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Hupriene | 5 years ago

Based on my examination of my own attitudes about China, I'd say unease/fear about the future actions of the Chinese government may fuel some of my desire to criticize it for issues I may otherwise be indifferent to. While this fear is not based on some underlying dread of the Han people, it is, perhaps, motivated by nationalist instincts that many might disparage.

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seneca|5 years ago

Self-preservation, especially in the face of a group diametrically opposed to your culture's values, isn't something to be ashamed of. Nationalism is not evil when it is defined inclusively, and not based on immutable characteristics.

I would go further and say that while we shouldn't be ashamed of nationalism, we should draw our boundary wider. We should say that we are proud of, and willing to support, the values we uphold and all people that uphold them, regardless of what country they happen to live in. The people of Hong Kong, for instance, are in serious jeopardy. Simply acquiescing to the influence of the Chinese government allows them to steamroll ever more people, and silence ever more voices in favor of the values countless people have fought and died for.

"When bad men combine, the good must associate; else they will fall, one by one, an unpitied sacrifice in a contemptible struggle" - Edmund Burke

Retric|5 years ago

My only long term fear with China is what happens if it collapses. It might last another 100+ years, but dictatorship + immense corruption is not a recipe for stability. China’s internal politics has changed a lot since 1976 and it’s still evolving rapidly.