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Comment by jollybean | Hacker News Reader

Surprisingly, there are a lot of strikes, labour issues, and general unrest in China.

Instead of thinking about it like a 'Orwellian State' - think of it more like an Orwellian State that could go 'off' at anytime.

Note that citizens are concerned about their prosperity - as long as growth is happening and money comes in - they are content.

But they are also ultra nationalist and ultra ethnocentric to the point where it's quite easy for the CCP or leadership to simply blame 'Western Imperialism / Chauvinism' for any perceived slight against China including legitimate concerns.

There will not be any protests in China about Hong Kong or forced labour. It will be about corruption, property rights, jobs etc..

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I have a sinking feeling that something horrible is going to hit China in, say, the next two-three decades. Not sure whether it'll be a cultural shift, economic collapse, but I think the way they're structured once it starts to falter it's going to explode in a really unpleasant way. Like exceeding Mao-level deaths.

The West is messier, in a lot of ways, but I think they're more fault-tolerant.

> I have a sinking feeling that something horrible is going to hit China in, say, the next two-three decades.

Welcome to the club, have a seat: https://preview.redd.it/1fq4rrk5ih921.jpg?width=800&auto=web...

> , but I think the way they're structured once it starts to falter it's going to explode in a really unpleasant way. Like exceeding Mao-level deaths.

A wish is not an adecuate tool to forecast the future.

> The West is messier, in a lot of ways, but I think they're more fault-tolerant.

As shown by the COVID crisis

Great, high quality, intellectually estimulating conversation in this thread.

Isn't this the risk with all totalitarian, overly centralized systems?

> Surprisingly, there are a lot of strikes, labour issues, and general unrest in China.

It only surprises people if they consider China as one of:

* A harmonious socialist utopia, or

* A totalitarian dystopia

unfortunately, the US government and mainstream news media are trying to paint China as the latter of the two.

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Also, irrespective of the extent of nationalism in China, western or US imperialism is a thing. Before the 20th century it was literal empires with physical conquest, and these days it is a combination of economic influence and military interventions. Of course it also serves as a convenient excuse and distraction...

Yes the US had (has) a part in separatist movement in China and it spelled disaster.

https://consortiumnews.com/2021/04/08/us-funded-uyghur-activ...

Wtf, so the Uyghur movement in the US is basically right wing, pro gun, pro trump organization? Also seems to be aligning with some qanon islamophobes as well. The irony.

Imperialism is different than Nationalism and nobody is exempt from it.

But China is like the West in the 1930s with the level of direct control of communications and propaganda, not allowing alternative narratives to form.

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