Social Media influencers are useful idiots but......

[GranTurismoEra]

They may be, but thanks to technology now you can dissect the "disinformation" yourself. And I'll still visit China regardless of what Western media tell me I shouldn't do or their track record on human rights.

I did watch that so-called sponsored "ishowspeed" full tour of China. All he's done is make young people want to go find out themselves, instead of eating up mainstream media opinions on the "enemy". Funny how many Americans have downloaded Rednote and other Chinese apps to look more into China. I don't recall having any beef with any Chinese people. In fact it was the opposite. So that's not my beef. As a techy person China interests me. No matter how corny some of the gadgets may be - a back flipping robot or dancing BYD. Chinese kindergarten may be as easily impressed as I am at the tech. Huawei 3 way fold phones and translator glasses.

Beijing turns to influencers in fresh Chinese propaganda push

Social media has become the new frontier in the battle to win over young hearts and minds

www.telegraph.co.uk

 

[Gadget Geek]

I have "no beef" with the Chinese people, in fact, I feel sorry for them, having to live under an authoritative regime.

China 2024​

The government continued to enforce repressive laws and policies that restricted the right to freedom of expression and other human rights. Human rights defenders were arrested, prosecuted and sentenced to long prison terms. Activists living overseas faced threats and intimidation. New restrictions on religious freedom were introduced in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region and prosecutions of intellectuals, artists and other Uyghur cultural figures continued. Chinese authorities’ repression of Tibetan culture and language intensified. Renewable energy generation capacity was expanded but China remained heavily reliant on coal. A new national security law further restricted civic space in Hong Kong where dozens of pro-democracy activists were sentenced to long prison terms.

Human rights in China

Stay up to date on the state of human rights in China with the latest research, campaigns and education material from Amnesty International.

www.amnesty.org

 

[salty]

"Influencers"
Christ Almighty!

 

[Ian Key]

"Influencers"
Christ Almighty!

Possibly the first influencer

 

[Gadget Geek]

Possibly the first influencer

Nah. The Buddha or Confucius.

 

[OriginalBigAl]

Possibly the first influencer

Or in todays political landscape, Freedom fighter, agitator or terrorist. Pretty much the same as 2000 years ago.

 

[Gadget Geek]

1976, the series "Harry's Game". "One man's terrorist is another man's freedom fighter." (Cracking theme tune by Clannad) It depends on who writes the history books, or in China, who rewrites, edits and censors the history books.

 

[Gadget Geek]

"The shepherd drives the wolf from the sheep's throat, for which the sheep thanks the shepherd as a liberator, while the wolf denounces him for the same act as the destroyer of liberty,"
Abe Lincoln, 1864.

 

[Anon70]

Some interesting insight from Jay Emm on what a manufacturer expects in return for a trip to review one of their cars

 

[OriginalBigAl]

Did JayEmm just accuse me of being " morally bankrupt " ???? Ah well, He probably has a point.
After ordering the MG4 I did ask the question here, about the ethics surrounding the purchase . I didn't sign up blindly , but in a way sold my soul to the devil for a cash discount . But , as was pointed out in responding posts, a large percentage of goods of all descriptions make their way west everyday so everyone has a shared responsibility for where the profits go and consequently the losses for western companies many of whom may have been founded with similar ambitions and utilising the same principles.

 

[salty]

Did JayEmm just accuse me of being " morally bankrupt " ???? Ah well, He probably has a point.
After ordering the MG4 I did ask the question here, about the ethics surrounding the purchase . I didn't sign up blindly , but in a way sold my soul to the devil for a cash discount . But , as was pointed out in responding posts, a large percentage of goods of all descriptions make their way west everyday so everyone has a shared responsibility for where the profits go and consequently the losses for western companies many of whom may have been founded with similar ambitions and utilising the same principles.

Agree, and naff all, we can do about it.
If we where to Boycott everything made in China, no matter how small, we'd probably be in the Shit. So enjoy your MG4 and all the other stuff in your house, with something Made in China, in it.
Sleep well, tonight.

