It’s just hard, because I know the people I’m referring to are generally good, empathetic people who care about social justice. They just have unfortunately had their consent manufactured in favor of these pro-imperial/US talking points. They genuinely think there’s a humanitarian crisis and that China is killing a minority. They simply just don’t realize everywhere they’re being informed by is steeping in anti-communist, right wing sources vying to create propaganda.
It’s honestly so much easier dealing with a shitty reactionary than a liberal who simply doesn’t recognize their own biases. And you trying to reveal said propaganda to them comes off as you being a heartless freak trying to justify some terrible act, no matter how legitimate your proof against said narrative is.
Like, what if I am wrong? Idk, sometimes it just feels like I must be, because I’m so outside the narrative. For instance, people trying to justify Israel’s treatment of Palestine is complete BS to me, so isn’t that how my defense of China sounds to said liberal? I just get worried sometimes that I’m the one brainwashed and on the wrong side of history. I don’t want to be the bad guy, I’m just trying to do what I beleive to be right. But isn’t that how every shitty side in history feels?
Met my new lab partner yesterday, we were discussing our upcoming trip to do fieldwork in China and he said he’s been before and didn’t like it because “the communism thing was just all made so apparent” and that he “felt constantly watched”. He’s a 6 foot 3 white dude. OF COURSE PEOPLE LOOKED AT HIM. Nice guy other than that, so I’m hopeful.
White guy experiences a tiny insignificant dose of what minorities experience in America for a fraction of the time and it literally shook him to his core lmao. Maybe he’ll be more empathetic from now on.