(1/3) by /u/bayarea415
It’s been a pretty overwhelming week on Reddit. Despite Chinese investment on the site, we can see the censorship Redditors were decrying hit full force on here. But all sarcasm aside, I think it’s time to approach the allegations and sensationalism surrounding China again to at least cast some doubt against these ridiculous claims. After doing some more research on the topics that have been popping up on Reddit, I would like to, once again address the major misinformation Western propaganda is promoting.
With that said, I want to first address the basic logical aspect and fallacies I notice a majority of these pieces and arguments hit on. Before even diving into the specific allegations Western media is portraying, we must recognize the following:
1.) Testimonies from “witnesses” are usually an unreliable source for their truth.
I first started to notice this claim when studying North Korean defectors, and how many not only end up embellish the truth, but outright lie. It is no surprise that many North Korean defectors inaccurately describe prison conditions, living standards, and absurd laws that they must abide by.. Additionally, many have become more skeptical because of the inconsistent nature these defectors do tell their story, when reiterating their tales about North Korea. It’s been later discovered that most of these stories are pressued by the South Korean government, really doing some shady shit to keep these narratives alive, threatening family members and others. That last link is a great documentary not only debunking the lies surrounding from the DPRK, but also showing the immense pressure they are under to push these faulty narratives. Along with the fame and fortune some of these defectors obtain, these “witnesses” are truly unreliable sources for the truth. As a side note, some of these North Defactor stories end in tragedy thanks to capitalism..
In US court, witnesses are only one aspect of evidence, not the only aspect. Opposing parties can even attack their credibility using their background, work, funding, etc. Whenever one sees a report that soley relies on the testimony of witnesses, whether they be doctors, or people of a certain religion, always be skeptical. Widespread horrendous behavior definitely needs more proof than mere superstition and witnesses that may be bias.
2.) Western media and NGOs should not be a credible source for information because of their use of unreliable sources, leaps in logic, and sensationalism if it is not coupled with legitimate unbias sources.
Iraq’s weapons of mass destruction; North Korea’s belief in unicorns, strict haircuts, and unbelievable ability to bring back people from the dead; Venezuela bullshit; and many many tidbits about Muslim groups in the Middle East (stunning how all of the sudden they care about the Muslims in China now). Idk how many times Western media and NGOs have shot themselves in the foot making these ridiculous claims concerning other non-Western countries. There are some that report with primary sources, but some articles are far and few in-between.
This CNN article is probably the epitome of Western sensationalism, leaps of logic, and Western pandering. It’s about the China prison transfer. Despite stating:
CNN cannot independently verify the authenticity of this video or the date it was shot. Chinese Foreign Ministry officials did not respond to repeated requests for comment on the video. In a statement to CNN on October 4, authorities in Xinjiang said that “cracking down on crimes in accordance with law is the common practice of all countries. Xinjiang’s crackdown on crimes has never been linked to ethnicities or religions,” the statement added. “Transporting inmates by judicial authorities (is related) to normal judicial activities.”
They go on to say:
The YouTube account which uploaded the video described it as demonstrating the “long-term suppression of human rights and fundamental freedoms by the Chinese government in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.”
They go on about Western intelligences, reporting from witnesses, and NGOs confirming it was fill of Uygurs (all of which we lopsidedly given their narratives to be true, even with the fallacies described above).
Specifically with Western NGOs, there has been countless documentaries on how most are being funded by the National Endowment for Democracy (NED), which obtains its funds from the state department and CIA. Most NGO being funded by NED spout against governments in order to destabilize them, with one former CIA official stating “they do what we use to do in the 1950s. You don’t have to look far when it comes to this either (see Venezuela and NED’s funding of the opposition party). So obvious biases and sensationalism should not be supported through these sources.
3.) Reddit, and other media platforms have an unholy amount of Western bias
Western, white, males between the ages of 18-34 overwhelming make up the visits of the site. 70% male, over 60% from the US, Canada, and UK, and between 55%-90% between the ages of 18-49 (18-29 making 55%). This creates a cultural bias on news with different cultures, countries, and governments. Take reddit’s opinions with a grain of salt, even if it has hundreds of thousands of upvotes.
