The good think is that EU is not holding you back from experiencing perfect democracy in Russia or China. Maybe you can become a poster boy/girl as a political refugee from rotten West there.
I made exactly the move you’re talking about a dozen years ago.
Not so much interested in being a poster boy, but, every so often I read the news back West, and it all seems completely bizarre. But I think to myself, “Well, it’s the news; I’m sure it’s just exaggerated.”
Recently a few of my friends who’ve been overseas a while traveled back to the West, and in talking to them, I have had them confirm that, no, it is not exaggerated, it is actually like that there now.
It’s pretty boring over here compared to over there. No crime, no drugs, no inflation, no culture wars. There are things you can’t speak about over here, just like in the West. One difference between China and Europe is if you speak about the things you can’t speak about here, you get multiple warnings before any jail time happens. Germany for instance will jail you for your first verboten meme. That’s a little extreme.
It does certainly seem a lot more exciting in the West right now, with the groups of people fighting with each other for social and political power, the crime, the drugs, the inflation. It’s like a real-life roller-coaster ride. I think that’s probably a real plus.
> One difference between China and Europe is if you speak about the things you can’t speak about here, you get multiple warnings before any jail time happens.
This is a very interesting comment (you'll be paid exceptionally 10 maos for it) which resonate with an observation I made after reading a Wikipedia page about a LGBT activist academic. Not only he had multiple warnings, but he also get his position back at the university after publishing his self-criticism. Now, compare that with the US cancel-culture: got fired over suspicion, no warning, no trial and no job back even when proven no harm was done.
I'm sure certain people get "warnings" in China due to their privileged position. Living as a foreigner with the right passport and social status puts you in that position.
The average citizen has to be much more careful and minority groups that the CCP has decided are a threat to society go direct to the re-education center -- or worse.
Some western democracies are unfortunately moving in the wrong direction recently, but none have re-education or forced labour camps that I am aware of.
I have colleagues from China. They visit us occasionally and we exchange sometimes even about half forbidden topics. They work and live in city with 7 millions people and it’s kinda (as you write) boring. It’s absolutely like my countryside life and I like it. For me personally western politics is disgusting. Why? There are groups of people who have resources to influence voters enough to have the right people to do right thing for them. There are no real fights, just show for voters.
I don't know if that's what you imply, but the correct mindset for every problem is not "Be happy it's not worse", it's "Why the f*ck is it not better and how will we make it so?".
The point is humans are humans. The rest of philosophical gibberish.
If you want to enjoy life in the US, better be good at tech. Cost of living and minimum wage create a de facto communist quota system, and until Papa Musk is happy with units shipped, we’re going to hear about it!
Society could apply industrialism to biological health and resiliency and a lot of free time to explore existence, but that won’t help vain angry men earn military prestige, or vain socialites earn social status if equality of condition was our social goal.
No it’s the most traditional of social goals for us; serve power, be told it’s for your own good. Propaganda 101; stoke desired emotional tone, repeat words of power.
Developers! Developers! Developers!
The message does not stick in the cortex if the limbic system isn’t primed.
