In a statement, Access Now says it was “told that diplomats from the People’s Republic of China (PRC) were putting pressure on the Government of Zambia because Taiwanese civil society participants were planning to join us in person.”
Wow, this discussion went off the rails right quick. 😄😄
And with that, China essentially hold Africa hostage and would blackmail them to do whatever China wanted. But of course, they do it without bloodshed so tHeY aRE bETteR tHAn tHe wESt
“Better” can be interpreted in more than one way. They’re better at exerting control without violently changing regimes. They’re better at establishing their own infrastructure and ingratiating themselves to the locals (or local governments). Now, I don’t know that everyone loves them there (I heard many side comments from locals about China) but it’s not like they’re scrambling for the Americans, British, or French to come back and overtly oppress them again.
exerting control … violently changing regimes
They don’t mix.
As opposed to the 500 years of rape and pillaging by the European powers? Yes, unironically better. (Unless you’re a western chauvinist )
It’s about now, not about 20 generations ago.
I mean literally yes.
And that make it ok?
It’s a low bar.
No, but it makes it better. To understand how much better, the closest comparison on the Western side would be Cuba.
What America does to Cuba is terrible though.
I know the lives of non-Westerners don’t matter to you but a lack of bloodshed kinda makes a world of difference, lol.
Yes because psychological abusive partner is way better than physically abusive parter.
I’m a non-westerner. Next you gonna tell me woman don’t exists on the internet.
More like we’re the abusive ex, complaining about the ex’s next partner. We raped and pillaged Africa for 500 years. Now China is treating them much better by comparison, and we’re shit talking from the sidelines freaking out because we are narcissists who can’t stand anyone being happy without us
Treating better by comparison is NOT the same as treating well.
What is this “sins of our fathers” bullshit you’re spouting? It’s possible to condemn Western AND Chinese exploitation of Africa.
The CCP is so terrified of that little island.
I mean I’m no fan of the CCP either but there’s likely not much fear involved here. It’s basically an ego project, not unlike Cuba on the other side.
This is the second comment that I’ve seen where you compare to Cuba. Are you saying what China is doing is ok because America fucked over Cuba?
Nope. In my other comment I was saying that both are bad but America is worse; here I’m trying to say that both are ego projects, and therefore that the CCP’s treatment of Taiwan doesn’t imply fear any more than America’s treatment of Cuba does. No real relation between the two comments except using the same comparison of how either powerful empire treats its pet rebellious province. For the record I think mainland China should leave Taiwan the fuck alone.
Not the island itself but what America/the West turned it into: an unsinkable aircraft carrier (quoting general MacArthur here). But the days of Western imperialism might just be over, or at least that seems to be the way things are going, so I assume that island and mainland China will be just fine in the near future.
That island contains the true government of China and the CCP will do whatever they can to hold onto power so I don’t think they’ll be fine until one destroys the other.
Stupid take. By this metric the true government of the US are the confederates.
Can you point to the region where the Confederate government retreated to after the American civil war and remains in power to this day?
Texas, Missouri, Mississippi…
I get what you’re implying but it’s not factually correct in this case. The Confederacy was dissolved after it lost the civil war, there’s no continuity with any of those state governments.
Living in the Deep South: my ass. Even Operation Paperclip was modified off what the US did with the Confederate scum: placed them in government and other positions of power and influence.
Sherman should have burned it all and salted the earth, besides.
The heritage foundation would beg to disagree. De jure doesn’t align with de facto in this case.
You think the Taiwan wants to keep slaves?
That’s a dumb take why would Taiwan want slaves?
Did you just get self-trolled?
At some point we’ll be talking about the US military actions to “protect Taiwan”. I just want you to remember this comment when that happens.
Like, whatever you think about China, it really doesn’t matter. These stories are only here to serve as a means to manufacture consent for US actions in the future.
It’s for more war. Just like Iran. Just keep that in mind as we push further into the next world war. No one writing articles like this cares about the “digital rights conference” and you don’t either.
If you cared about “digital rights” or any “rights” you’d be refusing to go to work until the genocidal pedophiles in your own government were brought to justice. You don’t care.
Looks at instance
.ml
Yeah checks out
Got owned
Looks at instance
.ml
Yeah checks out
$1.6 Billion of our tax dollars spent on an influence campaign. https://www.congress.gov/index.php/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/7476/text But sure, its a .ml conspiracy /s
I sure hope you were paid to read that, because why else would you waste your time following a 700 page bill that hasn’t been passed yet? At a glance it isn’t about astroturfing, it’s about sanctioning and charging melign actors as criminals, plus a whole ton of stuff from monetary policy to IP protections. It’s basically outlining the entire geopolitical strategy towards China, which is probably why it’s spent over a year being bounced around 20 different subcommittees.
Idk where you got that price tag seeing as the link you provided contains no budgeting information, but you should ask your handler if that figure is for the entire bill, or for an “influence campaign” specifically. While you wait to hear back from them for that talking point, would you mind showing me where in the bill this influence campaign is outlined?
These stories are only here to serve as a means to manufacture consent for US actions in the future.
These stories are here to remind that there is an elephant in the room. Fortunately it’s only breathing loudly at the moment.
China has territorial ambitions regarding several neighbours (sea areas) and serious ambitions about Taiwan (taking it over) and unless the international community can help Taiwan and other countries achieve a peaceful co-existence with China (and this means backing them)…
(note: air raid simulations with 100+ aircraft testing Taiwan’s responses or naval blockade simulations with tens of warships around the island are not peaceful coexistence, and China has been running such exercises)
…then we better start learning how to make microchips in every country and obviously pay for that. Because if war happens, Taiwan will be in ruins and China under a boycott, possibly with a few strategic locations also in ruins - and the rest of the world in a severe economic crisis due to lack of microchips. There is also nonzero risk of China attempting to conquer Taiwan escalating to a bigger war between coalitions of countries, with all the possible consequences.
If someone is bullying someone else, the wider community wold be wise to intervene early and dissuade agression.
So yes, what we are seeing is a prelude, which will likely lead, if not dissuaded, to agression against Taiwan at some day in future. What the rest of the world thinks about on that day, is not yet determined. The US and Japan and South Korea have previously made fairly clear what they will think, but recently the US is running headless.
Caring about stuff isn’t a binary, it doesn’t hinge on whatever insane purity test you think it does.
They’re definitely gearing up for major anti-China action, but I doubt Trump or the oligarchs are that keen to fight a war they’ll lose even worse than the war with Iran. After that disaster, many of the US’s potential allies in a war over Taiwan will not be keen on sticking their neck out. Without their support, the US has little chance at stopping China. It’d be much more convenient for them if Taiwan surrenders to China and they can virtue signal about authoritarianism. They might even get the computer parts on backorder for a few years.
The only reason the US would go to war with China is if Trump really is that stupid. In that case, nobody but his cult will really be happy with the outcome.
💯
