Gareth I think that's a bit of a stretch. There's a lot more behind the scenes in China than the average tourist will see. What they say and what they actually practice are sometimes totally opposite. For instance I was just reading an article the other day about the prevalance of Hepititis B in China. Something in the order of 20 percent of the Chinese population have it and it became the norm that anyone including children had to take a test for it for everything including enrolling in kindergarten, applying for a job etc. marriage. Those that test positive are systematically denied and shunned. The prejudice is so ingrained that those people have to resort to paying hundreds of dollars they can ill afford to cheat and do illegal things, such as getting a stand in to go for the blood test for a job interview. Praying their children will never slip and mention it etc.. The Chinese govt has made strides making it illegal to do those tests but there is little to no enforcement of them. Like most things they turn a blind eye and are quick to hammer down on any dissent. It is getting better, very very slowly and will take years if ever.. decades and more. But it isn't a free society. They put on a good show of making that appearance "in certain zones/cities/areaas where they do afford "some" freedoms. But in the big picture it is absolutely not a free society because they do not have the right to exercise a vote for their government.
Look at all those fabulous pictures of how the big cities in China are becoming so modern, all the new buildings and freeways and cars cars cars everywhere whereas 20 or so years ago there was nothing but fields and houses that the poor people lived in.. Well what happened to those poor people and their houses? They were and are still being turfed out by the thousands today with little or no compensation and sent packing and forgotten. It's sickening, have you not seen any of the documentaries and news stories that have gotten out regarding that?
Or the hidden camera exposes on the plight of the poor farmers and families who's land is now so polluted that they can no longer grow any food on it and what food they might be able to grow is unfit to heat.. These are not "made up" anti-Chinese propaganda things.. They're true and factual in a way actually benefit the Chinese by opening the eyes of westerners as to what really goes on and shame the Chinese government into making changes.
Look at all those fabulous pictures of how the big cities in China are becoming so modern, all the new buildings and freeways and cars cars cars everywhere whereas 20 or so years ago there was nothing but fields and houses that the poor people lived in.. Well what happened to those poor people and their houses? They were and are still being turfed out by the thousands today with little or no compensation and sent packing and forgotten. It's sickening, have you not seen any of the documentaries and news stories that have gotten out regarding that?
Or the hidden camera exposes on the plight of the poor farmers and families who's land is now so polluted that they can no longer grow any food on it and what food they might be able to grow is unfit to heat.. These are not "made up" anti-Chinese propaganda things.. They're true and factual in a way actually benefit the Chinese by opening the eyes of westerners as to what really goes on and shame the Chinese government into making changes.
