There is a glorious irony in the hysteria over the Shanghai protests. The western media is heralding the protests as the "end of China" and evidence of China`s supposed authoritarianism.
But, in these protests, we see exactly the opposite - how a country allows its people a voice while showing restraint in their authority. This article is based on a thread by SL Kanthan, who I thank for the succinct reporting.
The world`s attention is on protests that have occurred in Shanghai. Western media considers these to be demonstrations of China stifling dissent and imposing authoritarian measures of the worst kind. Instead, it clearly delineates the modes of so-called "democracies" and a country variously described as "autocratic", "authoritarian" and "totalitarian".
This article examines these modes, based on a thread by SL Kanthan @Kanthan2030, with my editorialising.
Four pictures of police in different countries to handle protesters. Which ones look "authoritarian" and which ones look "democratic"? The countries are China, France, Germany and the USA.
Below is a photo of American police deployed to put down protests in the city of Ferguson (2014). Machine guns, armored vehicles... US is a veritable police state.
But hypocrites all over the USA will get fired up about China at the drop of a hat.
We hear a lot from Western politicians about the "values" that supposedly separate western countries from China. It is clear from the latest protests in China, that two values dear to China are missing in western civilisation - respecting the police and respecting public property.
The lack of protective equipment, such as shields and helmets, demonstrates that Chinese people, in general, understand how to express themselves without having to be violent towards police (who are not the decision makers and have not created the situation that triggers the protest). Rather than adversaries, police are treated as public servants.
On their side, police in China do not wield weapons nor deploy horse, dogs and vehicles as weapons. Protestors do not need to fear violence from authority when protesting.
European values when the "garden" had protests about COVID lockdown... Guns, batons, shields, horses, dogs...
You don`t have a mask??? Australia`s police will choke you until you pass out. Western values are very different from authoritarian China.
And how liberal, human rights-loving Trudeau in Canada handled COVID lockdown protests. Canadian police armed like in a war zone.
The hypocrisy of the West in claiming that China is `totalitarian` and therefore the Chinese people have something to fear from their government, is breathtaking when you see, time and again, violent suppression of dissent in the USA.
In the United States of America -- the beacon of human rights -- riot police drive "democracy cars" literally on top of protesters. It`s allowed in the 75th amendment or something like that.
Much is made of Israel`s democracy, contrasting with surrounding countries that have autocratic governments or monarchies. Yet protestors in Israel are met with the kind of violence that the west routinely and mendaciously accuses China of.
Then, of course, we have the "only democracy in the Middle East". This also happens to be America`s best friend. Even a 12-year-old Palestinian girl gets to enjoy the full benefits of democracy in this country.
It is clear that opposition to government is not suppressed, as Western media would have us believe. It is clear, also, that the state does not react violently to dissent. Western media has propagated a lie, hoping to put pressure on the Chinese government. Instead, Chinese people have found a voice without encountering violence or without being violent. This is civilisation. A kind of civilisation we should all desire.
Just as a final illustration of how democracy and protest works in a civilised country.
