We spent a week in China. Here’s what we learned about our global rival
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Morning Edition caught up with NPR’s John Ruwitch, who has covered China for decades. Here’s our conversation. fa

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The framing of China and Chinese people as some puzzle or enigma to be figured out and analyzed is so bizarre. Some choice quotes:

The government reported 5.2% growth last year, which — surprise, surprise — was right at the target that they were aiming for. But there are economists that say the economy did not grow that fast. It was probably two or less than 2% even.

Lmao who are these economists? How many say that? Why do they say that? come the fuck on dude.

And while they were on the far side of the moon, their little lander hoisted a Chinese flag, which their media said was a first.

Ok well was it or was it not?? Also the condescension of "their little lander" like this jackass has ever landed anything on the moon.

There is unease with it, [though] when it comes to the government's use of data or collection of data, people are quite practical. There's zero that they can do about it. And so they get on with their lives. As you've seen, you go to any intersection in a city in China and there are 10, 20, 30 video cameras pointing in any given direction and an unknown number of other sensors that can pick up cell phone signals and analyze them.

Dawg, the NSA listens to literally every phone call made in the United States. Google and Zucc know more about me than I do.

There's still some reverence for the U.S. in a way as a country that is, first of all, richer than China on a per capita basis, and secondly, has freedoms that China doesn't have.

Just comical.

  • EmoThugInMyPhase [he/him]
    ·
    7 months ago

    There is unease with it, [though] when it comes to the government's use of data or collection of data, people are quite practical. There's zero that they can do about it. And so they get on with their lives. As you've seen, you go to any intersection in a city in China and there are 10, 20, 30 video cameras pointing in any given direction and an unknown number of other sensors that can pick up cell phone signals and analyze them.

    What has the american people done to hold the government accountable since Snowden’s revelations? What has the government done, exactly? In fact, Ukraine suffered one of the first major infrastructure cyber attacks by Russia because the NSA refused to disclose major zero days, and all of them were leaked by a disgruntled private contractor.

    Some liberal will probably whatabout deez nuts, but i don’t live in China. I supposedly have more freedoms and rights than a chinese person. So why the hell aren’t these freedoms manifesting?