The answer is probably not, because I doubt I'm going to have any response that deflates a lifetime of American culture and propaganda, but I'd like to know if y'all have made any success.
I ask because earlier today a person I know came to me, asking if I knew about what's going on in Cuba. I answered there's a kind of small anti-government protest alongside much larger pro-government demonstrations. This was immediately flipped as proof of Cuba's tyranny, since a large pro-government demonstration means everyone's afraid of being jailed or executed. I tried mentioning Cuba has a pretty popular government, the vote on the constitution seems proof of that, but that also just gets flipped as proof of tyranny.
I don't know, it was frustrating and I otherwise respect this person. Have y'all been having trouble?
Yeah I agree, it's a lot more clear cut and straightforward. China's harder talk about because there's a lot of context, historical specificity and nuance that has to break through decades of propaganda and chauvinism.
Off topic, but I listened to this lecture about China's programs in Africa at work today. I feel like she did a good job explaining the nuances and historical context and she clearly knows what she's talking about.