Thoughts?

Is this imperialism by China, a country which is supposed to be left-wing? Leftists are normally anti-imperialism. Wouldn’t it be better to let Taiwan democratically decide whether they want to be part of China or not?

  • REDACTED@infosec.pub
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    15 hours ago

    For the first time ever in my life, I see someone claiming that China is left-wing. Left and authoritarian are usually at the opposite spectrums.

    • drapermache@lemmy.world
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      15 hours ago

      That is what Animal Farm was talking about - that authoritarianism can take over any political ideology. It isn’t a anti-communism book, but anti-authoritarianism.

    • gandalf_der_12te@discuss.tchncs.de
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      8 hours ago

      from what i’ve learned (through experience, not through books), left-wing people don’t like oppression and control as long as they’re the ones being controlled.

      as soon as they’re the one controlling others, however, the tide changes. you can see this in germany where self-described leftists want to tell other people that they can’t drive fossil fuels driven cars anymore (“gegen die Technologieoffenheit”) or that everybody has to install a heat pump in their homes. the complete opposite of letting other people live their lifes un-interfered. all of this is justified with the supposed “higher good” (mitigating climate change). you can see where this is going … authoritarianism, unfortunately.

      • some_kind_of_guy@lemmy.world
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        3 hours ago

        But utilitarian measures are there to protect and improve lives. Banning fossil fuels would piss off a minority group, while saving orders of magnitude more human lives. Similar groups have whined about seatbelts, airbags, gas vs. electric/induction ranges, even the amount of water flowing in the toilet bowl.

        It’s not like there aren’t alternatives to ICE vehicles, nor are people being limited in travel or told they can’t drive. It will really only take one or two generations for the butthurt whining “authoritarianism” to become a footnote in history. By then, burning gasoline for basic travel will seem as ridiculous as keeping a horse and buggy at the ready does now.