• Socialism_Everyday@reddthat.com
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    5 days ago

    China: we are building out infrastructure because it is good for the people

    Lemmitors: no, that’s actually because they’re very authoritarian, building public infrastructure for public use is exactly what evil dictators do

    • MisterFrog@lemmy.world
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      4 days ago

      Reasonable people: no, it’s because it’s good for their people and economy, but that has no bearing on whether the country is authoritarian or not.

      China Good and China Bad are equally annoying opinions to me.

      I’d still choose to live in China over the USA any day though haha

        • MisterFrog@lemmy.world
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          3 days ago

          Indeed, but it is a spectrum.

          I’m a socialist. The “Chinese characteristics” of Socialism with Chinese Characteristics is a bit of a euphemism in my opinion. China is not socialist. It may have once tried to be on that path, but unless you count not having a real union movement and not having the ability to run for government unless pre-approved as democratic, then to me that’s a stronger level of authoritarianism than some other places.

          Capitalism can never be truly democratic, and China is a capitalist country, but again, there is a spectrum of how democratic a country is, and it can be argued it is more authoritarian than other places. You cannot agitate for reform openly in China, just as the in US. These are RELATIVELY more authoritarian countries.

          I’ll stick by my “China Good” and “China Bad” are equally annoying statements, statement.

          There’s a lot great about China, and a lot that’s greater about it compared to other places, but people need to stop claiming it’s the bees knees just because it’s not the USA, or claims to be socialist.

          • BrainInABox@lemmy.ml
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            3 days ago

            Indeed, but it is a spectrum.

            It’s never used in a way that suggests it’s anything but a binary. You yourself said “that has no bearing on whether the country is authoritarian or not.” Which is clearly not describing a binary.

            • MisterFrog@lemmy.world
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              3 days ago

              Reasonable people: no, it’s because it’s good for their people and economy, but that has no bearing on whether the country is relatively more authoritarian than other countries or not.

              China Good and China Bad are equally annoying opinions to me.

              I’d still choose to live in China over the USA any day though haha

              Happy?