Comment by thathndude | Hacker News Reader

Comment by thathndude | Hacker News Reader

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This article just unintentionally explained why there is an incredible number of people in a nation such as China who are completely happy with its more autocratic operations.

Just as people have chosen the convenience of a “locked down” mobile device, sometimes folks don’t want total and absolute freedom; it’s just too much.

I came to iOS after 3-4 years of Android ownership. For about 6 Mos I missed the functionality and ease with which some things could be done. And now I much prefer the stability and ease of use in iOS.

To be clear, I acknowledge that Android can be just as stable and easy to use (especially now, with the Pixel devices). But I don’t miss Android flavors depending on manufacturers. And I don’t miss sideloading and rom flashing.

So I suppose I willingly turned in the keys to my super fast sports car for a Ford pinto (or moved into a nursing home). But I’m happier and more productive here. I don’t miss or need “the freedom.”

I also acknowledge that this can be a dangerous slippery slope. But that’s a whole separate conversation.

Big difference is that the vast majority of people in China did not _choose_ to live under that model and can't easily try a different model to see which they like more.

But neither did I "choose" to be born in a democratic republic with individual freedom (and a very corrupt state/political class)

(note: I was not born in USA)

...so it's not all that different

In the USA at least, you can't choose to be born there, but you can choose to be involved with the democratic process and even vehemently criticize the government at all levels. Not quite the same in China.

And it's working out great! Our infrastructure is falling apart, we can't get together and build infrastructure for public transportation, our healthcare system is abysmal, many policies make it quite expensive to be poor, etc. While our politicians cater to rich interests and strut about and soapbox about emotional issues, and focus on getting re-elected instead of what citizens care about.

But I can criticize the state and federal government without going to jail, so there's that. Life is really great, so long as you find good paying jobs (sorry teachers, firefighters, EMTs...), avoid crushing debt from medical crises or frivolous lawsuits if you happen to interact with a power-tripping cop.

Yes, it is working out great, as shown by the millions of people who risk life and limb to come to the US and the billions who would move here yesterday if they had the chance. Things not being perfect here doesn't mean they're not better than a lot of other places, at least in some if not all ways. Comments like yours completely trivialize the much worse conditions that exist in other places. South Korea isn't perfect either, but it's still a way better place to be than North Korea.

I'm really tired of this argument of "people want to move to X country, so criticism is not possible of X country". I'm sure that many people want to move to China. I'm sure that many people want to move to X, Y, and Z developed countries.

So what?

Nothing useful is gained from comparing the US with some other country further down the rankings. The issues I mention are don't go away because X country has it worse than the US. Saying "well, X country has it worse" is just a deflection.

I am -not- saying countries Y and Z are just so much better than the US. What I'm saying is what makes a country "good" or "desirable" is multi-faceted and very complex, much more complex than "does the government randomly arrest people or not". That is one factor, but that does not automatically make the US such a utopia.

The many, serious problems the US has won't go away until we actually start addressing them as a nation, instead of deflecting by going "well, it mustn't be so bad since people want to move here".

"To be clear, I acknowledge that Android can be just as stable and easy to use (especially now, with the Pixel devices). But I don’t miss Android flavors depending on manufacturers. And I don’t miss sideloading and rom flashing."

But you don't have to do those things. With all things being roughly equal, I think consumers are doing themselves a disservice by asking for less. Being able to install a different rom has no impact on the usability of the device for a majority of users, but it makes a huge difference for the small set of users that want to use that functionality.

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