One of the best ways to get someone to believe you is to be critical on the little stuff. And it’s not that I won’t listen to anyone who lives in China…I do actually. But by things you’ve said and done, to me at least (and I’m sure it’s JUST me), makes your narrative on this suspect. I think that just what you’ve said here is highly suspect, and I’m unsurprised that no one else has looked at it twice. Things have been business as usual in China since January? Going to parties, no issues? Yeah, that all sounds…well, it sounds ridiculous unless you are living in a very specific bubble…or are telling tales. I’ll go with the former…you are in a very specific and highly structured bubble living as a foreigner in Shanghai and working within the Chinese system and at least tacitly within the very real bounds the CCP sets for workers and people such as you. Even your posts here going through a VPN could and would be noted if you said or did anything too out of line. I know this because I know people who are in your same position, as well as native Chinese who live in China today or have moved to the US. I also know people who live or lived in Tibet, though none of my own circle extends to people in Xiangan.
At any rate, if folks would just think about what you are saying there…that things have been business as usual in China (from your perspective), that you go to parties and such, no issues or problems, no outbreaks, then I’d ask…does that seem realistic? Does it seem right, logically? Forget about reports of draconian crackdowns in China or the ‘war footing’ stuff, does that seem reasonable? This thing started in China. We know…KNOW…they covered it up early on. We know that even today, the WHO, an organization in the CCPs pocket, still hasn’t actually been allowed to conduct a full investigation where this thing started. Why? Given what you are saying, seems like the Chinese would welcome the WHO and maybe other nations who are more accommodating to the CCCP to come in and look around all they like. It’s over in China, right? Very few cases, right? Those periodic lockdowns are no real issue, right? No 2nd wave in China, right? Even though other countries locked down pretty well, many are having such a bounce, but not in China despite folks like yourself going to parties and business as usual and all…right?
I’m skeptical. I don’t trust the CCP and I don’t trust what you are saying. Telling me that EVEN the BBC (snort) agrees with the CCP does not fill me with confidence. You could say the same about CNN and many other western media sources and to me, that’s a way to say you are being deliberately deceptive while telling the absolute truth…they really do believe what the CCP says, they really do play along with the narrative. Just like the NBA doesn’t think the protests in Hong Kong are something that should be talked about, or just like many western businesses are against the slave labor act being talked about. Just like you don’t see a lot about that slave labor or concentration camps in Xiangan or what’s happening still in Tibet, or the Falun Gong stuff or the organ harvesting stuff or tons of other stuff that don’t make the CCP look good.
At any rate, my rant is done here and I’ll bid you ado. There is literally zero point in you and I discussing this subject because frankly, people think I’m a CT nut on this already, they believe you and believe the CCP at least to an extent…and I don’t believe anything you say. I can’t give cites because they would not be acceptable here (they haven’t been in the past) because, frankly, most media aren’t talking about this stuff and don’t want to touch it, and those that are talking about this stuff are considered fringe. The ones normally used around here want what happened to the NBA happening to them, can’t really afford to say anything that would cut off the bucks after all. One guy posting about Hong Kong cost the NBA billions, so don’t want THAT to happen!