• Zuzak [fae/faer, she/her]
    hexbear
    96
    edit-2
    9 months ago

    Famines were extremely common before the CPC came to power. Most Chinese people lived in extreme poverty, and life expectancy was less than 35, with no significant improvement under the KMT. In between Mao coming to power and his death, life expectancy in China nearly doubled. Today, average life expectancy in China has exceeded that of the US, a feat that would've been unimaginable back then.

    Show

    It's true that Mao made misteps (which the CPC readily admits), but those specific, dramatic events have been disproportionately elevated to obscure the more general trend, which has been drastic improvements in the lives of the people of China.

    Of course, in addition to minimizing the frequency and severity of famines in pre-industrial China, your history books likely did not place the same level of blame on the British for the intentional famines which Ireland and India were subjected to, in which Britain did not only refuse to provide aid to their colonial subjects (often on the express basis that it would motivate people to work harder), but also did not cease their plundering - in both cases, food was exported out of the country while the people starved.

    • Frank [he/him, he/him]
      hexbear
      39
      9 months ago

      I read somewhere that Mao's family was considered well off for peasants because they could afford eggs a few times a year. I have no idea if there's any truth to that.

      • NPa [he/him]
        hexbear
        37
        9 months ago

        They had to go hat in hand to the Egg Monopoly Lady every year to ask for a single egg for their New Years Celebration.

      • Zuzak [fae/faer, she/her]
        hexbear
        83
        9 months ago

        You're right, what does it matter that every Chinese person gets to live twice as long as they used to, if the process of getting there wasn't perfect?

        Your carefully researched and insightful rebuttal has convinced me. I hate massive increases in life expectancy now. Clearly, we have no choice but to abandon communism no-choice

      • brain_in_a_box [he/him]
        hexbear
        72
        9 months ago

        What's the matter? Suddenly not so keen to compare death counts now that your Holocaust denial has been exposed?

      • Flaps [he/him]
        hexbear
        70
        9 months ago

        You have people taking time to give context and explain things to you and this is your reaction? Lmao dickweed get a load of PIGPOOPBALLS

      • silent_water [she/her]
        hexbear
        33
        edit-2
        9 months ago

        idk man the only person I see going what about is you

        EDIT: OHHHH you're a fascist. hog out or log out.