Hacker News Reader

Comment by viklove | Hacker News Reader

> they don't mind suffering things that are unacceptable for us

When the ruling class exploits the working class and suppresses their access to information and free speech, that doesn't mean they "don't mind suffering," it means one sector of the Chinese population has cannibalized another sector in order to build wealth for themselves. Much like what is happening in the US with the ultra-wealthy. It's not all rainbows and roses in China, in fact if you forgot, there is an active genocide in progress in that country.

View on HN

Genocide or not (nobody knows what is happening in those camps, so I would not use that word unless we have some solid hard evidence), we talk about consequences of covid on societies. And Chinese one seems to be faring much much better than most others.

I just saw how a video of Chinese doctors dressing up for a visit to a covid patient. My doctor wife just stared with open mouth - nothing like that is done here in Switzerland. They use super basic equipment, which is simply not enough to protect long term doctors exposed to patients. We simply don't have the mindset to handle this situation seriously. We will learn eventually, but it will be a painful lesson for our society.

As somebody on HN mentioned a few weeks ago, China defined its bottom with closure and quarantine, and now they are bouncing back. While west is still in free fall.

China understands what matters most and that is controlling the narrative. An authoritarian government excels at manipulating the raw data and thus the narrative.

Controlling the narrative is also what the US Federal government is currently doing.

They hold nightly pressers, dragged their feet on getting tests out, recently asked states not to publish their unemployment reports, etc.

I'm not arguing against the point that China is handling this better than other countries. I'm arguing against the point that it's because they "don't mind suffering." They do mind suffering, but they have no agency, and their government has decided that they must suffer so that the economy can survive this crisis as healthy as possible.

China is an authoritarian country, and they've resorted to literally locking people into their homes until a quarantine period passes, arresting them, and beating them. Can you imagine if American police started locking apartment complex doors from the outside? I don't want to live in a country like that, even if it means we're worse equipped to deal with pandemics.

And let's not forget this whole thing started in China because their food safety regulations aren't adequate.

edit: ah yes, downvotes -- mash that disagree button

I didn't downvote you, and agree with you 100%. Your food safety remark is also right, but makes your whole comment seem less objective.

Solzhenitsyn predicted this like 30 years ago.

Not having tolerance for suffering. Lack of courage, destruction of masculinity.

P.S. people can downvote me as much as they want. But that is not going to change the facts.

Well, apparently 40% of the staff in intensive care unit exposed to covid victims has been infected, so I'm not sure how useful those fancy suits are.

We do know what is happening in the camps. There have been numerous leaks, and accounts of former residents.

There’s no ambiguity. The only way “we don’t know” is if we chose to be ignorant.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com