Is China peace loving?

[fela fan]

Yeah, but face it, oppression by an élite of some description has been the norm througout history - and as a rule the propaganda of the state, whether through religion, education or media, would aim to keep people from realising that they were oppressed (e.g. if you've never heard of the idea or concept of free speach, you aren't likely to miss it!).

Point taken on the differing cultural viewpoints on rights (espeically WRT it's link to individualism), but pursue that view and you can end up with a defence of footbinding...

I'll not be defending footbinding...

I'm the first to attack any kind of oppression by one on another. I know the chinese are probably far more oppressive to their people compared to, say, britain, but even that 'obvious' knowledge is no longer certain to me. I see chinese people and speak to them and one particular thing that comes out consistently is that the 'politburo', or whatever they're called, have little control these days over the 'masses'. It seems that, rather like here in thailand, that the average person has a lot of freedom to go about their lives. Where that freedom gets lost is if they decide to say the 'wrong' things.

Simultaneously as things seem to improve for the average chinese, they seem to get worse for the average briton. For varying reasons, but with similar outcomes.

My main point here is that as an external threat, china poses a much smaller one than the US, using recent history as a guide.

A sideline point is that i can't stand anyone utilising power over another person such that the latter gets harmed in some way. That is a human problem, not a problem with any adjectives thrust in front of human (religious or national ones chiefly).

 

[Red Horse]

the 'politburo', or whatever they're called, have little control these days over the 'masses'

You reckon? i'm not to sure about that. I definitely see that there is much more dissent among the general public than outsiders would imagine ie; people chatting about how much they want democracy, people amongst friends slagging off Jiang Ze Min etc. But i dont think you want to underestimate the extent to which people still have their civil liberties fringed upon by the Party, and the general level of involvement it still has in people's lives.