Democracy is like Communism. Every time you point out a problem with Democracy, someone else can point out how it isn't True Democracy(R). For example, in the West there are massive support for applying pressure to Israel to stop the genocide. But very little actually happens because, at least in my country, Israel has literally bought off the key politicians[1]. This isn't True Democracy(R) because the people's representatives have been paid to represent a foreign nation.
and who exactly are we to dictate what a 5000 years old country and civilisation gets to do when we literally fund the mass murder of an entire group of people because it's "God's Promise" ?
The point is that nobody, certainly not the US, cares about things like territorial integrity or 'human rights.' Recent events have caused the US to have to completely drop the facade, which is in many ways a good thing (even if the situation in question is catastrophic and in no way good). It's all just a pretext to the expansion of power and influence. In the case of Taiwan the history of the country is important. The "Republic of China" was a nationalist force that overthrew dynastic China and eventually managed to unify the country in 1927. They were themselves then overthrown in 1949 by the CCP. Their leadership and forces fled to Taiwan (which was already a part of China), and overthrew the local forces there. The CCP did not pursue them beyond that and so the Civil War ended there.
The Republic of China then tried to gain international recognition as an independent nation but, to this day, basically nobody recognizes them as such. And eventually this led to the emergence of the 'one country, two systems' where China would allow some basic autonomy to the province, yet it would remain a part of China. This was accepted by most of the world, including the US. While simultaneously we then did (and are doing) absolutely everything possible to ensure the emergence of a new civil war in the region. It's not at all because we care about Taiwan (beyond it being in a strategically useful location), but primarily to weaken and destabilize China.
Look, China is a big boy and responsible for its own actions. Taiwan has been an autonomous and sovereign entity for many generations. If China invades Taiwan there most likely will be war, if not then not.
You can always construct some historical and geographical claims and justifications. Haven't you heard, China is a near Arctic nation now.
That’s funny because this argument has been exposed as complete bullshit in the last month. You should find a better example to try and be dishonest about nowadays. Social media is extremely anti-Israel and now everyone knows it
There’s no ethic cleansing unless you follow the propaganda that Palestine has existed for 1000s of years and Israel stole all the land and has been attacking everyone around it.
> Like VPN can be good enough when what you’re up against is stupid lazy bureaucrat cop types.
This echoes my experience in Africa too. Ironically, governments in the so-called "unfree" countries don't have nearly as much control or access to personal data as the "free" modern western ruling classes would have you believe.
It's pretty easy to game the system and evade surveillance altogether, especially considering that most people are in on it :)
If there ever was to be a reply from CCP, this is the line they will likely follow. Not denial, but making it sound like it’s not a big deal. Making it sound acceptable, even poking fun at it, as if it was something cool.
The bit at the end is a bit extreme as a statement. But I would agree that westerners do occasionally have a hard time wrapping their heads around all the nuances and differences between lives lived in various totalitarian and communist regimes. Some things, like resource scarcity, or paranoia, or vigilance - they're just inconceivable. Like explaining air to a fish.
That being said, as someone who has experienced both, I would like to point out that something similar holds true in the opposite direction as well. People who originate from communist or fascist regimes have difficulty understanding all the ways in which the West really is free. Especially when consequences of the freedom don't look so nice. Like when people are allowed to destroy their own lives, or law enforcement is reluctant to intervene in any way. They see conspiracy at work. But most of the time there is none, just plain old indifference, absence of control, petty greed, responsibility and self-reliance.
The real common denominator between both worlds is stupidity. Free markets are stupid and reactive. Totalitarian systems of power are stupid and passive. This is why I would say the bit about "looking at the mirror" is extreme.
