(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.