• CloutAtlas [he/him]
      ·
      16 days ago

      I mean I'm Chinese and I live in China and it's pretty chill rn. More like "hundred years of technological advancement, affordable housing and food, indoor smoking and space exploration hooray"

      Like you can't fathom how little people care about such pressing issues in day to day life. Public spaces are public for the people to walk and loiter, old ladies will get together and form dance troupes on the side of the road, abundant housing and the public transport to access them.

      Its pretty good.

      • CleverOleg [he/him]
        ·
        16 days ago

        This is another point in favor of “yes China is actually socialist right now” to me. Honestly one of the things that drew me to socialism early on was precisely what you are describing: a dream of a society where concerns for the essentials in life are minimal, people have spaces (and time) to socialize, and overall you just have a more socially healthy society. Would love to have this in the US but it’s pretty great that the largest country in the world (and ascendant) has it.

        • FailedAtAdulting [she/her, comrade/them]
          ·
          16 days ago

          I mean, Temu, Shein, and gacha games suck, there's no doubt about that. Could China be doing a lot more to reign them in? Absolutely. But I'd argue that even if we're just focusing on companies making a profit, a Chinese century IS better than the current state of affairs.

          For one, as crappy as those companies are, they're not a monopoly and aren't likely to become monopolies anytime soon because China has an anti-monopoly law.

          Secondly, Elon Musk has threatened to coup Bolivia (and "whoever we want! Deal with it!") over lithium, and while he is just one example, many western companies have couped or otherwise coerced/destabilised other countries to protect their profitability, and they're continuing to get away with it scot-free. Coca Cola's death squads in Colombia is another example that comes to mind. None of China's companies, as far as I know, have couped or coerced/destablised a country for business interests. I'd say that alone makes for a more peaceful 100 years.

          Thirdly, as @SmokinStalin@hexbear.net mentioned, Chinese billionaires have been executed for doing things that go against the public good, whereas billionaires get total impunity in the west, regardless of how much their actions harm the general population. The billionaire class is also accountable to the government, rather than the government being influenced by wealthy donors like we have in much of the west (and other neoliberal countries).

          Of course, China can always do better. But I'd be hard-pressed to find how things can get worse (or even make no improvement) under a Chinese century compared to a continuation of what we currently have.

        • SmokinStalin [comrade/them]
          ·
          16 days ago

          I mean, china has actually taken steps against predatory gaming practices within its own borders. Leaps ahead of the US having no protections whatsoever

          • peppersky [he/him, any]
            ·
            16 days ago

            nah they fucking wanted to pass legislation and then didn't. if they fucking cared they would have outlawed that shit years ago, but profit over everything just like everywhere else

            • SmokinStalin [comrade/them]
              ·
              16 days ago

              Bedtimes for gamers was a genuinely good if small step. And chinese billionaires have been executed for doing billionaire shit, may not be great but it's a hell of alot better than the total impunity capital has here.