Date of 4 June remains one of China’s strictest taboos, with government using increasingly sophisticated tools to censor its discussion
There is no official death toll but activists believe hundreds, possibly thousands, were killed by China’s People’s Liberation Army in the streets around Tiananmen Square, Beijing’s central plaza, on 4 June 1989.
The date of 4 June remains one of China’s strictest taboos, and the Chinese government employs extensive and increasingly sophisticated resources to censor any discussion or acknowledgment of it inside China. Internet censors scrub even the most obscure references to the date from online spaces, and activists in China are often put under increased surveillance or sent on enforced “holidays” away from Beijing.
New research from human rights workers has found that the sensitive date also sees heightened transnational repression of Chinese government critics overseas by the government and its proxies.
Every now and then I follow up and ask tankies what their actionable alternative is. They just never have one. Just making perfect the enemies of good. Tankies are deeply un-serious.
Best resource distribution (economic) model according to tankies: “Trust me bro”
I’d still rather have a more socialist society. Distribution based on markets means depriving those in need. Unfortunately tankies would rather leave vulnerable people to suffer the brutality of capitalism.
Shocking idea (this will blow your mind), but what if we dont fund a genocidal apartheid state? I mean not cut military aid by 30% or delay it three weeks, what if we just dont? What if we dont compromise with fascism?
If you abstain then you won’t have influence to stop funding genocide.
If you are serious please comment a real and actionable alternative.
The fact that voting inherently requires accepting fascism does not make fascism ok, it inherently makes liberal democracy fascist. As for a real and actionable alternative, building dual power through unions. Build communities from the bottom up to resist fascism and arm workers to prepare for eventual revolution.
I don’t see how that follows
I agree, but don’t you want to see some incremental progress for it in the mean time? We need political influence and tankies are just not good allies for it. Genocide is happening today. People are hungry and without medicine today. We can’t wait for a perfect revolution (those who wait are really just showing their privilege). Waiting for that also means leaving those you intended to help to die in the trenches. That in short is why I consider tankies un-serious.
I support the community building from the bottom up, but tankies are not doing that either. They are no shows on all fronts, and demoralizing our movements when we do try to do other things.
Agreed people are dying today, thats why we cant make these compromises. Compromising the lives of milliones of people based on what makes a bunch of privileged white liberals feel comfortable. Because right now only liberals are trying to equate the Palestinian Genocide with Palestinian resistance, thats what actural both sideism looks like.
Look I can tell you are semi tankie and just don’t want to help, but I will leave you with a semi personal and unrelated note. As a teen I first heard of UBI. I thought it was a bad idea. I sounded as if it was some sort of bribe. Like there is an understanding that capitalism sucks and instead of doing anything to fix society here is some cash to get you to shut up. I wanted a more permanent solution. I still do. But getting that cash in peoples hands today still helps our overall movement and provides relief to those suffering. Incremental progress to our goals matters. If we worked on growing the progressive wing in the dem party we would have more tools to limit the funding we give to Israel. You know what else? That gives us more space to build worker communities from the ground up as well.
And I mean this on all levels. From local elections to federal. We need more progressive policies to help us if we are going to move left. And so speak with you a bit directly Lenin ultimately did move to have political power to further his goals. Tankies not working to build a progressive moment where we can means we never move forward. I have not disagreed with you on anything, but you are not showing solidarity with me and leaving others like me alone to die without support.
There are things im willing to compromise on, basic human rights and the dignity of all workers are not among them. Liberation of workers in one region should not and and does not come at the expense of international workers liberation. I refuse to accept any system that bribes workers using the plunders of the global south. If that makes me a tankie than feel free to call me one.
And at no point where you being asked to compromise on that. You are being asked to do something tangible for people today, so that we can have a real leftist movement.
I understand this is a difficult topic (it is for me as well), but please re-read what I am saying sometime in the future when you are in a better state to understand what I am writing.