Like, I've seen many smart people that are even, in theory, supporting of socialism and against imperialism who are well aware that there is a propaganda machine in the US and the west, who when it comes to anything about AES/past socialist states, they will just regurgitate state department propaganda without question.
Like, even if you bring up, for example, Xinjiang, and how virtually all evidence comes from some really bad research by a guy who clearly has an agenda, they will say something along the lines of "maybe that's true, but that doesn't disprove there's a genocide there". Which... is not how burden of proof works. Mind you, these are also people who clearly know about shifting of the burden of proof when it comes to climate change or evolution, but here? Then it's every logical fallacy, no critical thinking.
So what is it about these things that remove critical thinking from otherwise smart people?
no, your comment was bad faith because its obvious to anybody who reads the post that the poster never said or implied or meant "anybody who disagrees with me isn't thinking critically". You're just being shitty for no reason.
The original post is trying to have a genuine discussion about the specific reasons people in places like the US are willing to believe the most far fetched, false attacks about socialist countries, and why they're so quick to disregard anything counter to that narrative.
The post is about how anyone who thinks China does anything wrong to uyghurs is flouting CIA propaganda which it isn't and it isn't far fetched and false but go fucking off.
Nope, you're continuing to be shitty for no reason, just stop. Thats not even close to what it says