this post was submitted on 31 Oct 2024
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The person we were dunking on was lamenting the "wasted potential" of le science Chinese people would've discovered if only they were a liberal democracy.
This rubbed me all sorts of wrong of course, but mostly because this person can only understand a people's value by amount of technology, like if people don't spend every waking moment being epic scientists they're a waste of space, and that all knowledge that's doesn't fit this person's view of development is worthless.
So many lost opportunities to churn out additional plastic trash! China's actual scientific achievements after the revolution don't count because reasons!
The only acceptable mindset is to be an insufferably selfish western-style treat brain!
You weren't kidding. Fuck that asshole.
It's just so... inhuman. When I think about the wasted potential (even if I'm a bit uncomfortable with the phrase) because of capitalism and genocide and dispossession, I don't think that we've been deprived of flying cars or nuclear fusion or whatever; I think about how many people could've been happier in a different world, how many families could've loved each other for longer and better, how many celebrations and expressions of the human condition could be out there, how much we're missing out on the feeling of basic human dignity because we're ground into paste by an uncaring, poisonous system.
I get really suspicious, and really sad, when someone demonstrates all they care about is technology, leaving any other part of being human to the side.
I know how you feel and I share that feeling; I've gotten into some ugly internet arguments with vulgar utilitarians about such things: all that matters is the delusional fantasy of science beakers adding up to attain a Science Victory like in a fucking Civ game; actually living life and sharing that experience with love didn't mean anything to such misanthropes.