I find it hilariously ironic that a community that prides itself on intellectual argument and novelty considers equivocating the US or the West with China to be an effective way to discredit or dismiss criticisms of Chinese policy, by implying that any such criticisms by Americans or Westerners must be hypocritical.
Quote: I may be overly cynical but it seems to me that China is the most honest country involved in governmental mass surveillance. They never tried to hide the intent behind their decisions whereas western nations always bring up false pretenses to eat away at their people's rights and freedoms. The most pathetic of all being "terrorism". We're all headed in the same direction, it's just going to be achieved through different means.
dang, I want to respectfully disagree with you and ask that you reconsider your stance on this thread and others like it. If discussing holding up a mirror to our own actions isn't a good place to hold up a mirror to other's own actions, where do you draw the line, then?
Assuming good faith only works so long as you have a community acting in good faith. If you don't hold people to that standard, assuming good faith will only lead you astray.
> That's the thing about being put in front of the mirror: it hurts.
It doesn't, unless you're a gorgon or a vampire. No one is affected by this tactic. No one is hurt by it, shocked, or shamed, no one has the scales fall from their eyes at the revelation of the true nature of Western imperialism in the light of this simple reversal.
In literally every thread about China.