3.) Corporations with no backbone/standing up for HK (Free Speech Arguments)
This will be more of a logical breakdown of where this is stemming from, with a history lesson about China, with the hopes of those reading understanding why this hits a nerve with the Chinese people. I think this Rick Sanchez segment does an excellent job on how Western media constantly berates a country without any knowledge or appreciation for its culture and sovereignty.
Long story short, China has an embarrassing history so embarrassing they actually call it “the “Century of Humiliation” where intervention and imperialism by Western powers and Japan in China between 1839 and 1949 ran rampant in China and the government. Thanks to the Chinese Communist Party (CPC), not only was China finally unified under one government, but they were able to PROSPER with obscene amounts of wealth to the point where even the World Bank states that they lifted 800 million out of poverty in one generation, something that has NEVER been done in human history.
What I’ve been hearing about this is that it is not about free speech.. This is more about this concept: “You cannot continue to profit from a country while blasting ignorant shit about it, from a place that has constantly exploited and harassed it for decades.
4.) Back to HK protests
I wrote on these protests at infinintum, so I am going to copy/past my two other megathreads here as sources for these protests:
Now this is from an academic paper that lists out these atrocious laws while Hong Kong was under British Rule:
Laws were passed to ensure that no Chinese would live in the most desirable areas in Hong Kong, which the British wished to preserve as their exclusive enclaves.
In a land in which ninety-eight percent of the population was Chinese, English was the official language. The Chinese language was not permitted to be used in government offices. Laws regulating conduct were written exclusively in English, a language which the vast majority of the population could not understand.
The British unleashed a horrid opioid epidemic on the Chinese through Hong Kong. Here is a clip of Professor Michael Parenti stating “when the communist liberated Shanghai from the sponsored Kumintang reactionary government, in 1949, about 20% of the population of Shanghai, 1.2 million people, were drug addicts.”.
“The slave trade was merciful compared with the opium trade. We did not destroy the body of the Africans, for it was our immediate interest to keep them alive; we did not debase their natures, corrupt their minds, nor destroy their souls. But the opium sellers lays the body after he has corrupted, degraded and annihilated the moral being of unhappy sinners.”
The more fucked up part about this was that the Chinese government seized some of the opium and destroyed it. But after the opium wars, they were forced to compensate the very people that were poisoning their country ($6 million).
"The highest level British official in China in the late 1840s described Hong Kong as the “great receptacle of thieves and pirates protected by the technicalities of British law.”
“Hong Kong has been Chinese Territory since ancient times. This is a fact known to all, old and young in the world… British imperialism came to china by pirate ships, provoked the criminal “opium war”, massacred numerous Chinese people, and occupied the Chinese territory of Hong Kong… It is the British imperialist who have come from thousands of miles away to seize our land by force and kill our compatriots”
Sex slavery was a booming market, as girls were bought and sold by wealthy Chinese and British men. British rule legalized the sale of human beings and slavery, despite it being illegal in England.
Chinese residents were given curfews, and criminal punishments would range from legal physical beatings to bodily mutilation (compared to British rule breakers who would just pay a fine).
This is only HALF of the paper that is well sourced with primary sources. You can find the paper here and here
More Recent arguments made against the HK protests can be seen here
Hong Kong’s Problem isn’t China or Communism; Its Capitalism
The Western Media’s Hypocritical Treatment of Kashmir and Hong Kong is Overwhelming…
**But I will also like to highlight this HUGE database that has been recording everything that has been going on with the HK protests in the beginning here:**https://bitbucket.org/TheCrypticMan/hong-kong-protests/wiki/2019 attempted ‘Black Revolution’
I still stand wholeheartedly with China here. It is absolutely unfair regarding the lack of understanding about China’s foundations; egregious racism, Sinophobia, and bigotry; and flat out lies people has been spreading about this nation that has gone through HELL to get where it is today. China is an economic miracle and has an enriching culture that everyone can learn from and implement. When I see that 1.4 billion has health insurance, housing, food, education, and clothes (even the poorest of the poor), while places of equal circumstances (like India) struggle to have anyone of these basic necessities, I know there is SO MUCH China can offer to the world.
Additionally, if anyone is interested in doing projects or interviews regarding this, I’ll be more than happy to set up this and spread this information more. Just PM me.
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