Honestly, my least favorite part about China discourse is that the things that are actually good and the things that are actually just bad about them are completely ignored and people just focus on propaganda talking points that are meaningless.
The biggest left critique of China should always be that there is very limited free movement within the country for their citizenry and this is slowly working out to result in regionalist class characteristics as certain parts of the country are far wealthier than others. Reform attempts have consistently not gone far enough.
The biggest favorable talking point should be that they're building a serious alternative to IMF financing for poor countries to build infrastructure. There is no global left without an alternative to the IMF and foreign aid from the USSR was tremendously important for the global left to survive as it did.
Instead everyone is focused on Uyghers/Falun Gong or if their teaching Marxist literature in schools.
Recently watched American Factory, and it was interesting to me how clear the class lines were compared to any supposed cultural divide. I went into it thinking it would be some story about the "culture clash" between the US workers and Chinese owners, and was surprised by at how different the narrative actually was. From what I could tell, it seemed to be more about Chinese and American workers getting screwed and showing some class solidarity with each other, while the Chinese and American managers and consultants do everything they can together to stop them from unionizing. There were no CCP officials in the film, and it would be interesting to know how they might view it, but it definitely doesn't make the ruling class in either China or the US look particularly good.
I watched it too, and although we can't necessarily take the messaging at face value, given its produced by Obama's production company, it does highlight the contradictions inherent in the current system, and the universality of class.
Another thing I noticed in the film, and in talking to Chinese workers, they do work hard and a lot and it's something that's not really imaginable in the West. I do have reason to believe that's being addressed though, given rising wages and improving conditions. Also, since it was filmed a while ago (2015?), before the anti-corruption campaign was in full swing, I'm curious to see if the secretary of the company's union in China is still in his post, given he was related to the CEO.
They bought the rights after it was completed and debuted at a film festival. They didn't do anything with the film besides marketing and distribution and all that.
No worries. They market it like it was their brainchild (unsurprisingly) but they just swooped in and slapped their name on it.
I know someone who worked on the production of the film and it really pissed most people off that they basically flaunted it as "The Obama factory documentary" after they bought it.
They bought the rights after it was completed and debuted at a film festival. They didn’t do anything with the film besides marketing and distribution and all that.
It's good, but remember folks, there's legitimate criticisms to be made and it's unwise to completely trust in the CPC, as much as I'd like to
Honestly, my least favorite part about China discourse is that the things that are actually good and the things that are actually just bad about them are completely ignored and people just focus on propaganda talking points that are meaningless.
The biggest left critique of China should always be that there is very limited free movement within the country for their citizenry and this is slowly working out to result in regionalist class characteristics as certain parts of the country are far wealthier than others. Reform attempts have consistently not gone far enough.
The biggest favorable talking point should be that they're building a serious alternative to IMF financing for poor countries to build infrastructure. There is no global left without an alternative to the IMF and foreign aid from the USSR was tremendously important for the global left to survive as it did.
Instead everyone is focused on Uyghers/Falun Gong or if their teaching Marxist literature in schools.
WE HEAR THAT KIND OF THING ALL THE TIME, CAN'T WE JUST ENJOY IT
Yes but "Ruthless criticism of all that exists"
Yeah but in America we already hear it constantly and none of it's legit, let us have a tiny safe space as a treat.
Ok, yes fair
Im gonna eat that shit like a tiny bit of salami
deleted by creator
Recently watched American Factory, and it was interesting to me how clear the class lines were compared to any supposed cultural divide. I went into it thinking it would be some story about the "culture clash" between the US workers and Chinese owners, and was surprised by at how different the narrative actually was. From what I could tell, it seemed to be more about Chinese and American workers getting screwed and showing some class solidarity with each other, while the Chinese and American managers and consultants do everything they can together to stop them from unionizing. There were no CCP officials in the film, and it would be interesting to know how they might view it, but it definitely doesn't make the ruling class in either China or the US look particularly good.
I watched it too, and although we can't necessarily take the messaging at face value, given its produced by Obama's production company, it does highlight the contradictions inherent in the current system, and the universality of class.
Another thing I noticed in the film, and in talking to Chinese workers, they do work hard and a lot and it's something that's not really imaginable in the West. I do have reason to believe that's being addressed though, given rising wages and improving conditions. Also, since it was filmed a while ago (2015?), before the anti-corruption campaign was in full swing, I'm curious to see if the secretary of the company's union in China is still in his post, given he was related to the CEO.
They bought the rights after it was completed and debuted at a film festival. They didn't do anything with the film besides marketing and distribution and all that.
Ah thanks for letting me know
No worries. They market it like it was their brainchild (unsurprisingly) but they just swooped in and slapped their name on it.
I know someone who worked on the production of the film and it really pissed most people off that they basically flaunted it as "The Obama factory documentary" after they bought it.
For the sake exonerating the filmmakers further, It's also worth noting that they dogwhistled the Communist Manifesto in their acceptance speech at the Academy Awards.
I hope your username isn't a reference to what I think it might be.
My username is in reference to a cartoon bear with a hunny addiction, and has been since I started using it many, many years ago.
In here it's mostly "There's legitimate criticisms to be made but stop voicing them."
Like MLs here are all "Critical support, critical support" all the time, but it's usually 90% support and 10% critic.