[thrwwayy1905]

I am trying to understand what it feels like to Chinese people. As Americans, is there any past government action we can't criticize? I am sure there is some example but I can't think of it. Is there something similar for us?

[avocado4]

You can just go visit China and see for yourself. Beijing / Shanghai at least, but better yet outside the top tier cities (if you can get a proper Visa for that).

I found it almost funny that you just cannot say anything negative about anything Han-related. Few months ago I was having lunch with somebody considered educated & globalized (went to school in the UK, works in a Canadian VC firm in Beijing). The minute I said that my air quality monitor[1] is reading PM10 100+[2] in Beijing so I need to wear a mask, she said I was exaggerating and that the monitor firmware was modified by American propaganda machine.

Then this other guy went on a rant of Aquaman (movie) being a great Chinese achievement because it's directed by James Wan (Wan is a common Han last name). The guy is Malaysian-born Australian who made a career in LA.

I don't particularly care if that's how people prefer to live their life (if it works for them that's fine). I just find it funny and weird every time I go there.

[1] https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07DJ1WCVP

[2] https://www.who.int/airpollution/data/en/

[basementcat]

I think some Chinese think of the 64 events in the context of the Cultural Revolution (which was still fresh in the memories of the leadership at the time). Many were afraid that the student protests would result in another Cultural Revolution and believe it was for the greater good to stop the protests at all costs.

Perhaps a congruent (but not exactly analogous) debate in the USA would be the use of atomic weapons at the end of WW2.

[lambdasquirrel]

I think it’s actually quite simple. The Chinese fear the American government more than the Chinese government. Therefore they care more about the legitimacy of the Chinese government and are willing to elide whatever mistakes their own government may have made. That their government may or may not have told the truth about Tiananmen is immaterial.

[frosted-flakes]

Why do they fear the American government?

[felipemnoa]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kent_State_shootings

[CamperBob2]

Good point, no one ever criticizes that.

But it's a good point to bring up when someone plays the moral relativism card. Imagine if our government sent armed thugs after anyone who posts or even mentions the famous photo of the students at Kent State. Not even Nixon would have tried that, but it's business as usual in China.

[khuey]

Er, the reason we rarely talk about Kent State anymore is because nobody defends that. What's the point in "criticizing" something when everyone agrees with the critics?

Nobody criticizes the geocentric model of the solar system these days either.

[ncmncm]

Spherical Earth, on the other hand...

I have not found an explanation for that epiphenomenon, although I have concluded that it is not meant ironically.

[wavefunction]

Some of that is a put on, trolling people over something obviously silly. And some is real.

[CamperBob2]

I think the whole Flat Earth thing is like the "Kubrick filmed the Apollo 11 landing on a soundstage" idea... it started out as a joke, and then got out of hand.

That seems to be happening a lot lately.

[maimeowmeow]

Don't understand how people come to the conclusion that the earth is circular.