Mike Stranks wrote:
Most people in 'democracies' have been willing to sacrifice (or are unconcerned about sacrificing) their 'privacy' for the sake of the digital revolution and what it's brought them.
Equally most people in democracies and the governments thereof have chosen to ignore the human rights abuses of the totalitarian regime in China because of all the stuff the Chinese sell us. The situation of the Uighurs and what's being done to them is appalling. Christians who refuse to be part of the state-approved churches face a very, very difficult time. Then there's Hong Kong... Governments and left-leaning individuals murmur their disapproval, but who in this Forum has seriously considered not buying a piece of kit because it's made in China?
Well, I for one will state why I am happy to buy from China.
1. The Uighurs. Before the clampdown by the Chinese authorities, Xinjiang was on the list of countries the UK Foreign Office considered too dangerous to visit. The ISiS affiliated terrorist group ETIP terrorised the area, their intent was to to establish a caliphate. There were cars driven into crowds of people, bombs on trains, unveiled women had their faces slashed in the streets. The authorities chose to deal with this by rounding up people and giving them two choices, assimilate and become productive members of society or get locked up. Now, quite authoritarian, I agree, but how did ‘The West’ deal with terrorism. We illegally invaded Iraq and in the process killed 250,000 innocent civilians, that’s 250,000 ordinary people like you and I, who according to Donald Rumsfeld, were just ‘Collateral damage’ surely one of the most perverse justifications for the slaughter of 250,000+ innocents.
Now, how many Uighur have the Chinese killed.
Peter Snowden is now in exile in Russia, for what crime? For telling the world about the Shooting fish in a barrel murders of innocent Afghanis, at one wedding celebration, 46 celebrants murdered because a US helicopter patrol didn’t want to return to base without being able to claim a kill.
It is claimed that Chinese have used enforced sterilisation on Uighur women, hmmm, then how come the Uighur population has doubled in the last decade. And the woman that made the claim has been described as ‘An attention seeking nutter’ by her sister.
Who made the claims about the ‘treatment of the Uighars’ well that happens to be a group of activists hoping to get political asylum in the West encouraged by some American bloke flogging a book. But, whatever, fact is now the Xinjiang region is now safe and thriving, the area’s population have risen above their circumstances and out of poverty.
As for the alleged imprisonment, well maybe the Chinese have been copying the West again, imprisonment without trial - Abu Grabe? Guantanamo Bay? Extra-ordinary rendition, water boarding, sexual humiliation, beatings(Babu Masah?war crimes (the accusations made against Australian SAS in the alleged murder of Afghani boys) the list goes on and on, napalm, the Mei Lai Massacre etc etc
Hong Kong. During the riots in Hong Kong, the more militant protestors used cross-bows and petrol bombs against the police. It was found the more militant factions were extremely well funded. An American man was recognised as he got onto a plane leaving Hong Kong, he was recognised as one of the individuals seen whipping up anti-government trouble during protests in Venezuela, where money was handed out to protesters to go and cause trouble. This individual has connections with a US ‘pro-democracy’ group, funded in part by………the CIA. Sometime after, it was noticed there was increased activity regarding parcels coming from the USA, these parcels were intercepted by Hong Kong authorities and found to contain guns.
Consider this. During the protests in Hong Kong, where as I said cross-bows and petrol bombs were used, how many protestors died? Now compare that with protestors that died storming the Capitol during Biden’s inauguration, six if I remember rightly.
Riddle me this. The USA is the beacon of democracy. But the USA has 4 times the number of people in jail when compared to China. How many people in the USA have died in police custody, last year I believe the figure to be in the 1000’s I compared the figures for China and they are a fraction of the US figures. During the protests in the USA an Australian journalist lost an eye after being hit by police, an old chap ended up in a coma after being knocked to the ground by police and the crack of his head hitting the pavement was so loud it was like the crack of cannon fire.
Is China a flawless and impeccable country beyond compare, no way, but I think that when we in the West demonise China, well if only we could bottle and sell hypocrisy, if there were a market for it, we would be rich beyond compare.
Some time ago I listened to a discussion between a uk minister and a leading Chinese official. The uk minister called out China in regard to human rights and the Chinese official replied “Your industrial revolution developed over 100 years, we have done the same in a few decades, we are a work in progress, yes we have much to do, but, have you ever tried to feed 1,4 billion people?”
Back to the Uighars. Sometime ago
I was listening to an interview on the BBC World Service, with a member of a Uighar dance troupe that were touring China to spread Uighar culture through the whole nation. The lady was asked “Isn’t that a bit awkward for you, considering the situation in Xinjiang?” The dancer replied
“Not at all, in fact we were enthusiastically welcomed everywhere we’re performed, in fact we look forward to touring again. However, ironically, we do have some trepidation about when return to Xinjiang for our end of tour show. We fear the militant terrorist faction might attack us, but nonetheless we shall not let them stop us as we are proud of our culture and will dance where ever we can”
It occurs to me that China is set to eclipse the USA, and let’s face it, anyone who is top of the heap is reluctant to be de-throned, the USA cannot bomb the Chinese into submission, but as we all know, the pen is mightier than the sword, so a relentless demonisation is unleashed in the media. I went to China to see for myself and found a country nothing like our media describes. And ask myself, since the end of WW2, how many wars have the Chinese started and how many have the West been in. How many George Floyds have there been in China. I think before we criticise China, we need swill our own stables out first. Typed on my Huawei that does not have Google sticking its nose into my business every 5 minutes,
