Parenti discussed in Blackshirts and Reds how people in the Eastern bloc were seduced by Western consumer goods. The real and perceived superiority of Western treats is a form of soft power. China will not make the same mistake as them.
The Soviet Union censorship was at a time without social media and university students finding out all the details in person. The underground radio stations and western music being played really leveled up the mystique of western goods, and the only people traveling to the west were more likely to be PMC or boojie in attitudes.
Now you have kids living in working apartments from Shenzhen and Lanzhou going to schools like University of Oklahoma going, “this is it?!?”, and sharing their complaints on WeChat
Parenti discussed in Blackshirts and Reds how people in the Eastern bloc were seduced by Western consumer goods. The real and perceived superiority of Western treats is a form of soft power. China will not make the same mistake as them.
The Soviet Union censorship was at a time without social media and university students finding out all the details in person. The underground radio stations and western music being played really leveled up the mystique of western goods, and the only people traveling to the west were more likely to be PMC or boojie in attitudes.
Now you have kids living in working apartments from Shenzhen and Lanzhou going to schools like University of Oklahoma going, “this is it?!?”, and sharing their complaints on WeChat
The USSR walked so China could run 🏃♂️