Current Events > Crazy question- Is everything we know about China true or American propaganda?

(+) Yeah! (+)

I've always disliked China just like the majority of Americans. I mean, it makes sense. Based on what we know, they are awful. The government specifically.

Here is an interesting thought I just had. We see people in China defend their country often. I always wondered why. My initial thought is that they defend their country because the government controls it so much, that they will have consequences for going against them.

However... how much of this info about China is actually true vs propaganda from the United States? I mean... other countries use propaganda against America all the time. What makes us any different? We live in our own bubble just like everyone else in the world. For the vast majority of us, our information is filter just like any other country.

Now then, just because I said that doesn't mean I'm defending China. We have seen videos on what the government can and will do to it's citizens so there is obviously some merit to the anger against China. I tend to keep an open mind on things and look at it from multiple perspectives.

What are your thoughts? How much, if any, is propaganda?

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metallica846 posted...

You couldnt make that post in China.

Based on what I've heard that is 100% correct

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American Propaganda mostly. If you want to know the truth just ask actual Chinese mainlanders questions. I asked one of them recently, and he told me going to America feels like traveling back in time 30 years. That's how advanced and high-tech everything is there.

I've asked people from my country who have gone to China for business and as tourists, etc. They all have very positive things to say. Now I really want to visit China and experience it for myself.

what exactly? list them.

Some probably are.

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I asked xi jinping himself and he said there was no Tiananmen Square massacre

Arcanine2009 posted...

what exactly? list them.

Some probably are.

I'm curious as well


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LNSS posted...

American Propaganda mostly. If you want to know the truth just ask actual Chinese mainlanders questions. I asked one of them recently, and he told me going to America feels like traveling back in time 30 years. That's how advanced and high-tech everything is there.

I've asked people from my country who have gone to China for business and as tourists, etc. They all have very positive things to say. Now I really want to visit China and experience it for myself.

And just what are they doing in China, eh? Specifically, what are they doing in the northwest of the country?
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The crazy thing is why people care either way

DepreceV2 posted...

Based on what I've heard that is 100% correct

That is actually false. People in China are politically involved and very opinionated. In Chinese message boards they post their opinions about both China and the USA, their political systems, etc. very commonly. They are usually supportive of the Chinese government's actions, just like Americans here usually support America's actions too. You could say that in both cases, it's because of propaganda or nationalism, but there isn't a government official pointing a gun at their heads in either case.

LNSS posted...

That is actually false. People in China are politically involved and very opinionated. In Chinese message boards they post their opinions about both China and the USA, their political systems, etc. very commonly. They are usually supportive of the Chinese government's actions, just like Americans here usually support America's actions too. You could say that in both cases, it's because of propaganda or nationalism, but there isn't a government official pointing a gun at their heads in either case.

Interesting. Is there any other examples you can think of? I'm just really curious at this point

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You just have to look at Hong Kong.

Hell man, you just have to talk to people who have made it out of the country with no family left there for revenge. The stories are HORRIFIC.

Falun Gong
Uighurs
1 child policy
Taiwan
Forced Labor Camps

Any of those stories will yield some good reading.

Plus the writings of Mao are pretty rough.

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DepreceV2 posted...

Interesting. Is there any other examples you can think of? I'm just really curious at this point

Think about when the news reports that some western thing made "China" angry. Like the recent stuff John Cena said, which the media reported it angered "China", and prompted him to apologize. There was actually no involvement from the Chinese government, the outrage was all a bunch of random Chinese nationalists in the internet:
https://variety.com/2021/film/news/john-cena-taiwan-china-f9-1234981384/

And the EXACT same thing has happened in the USA. Look at this:
https://www.pantagraph.com/business/absoluts-ad-with-southwest-as-part-of-mexico-stirs-anger/article_60c583cd-d6d5-5609-b272-b4fc54424145.html

I'm seeing a lot of Shablatankiegoo bait today.

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DeadBankerDream posted...

I'm seeing a lot of Shablatankiegoo bait today.

WTF is that?

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The real reason why there is huge public support of the national government in China (besides 100% controlled and manipulated media/info) is that every person is identified, monitored, and documented. Even if a Chinese citizen disagrees with the government, they could never voice their disagreement without fear of reprisal and retribution as your social ID is literally used for everything and your social credit/social standing is highly affected by how pro-communist you are. Chinese citizens in general are indifferent to what their national government does as long as it doesn't directly involve or affect their daily lives, thus they always give positive rating for the CCP. Once they get polled on how they feel about their municipal government that handles 95% of their lives, that approval rating drops to 11%. Outside of fear, control, manipulation, and indifference, that is what Chinese nationals face on a daily basis. How would they ever know the truth about the world when they are essentially cut off from all information from the outside. Anyone who says otherwise is probably a CCP collaborator, even on this board.

Gainerama posted...

The real reason why there is huge public support of the national government in China (besides 100% controlled and manipulated media/info) is that every person is identified, monitored, and documented. Even if a Chinese citizen disagrees with the government, they could never voice their disagreement without fear of reprisal and retribution as your social ID is literally used for everything and your social credit/social standing is highly affected by how pro-communist you are. Chinese citizens in general are indifferent to what their national government does as long as it doesn't directly involve or affect their daily lives, thus they always give positive rating for the CCP. Once they get polled on how they feel about their municipal government that handles 95% of their lives, that approval rating drops to 11%. Outside of fear, control, manipulation, and indifference, that is what Chinese nationals face on a daily basis. How would they ever know the truth about the world when they are essentially cut off from all information from the outside. Anyone who says otherwise is probably a CCP collaborator, even on this board.

The western perception of Social Credit is very distorted and unreal. It is basically only applied to companies, for one:

https://thediplomat.com/2021/03/chinas-social-credit-system-speculation-vs-reality/

paywalls:
https://www.wired.com/story/china-social-credit-score-system/
https://foreignpolicy.com/2018/11/16/chinas-orwellian-social-credit-score-isnt-real/

Ironically, the USA's own Credit Score system is a lot more draconic IMO.

Gainerama posted...

social ID is literally used for everything and your social credit/social standing is highly affected by how pro-communist you are.

The social credit score isnt a thing, it was aimed at businesses and their executives, not the general public, to prevent misconduct and corruption and was just a trial.

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Lmaooooo, that guy blocked me rather than even attempt to answer what they're doing to the Uyghurs.

TC, that's the kind of person you're trying to get answers from here. Just so you know.
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I've been to China. It's not just propaganda. China is not a very good place for freedom or human rights.

Some is true and some isn't depends on what it is. What's weird is a ton of people who have never been to China just make up a lot of bullshit about it or repeat propaganda like it's a fact. Then you have tankies who just make up a fake country not even described by actual propaganda and worship that instead.

You can freely access the Chinese internet outside of China no problem, but if you don't know Chinese it won't help you much. If you want to hear opinions that go against the government though you need to browse spaces outside the Chinese internet (or be quick on reading Weibo or WeChat before opinions get harmonized) there are a few subreddits used by mainlanders and then of course Hong Kongers have a large dissident presence on the internet (though how long that can last given the increasing crackdowns on dissent there is hard to say). Of course Taiwanese media is going to be massively anti-China for the most part, but it doesn't really reflect the reality on China very well because they have bias for obvious reasons.

Personally I enjoy going to China and seeing family/friends, but I don't like the government at all and of course would never talk about it in China. I feel bad for women, LGBT, workers, ethnic and religious minorities struggling against the system, but that isn't unique to China.

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LNSS posted...

but there isn't a government official pointing a gun at their heads in either case

The ccp threatens the families of Chinese living overseas.