https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2020/02/why-democracies-are-better-fighting-outbreaks/606976/
Lmaooo they even talk about the objectivity of the CDC (the one that's been lying about what steps to take for this virus) and for portraying democracies as more cooperative they cite the fucking board game Pandemic hahahahahah
Our system is the best because I made up a game where it automatically wins
don't buy into the individualism/collectivism crap. it's all power, all propaganda. if the state wanted to, any of these western states really wanted to, they have/had the ability to mobilize resources appropriately.
the fact that capitalist nations serve capital and not their citizens is the sole reason the responses have been to murder citizens to keep capital happy.
I mean the big indicator of this is that the country I've most heard called "collectivist" is Japan.
Yeah, the country where the working conditions for the average person are so stressful that a huge amount of them consider or commit suicide is truly thinking about the collective.
Oh wait.
socialism promotes both individualism and collectivism, and capitalism supports neither
now with links:
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China’s coronavirus lockdown — brought to you by authoritarianism - Washington Post, Jan. 27
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China’s Super-Strict City Lockdowns May Be Illegal - Caixin, Feb. 18
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China scrambles to keep cities in virus lockdown fed - AP, Feb. 8
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China Is Under Lockdown - Foreign Policy, Feb. 5 (this one is more ghoulish than the title portrays)
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To Tame Coronavirus, Mao-Style Social Control Blankets China - The New York Times, Feb. 15
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Sealed in: Chinese trapped at home by coronavirus feel the strain - Reuters, Feb. 22
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How the Coronavirus Revealed Authoritarianism’s Fatal Flaw - The Atlantic, Feb. 22
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Regardless of your opinions on the CPC or PRC, the Chinese people have undeniably more faith in their government than we do.
Honest question - how do we know we can trust these polls? Do they come from the CCP or external source?
Funny enough, it comes from Harvard itself:
https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2020/07/long-term-survey-reveals-chinese-government-satisfaction
And well, as someone that studies in a Chinese university: yes, Chinese like their government and their nation.
these findings highlight that citizen perceptions of governmental performance respond most to real, measurable changes in individuals’ material well-being.
huh, imagine that
Depends on what you're studying. Are you a western undergrad going to China to study Chinese? Time of your life, pretty much anywhere you go. There must be people who've gone to China and studied for at least a few months and ultimately had a negative experience, but I've yet to meet them.
However, are you a western grad student or other professional researcher, or a Chinese scholar involved with social science? Then you are going to be a lot more intellectually restrained. This has been increasingly the case ever since 2012, and I'm sure has only been exacerbated by the new U.S. Cold War.
I'm hoping to be in China next fall if everything lines up, but I study literary and visual texts in the first half of the twentieth century, so my work is a lot less politically sensitive. A lot of that is also going to be dependent on what America's Covid situation is at that point, and to what extent China will be open to people coming from our plague nation.
that sounds nice. what's the best part of the experience? what are the do's and dont's of studying in china?
A lot of that is also going to be dependent on what America’s Covid situation is at that point, and to what extent China will be open to people coming from our plague nation.
they're gonna require the COVID-19 vaccine for a visa, no doubt. so will everyone else by 2021
Sorry comrade, I got busy these past weeks.
I don't have much to really illuminate here. The best parts of studying or travelling in China is the food (frequently the best food in the world, sometimes the worst), the relative low cost of living if you're on a budget, and the genuine hospitality and sincerity of Chinese people.
Do travel as much as you can. Unlike Thailand or other SE Asian countries Chinese tourism is designed primarily for Chinese people in mind. If you are a white male enjoy being in a culture which isn't designed to cater to you. That said, white and western privilege is real, so Chinese society will actually cater to you quite often anyways. Try not to be gross and take advantage of it unless you're in a pinch. But also never go on a tour made for Chinese people. Do go on tours organized by hostels, they're usually insiders that know the great spots and skip the bullshit. Do not ever go on a tour organized by an international hotel.
Speaking of, don't be too suspicious, but don't be gullible either. If a random stranger wants to talk to you they're probably just really outgoing and want to practice their English with you and will tell you that -- Chinese people as a rule don't really practice false modesty or most other false social conventions, or at least not in the way that people do in western countries. If someone is outgoing they're going to try to approach you, if they're friendly they'll be friendly to you, if they're an asshole they may be an asshole to you because that's who they are probably to everyone.
Just remember that if a stranger wants to do something with you where any kind of money is involved on your part it's probably a scam. If it's an overly eager girl it's 100% a scam. Then again, there's a sort of pleasure in knowing someone is trying to scam you and going along with it for a little while before getting in too deep. And also a lot of times Chinese people really want to treat you nice as a guest in their country and will go really out of their way to help you and refuse to let you pay for anything! So be open and don't be suspicious, but don't be gullible.
Do try to learn the local prices for things and do your best to pay them. Don't worry if you are still paying an extra wu jiao or kuai more than the locals. Don't be afraid of being mugged (will never happen, if you're from the US you've never experienced a society as safe as daily life in China), but don't let things out of your sight in public. Don't be afraid to eat anything you come across that looks good. Do pass on anything that doesn't look good and you don't know what it is-- you're probably not missing out. Don't drink the tap water, Chinese people don't either without boiling it first, but do drink as much tea and (good) Chinese beer as you want. And if you do end up brushing your teeth or something with it anyways it's probably fine. Do bring stomach medicine. Do travel by train. Do travel by hard sleeper bed, it's a fun party most of the time. Don't travel by hard seat if you can help it at all. It is not a party.
I think that's a good start.
Why wouldn't they? The CCP is doing a pretty bang up job, on more than just the pandemic
https://i.imgur.com/KpYXoXo.png
Every ranking organization headed by mayos has to be severely called into question. From human rights watch groups to the Nobel committee.
literally worked for USAID and the State Department
Americans distrust each other to an absurd extent, that's why they need an external enemy, that'd accomplish nothing otherwise
Those bubbles honestly look like perfect COVID-19 transmission devices. Why would you put artificial walls around a table that's already in the open air?
Jesus H. fucking Christ can we stop consoooooooming just for a few more months and so we stop killing more old people? The winter is going to have to put an end to this because it will force people to stop shopping and outdoor dining. We're going to have to freeze people out of brunch to stop the plague.
how many people are going to travel halfway across the country and wind up infecting their family over Thanksgiving turkey? this is madness
Yeah it's just done. We'll have culled 400k grandparents by the time this is over. The most selfish, self centered country in the history of the entire world.
