I can feel storms before they arrive. Like I sense the air change so I'm in tune with things like this. I couldn't sleep for a few days so I spent the time watching videos about China imminently doing things. The same sensation occurred and I could see Chairman Xi out of the corner of my eye, but he was a shadow version of himself.

  • Rod_Blagojevic [none/use name]
    ·
    6 months ago

    I was reading the same dumb ghost city bullshit when I was in high-school, in the 90s. How does shit like this stay alive?

    • DamarcusArt@lemmygrad.ml
      ·
      6 months ago

      Because westerner's view of China was frozen in time in the 90s. They imagine the country being filled with cramped, dirty, overpopulated cities that look like they came out of a dystopian novel. They can't imagine that China was building "ghost cities" to house people, because everything China does is just to trick the west.

      • CTHlurker [he/him]
        ·
        6 months ago

        Honestly, a lot of people in the West seem to be stuck in the 90s. Thats why they keep voting for SucDems who hate them, think Russia is falling apart, think China's armed forces are completely degraded due to corruption and graft (lmao, this was said by a coworker the same day it came out that Danish Naval Ships had no functioning cannons).

        • DamarcusArt@lemmygrad.ml
          ·
          6 months ago

          It's the Francis Fukuyama "History has ended" idea. The US defeated their enemy the USSR and as well all know, when a big empire defeats their biggest enemy they just stay in power for all eternity and nothing changes because they won the game of Civilisation.

          • CTHlurker [he/him]
            ·
            6 months ago

            I suppose you're right. It's just incredible to watch people encounter reality and choosing of their own free will to believe what they've been told over their litteral eyes and ears.

            • DamarcusArt@lemmygrad.ml
              ·
              6 months ago

              I don't think people are naturally materialistic thinkers. I think the "default" for people is magical thinking, and we need to train ourselves to examine material reality properly. Our perceptions are always subjective, so it can feel like reality is subjective. And for 99% of people, this kind of idea that "reality is what you make of it" works fine in their day to day life, so it is never challenged, so they assume it is true.