turns out to be really different from mainsteam media depiction. For 25 years I have heard tropes like "Chinese people are oppressed" but when I did deeper research I found a very different picture. It's like watching my father (the west) defame my mother (China) for 25 years and then finding out that 90% of the accusations are distorted.

You don't have to agree with me but please don't claim that I am being insincere. It's up to me to decide whether I am sincere or not.

Re: What Peng Shuai reveals about one-party rule

#240

Post by bardan »

pphysch wrote: post #171
hogFeast wrote: post #109

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It is truly bizarre to me that someone who is taking a very pro-CCP stance will justify this with reference to propaganda that other nations create...it is really something. Every nation creates propaganda, every nation does not have media controlled by the state, every nation does not have massive propaganda departments that are present at all levels of society...they aren't equivalent, the only reason to draw the e…

It is truly bizarre when people trick themselves into the paradox of "I don't trust Government 1 but I trust everything they or their crony media says about Government 2"

Something funny and illustrative about the PRC for me was getting into shortwave radio. Let me explain. Sometimes certain people will tell you that the CCP isn't so censorious, that it's all Western hyperbole and propaganda, that most other governments are equivalent. But then you spin your dial through the shortwave broadcast bands and, no exaggeration, every 6 broadcasts or so will be the CCP jamming another broadcast from Taiwan, the US, the UK or elsewhere. No other country on Earth, apart from NK and occasionally Cuba, treats its people with such contempt. And all this energy, literal and figurative, just for shortwave radio.
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