 

[Ian Key]

Agree, and naff all, we can do about it.
If we where to Boycott everything made in China, no matter how small, we'd probably be in the Shit. So enjoy your MG4 and all the other stuff in your house, with something Made in China, in it.
Sleep well, tonight.

Agreed, and even if it isn't made in China the machinery that made it and delivered it probably has Chinese components in it.

 

[Corindikev]

A forum friend on another site lives in China and has been there for over 15 years. He rarely posts stuff now as every time he mentions how he can get things done so easily there etc he is jumped on by a bunch of others who seem to believe everything that the politicians tell us.

The human rights of Aboriginals in Australia have been desecrated ever since colonisation. They are treated as second class citizens and the number that die in custody is a national disgrace.

In a country with over 1.4 billion people and multiple cultures there are bound to be issues. We should look at what is happening in our own back yard before getting wound up over issues a world away we have little knowledge of and no influence over.

Like it or not China is the worlds factory and produces some of the best products available. Sure they also produce cheap crap but the old adage of "You get what you pay for" continues to apply.

As for political leaders regardless of political systems I am far more likely to believe Xi Jinping than Donald Trump or any of his brown nosers.

 

[JimD]

When criticising China it's worth remembering that the reason they're in the position they are in the first place is that the world's corporations sent all their manufacturing there to take advantage of cheap labour when the success of unions to force fair wages in more developed countries became too much for them to swallow.
China just kept quiet and learned how it was done, then started their own companies. Who can blame them.

 

[GranTurismoEra]

I have "no beef" with the Chinese people, in fact, I feel sorry for them, having to live under an authoritative regime.

China 2024​

The government continued to enforce repressive laws and policies that restricted the right to freedom of expression and other human rights. Human rights defenders were arrested, prosecuted and sentenced to long prison terms. Activists living overseas faced threats and intimidation. New restrictions on religious freedom were introduced in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region and prosecutions of intellectuals, artists and other Uyghur cultural figures continued. Chinese authorities’ repression of Tibetan culture and language intensified. Renewable energy generation capacity was expanded but China remained heavily reliant on coal. A new national security law further restricted civic space in Hong Kong where dozens of pro-democracy activists were sentenced to long prison terms.

Human rights in China

Stay up to date on the state of human rights in China with the latest research, campaigns and education material from Amnesty International.

www.amnesty.org

So we should install western style democracy?! Yet with freedom and creativity we are still behind on many industry areas. Just wondering. They did a good job lifting many from poverty lines and crashing the greedy housing market so more people could afford homes. Yes I don't agree with one single rulership and 99 million ccp running the show. Not every country can operate democracy sorry. They could take the good points as my chinese mate mentioned such as working conditions doing away with 996 culture. But some things have to give. Also China has many ethnic groups within which are living fine. Our unemployment percentage is high. It would be like 100 million unemployed equivalent if our population was also 1 billion.

 

[GranTurismoEra]

Some interesting insight from Jay Emm on what a manufacturer expects in return for a trip to review one of their cars

I saw this theyre suing people for criticism.

 

[Rolfe]

I saw a different video where the presenter said he wasn't being invited to the foreign trip all-expenses-paid jollies any more because he was honest about the cars in his reviews. It was common knowledge that only people who praised the cars extravagantly would be invited back. I always keep this in mind when I watch these bright-eyed gushing whoop-de-doo reviews.

But suing for a critical review when the review was unsolicited and the car was not supplied by the manufacturer, that's diabolical.

 

[Gadget Geek]

So we should install western style democracy?!

We shouldn't install anything on anybody. It should be for the people to decide for themselves.

 

[Anon70]

Would agree that the West has been party to just as many human rights infractions over the years as any other nation and if we worked towards a true Global economy where each country did what it was best at and everyone pulled together for the greater good there would be fewer wasted resources.

Another YouTuber flagging what BYD have been up to recently, but I guess not much different to social media allowing anyone to post anything without fact checking

 

[siteguru]

He's a complete (anti-EV) numptie ... none of his videos are worth watching.