[muglug]

> If you ask a Chinese citizen what their biggest problem is, many of them would say too much federalism.

Presumably that’s because protesting against the central government endangers not just your own livelihood but also the livelihoods of your relatives. Much safer to criticise the region next door.

[janalsncm]

This logic doesn’t pass the smell test. It’s not any less illegal to protest your regional government than the central Chinese government.

[roywiggins]

There was (is?) a whole thing where local governments would kidnap people trying to petition the central government to crack down on some local government wrongdoing.

https://www.nytimes.com/2005/12/08/world/asia/chinese-petiti...

[krainboltgreene]

It's weird to read pieces like this from the NY Times when I watched it happen in Portland and the same media basically brushed it off.

[muglug]

Yeah, but it's easier to complain about a different region's government.

[whitemary]

> Presumably

I for one appreciate the self-awareness