Its like Hillary walking into a working class kitchen for the first time.
They've been shielded from even critical support of China and other AES for so long they literally, not figuratively, literally cannot process that people exist that have beliefs that aren't Reddit Approved. They immediately assume it's bots or wumao. Human beings can't possibly hold these beliefs, so they must be Oriental hordes or actual robots.
I hope Lemmy can shed it's reddit past mainly because of this.
I never had a reddit account but before I came here I had definitely bought into some of the same shit regarding China, it took a few months of lurking for me to figure this place out and for me to reconsider some if the things I had gotten wrong
That wasn't as long ago as I may want to think it was even though it's been years, combating liberalism begins within oneself and it is a constant struggle
I genuinely hope some of them take the time to read and think for themselves and actually ask questions in good faith instead of just regurgitating propaganda from the mainstream media
Some will never have an open mind and I won't waste my time on them or their bullshit
I think the only evidence one really needs is 1) US is a giant shithole with cruel laws and policies. 2) US has a long history of couping countries especially socialist ones. 3) China is US #1 geopolitical enemy.
Even if half of what the US says is true about China it doesnt change that US is trying to manipulate your opinions and gloss over its own many shortcomings
It’s nice, maybe even incredible beyond a certain income level. Those below that level get glimpses of that reality when they drive past the nicer parts of town or see people with nice cars/houses/boats etc. Couple that experience with brainwashing that anyone can get there with sufficient hard work, and that this supposed mobility is the foundation of Freedom™ goshdarnit, then it is simple for many people to accept mediocre or bad living conditions. It is what makes capitalist exploitation so sinister: it converts direct, personal exploitation of past societies into indirect, impersonal exploitation based on the abstract logic of private property. (Das Kapital in a nutshell.)
All of that is to say, I think your point #1 is insufficient without a Marxist analysis, because merely identifying problems without understanding their causes can easily lead a liberal to fascist scapegoating of marginalized groups instead of actual solutions.
Not me. I'm built different. I definitely came out of the test tube a full fledged ushanka wearing communist and didn't totally buy in to Obama's bullshit the first time around
Glad to hear that. Also, congrats on your progress! 🖤
Posting: it can work, folks