[refenestrator]

> specifically China related content

But from which angle? Pro- or anti-?

I don't think it's likely that most/any HN commenters are paid trolls, there are lots of Chinese and Americans in this industry that will naturally have different perspectives.

[dillondoyle]

My opinion, i obviously have no data.

But every single thread on CCP in particular gets overloaded with pro-china comments which use classic troll tactics. Often taking stances like for instance on privacy that are 180 from almost every other non CCP thread.

False comparisons, whataboutism, etc. I just have a hard time believing some of the more extreme stuff; like if someone really does have such a crazy opposite worldview where they think oppression and interment of millions is acceptable for whatever <excuse> among other stuff. Maybe my hard time believing is just a naive misunderstanding of the world but it rubs me wrong.

And lots of downvotes - which seems to go against HN spirit it's not reddit to downvote what you disagree with.

[refenestrator]

Maybe that says more about your bias.

There's an anti-china thread on HNs front page like 3x a week. Imagine if you were an immigrant and you see that shit. Would it be infuriating?

If a comment comes from outside your frame of reference, it might sound like bad faith to you while you sound bad faith to them. The country that spent the last 20 years killing millions of Muslims really cares about Xinjiang now? Really? And if they point that out, you cry whataboutism?

[dillondoyle]

the problem i have is the frame of reference is so crazy extreme, in such abundance. but yeah i'm sure there are real people who really believe that. after all even if there is a good amount of organized shills, it supports a government/leader who probably buys into their own stuff.

[refenestrator]

It's very different from your frame, it's normal to them.

You and I grew up with American history and civics classes teaching an American view of things. There's context and complexities to American misdeeds. China's are presented in a vacuum, with undue focus and a touch of exaggeration.

[dillondoyle]

Yeah maybe. I definitely have a strong opinion on CCP & authoritarianism specifically.

But I don't think interning millions of your citizens & committing genocide needs much context or has much complexity. Even considering the attacks that are used as an excuse to perpetrate the crimes. Even disregarding reports of 3rd reich behavior like forced sterilizations.

I just can't buy into there being hundreds of millions of informed people who think 'yeah that's acceptable' or even good AND that they are so widespread on english language western sites actively pushing back with troll behavior and downvoting etc.

Maybe there are and I just don't want to live in that world..

Also informed is interesting in that context.

I agree in some of our biases. Like we view China as pretty locked down and indoctrinated 24/7, but it does seem lots of commenters on HN talk about having more freedom & individualism than we assume.

[refenestrator]

FYI there is as of now no evidence for genocide in Xinjiang. No mass casualties. Sterilization is a universal policy for exceeding child allotments, which were actually higher for minorities until they raised it to 3 universally.

That's exactly the kind of thing I'm talking about.