I think you have a great opportunity to learn more about the PRC, and how socialism works in the real world. No, it isn’t black and white thinking. You can find good socialist critique on Lemmy, I normally focus on exposing holes in the lazy critique or outright slander because that’s what’s dominant in the west. Socialist spaces already have discussions on China, and since we communists already spend a good deal of time trying to study it as well as communist theory and history, it helps elevate discussion beyond what’s normally had in the west.
A good example here is your claim that China isn’t democratic. This is wrong, though a common misconception. China has a comprehensive, whole-process people’s democracy based on gathering input from the people and laddering decisionmaking upwards from the local level. The top of the CPC is like the brain, while the different regional and provincial organs make their own decisions and inform the brain. Chinese citizens are overwhelmingly satisfied with their democracy as a consequence:
There’s a lot of western polling supporting this as well. This should come as no surprise, though, the west seeks to understand why the CPC enjoys such positive support so they can undermine it. A fun place to start learning about Chinese democracy is Democracy is not an Ornament by Xi Jinping himself!
It’s a speech, not a “personal propaganda book.” Secondly, why would you not want to understand the perspective of the head of state of China on democracy when trying to research democracy in China? It isn’t the only thing one should read, but it’s a good speech and elaborates on the Chinese position well, helping contextualize the positive perception around democracy in China compared to western countries.
Any speech trying to push a viewpoint is propaganda, ie pretty much every political speech. Propaganda can be good or bad depending on what it’s pushing, it isn’t synonymous with “lies.” I still see no reason why one should avoid reading Xi Jinping’s viewpoint on democracy and how it’s used in China, it’s not like after reading it your brain turns you into a Maoist sleeper agent. It takes 14 minutes to read, that’s nearly nothing.
I think you have a great opportunity to learn more about the PRC, and how socialism works in the real world. No, it isn’t black and white thinking. You can find good socialist critique on Lemmy, I normally focus on exposing holes in the lazy critique or outright slander because that’s what’s dominant in the west. Socialist spaces already have discussions on China, and since we communists already spend a good deal of time trying to study it as well as communist theory and history, it helps elevate discussion beyond what’s normally had in the west.
A good example here is your claim that China isn’t democratic. This is wrong, though a common misconception. China has a comprehensive, whole-process people’s democracy based on gathering input from the people and laddering decisionmaking upwards from the local level. The top of the CPC is like the brain, while the different regional and provincial organs make their own decisions and inform the brain. Chinese citizens are overwhelmingly satisfied with their democracy as a consequence:
There’s a lot of western polling supporting this as well. This should come as no surprise, though, the west seeks to understand why the CPC enjoys such positive support so they can undermine it. A fun place to start learning about Chinese democracy is Democracy is not an Ornament by Xi Jinping himself!
Removed by mod
It’s a speech, not a “personal propaganda book.” Secondly, why would you not want to understand the perspective of the head of state of China on democracy when trying to research democracy in China? It isn’t the only thing one should read, but it’s a good speech and elaborates on the Chinese position well, helping contextualize the positive perception around democracy in China compared to western countries.
Sorry, propaganda speech
What exactly makes a “propaganda speech” different from a regular one?
Any speech trying to push a viewpoint is propaganda, ie pretty much every political speech. Propaganda can be good or bad depending on what it’s pushing, it isn’t synonymous with “lies.” I still see no reason why one should avoid reading Xi Jinping’s viewpoint on democracy and how it’s used in China, it’s not like after reading it your brain turns you into a Maoist sleeper agent. It takes 14 minutes to read, that’s nearly nothing.