this post was submitted on 13 Nov 2023
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chapotraphouse

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Not gonna pretend that the unhoused in this situation are being helped or anything, but it goes to show that the US government is capable of improving things for its people but choses not to.

Also, remember when Beijing hosted the Olympics and Westoids accused China of hiding all the beggars? Lmao.

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[–] Grownbravy@hexbear.net 121 points 1 year ago (3 children)

It’ll be so funny to be Xi and have knowledge of the homeless problem in San Francisco and constantly bringing up questions like

  • oh did you put them into housing or state run dormitories?
  • i was led to believe you actually didnt care about your population.
  • so can we visit these housing facilities you’ve moved your homeless population into?
  • surely you havent pushed them out further into the street by destroying their encampments
  • what’s under this suspicious looking table cloth? May I take a look underneath?
[–] edge@hexbear.net 48 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Not doing that makes him a :LIB: tbh.

[–] GreenTeaRedFlag@hexbear.net 26 points 1 year ago

I get what you mean, but China's managed to do a lot of good by not publicly humiliating the US and just focusing om their problems. If he intentionally antagonized the US it would make the current situation more tense and likely end in bloodshed.

[–] RyanGosling@hexbear.net 38 points 1 year ago

Yes, and you call them “public housing”, despite the fact they are obviously underneath a bridge.

[–] alcoholicorn@hexbear.net 5 points 1 year ago

In China, building 20,000 apartments can take 9 months and cost a billion dollars.

How did you manage to house 20,000 homeless people in only a few weeks? I must find out more of this miracle of capitalism!

[–] queermunist@lemmy.ml 82 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

Every accusation is a confession holy shit lol

President Xi please, my people yearn for freedom!

[–] mathemachristian@hexbear.net 79 points 1 year ago (2 children)

But when other countries outside of international-community-2 do it, it gets coverage to really hammer home how disingenuous their dictators are and how their country really is just terrible, those poor 3rd worlders having to live like this, if only they could become smart and have a liberal democracy and join our rules based international-order.

[–] Runcible@hexbear.net 41 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (6 children)

I don't mention it much because of that, but when I went to China there were a bunch of people living in caves who were walking down (~0.5miles) to a river to get water. There is still a gap between policy and achievements, it's just not useful mentioning it in most places. But I wonder sometimes how much of the attitude about China being utopian is a bit and how much is true belief.

In general I have developed a huge amount of uncertainty in regards to foreign affairs/conditions because you both can't really trust that news isn't carrying foreign policy and devoid of a lot of deep cultural & historic context I am not sure you can develop reasonable interpretations even if the news is true.

[–] Grandpa_garbagio@hexbear.net 18 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

Hopefully no one here thinks it's utopia. They have generally better policies economically than the US but there's still a ton to do on all aspects, not to mention social conservatism runs rampant there.

But I'll support them over the US and the west on most things, which is generally I think where the confusion comes in

[–] Frogmanfromlake@hexbear.net 11 points 1 year ago (2 children)

That's assuming they're living in the US. Compared to Guatemala, China does feel like a utopia. It was very surreal to be walking down a street and not fear getting mugged or hearing gunshots. The standard of living is lower compared to what many Americans are used to but it's significantly higher than anything I've seen in Guatemala.

There were some pretty bleak signs of poverty as well like you mentioned and the social conservatism is something I'm very used to experiencing in Central America. I wish we could one day raise our standard of living the way China has, but corruption in the government runs so deep that I doubt it will ever happen.

[–] AMDIsOurLord@lemmy.ml 6 points 1 year ago (4 children)

Compared to what you're describing, my shithole (Iran) is also a 34th century mega utopia

The point of comparison shouldn't the the lowest possible denominator or it's meaningless

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[–] Grandpa_garbagio@hexbear.net 5 points 1 year ago

Yeah my view point is very western centric if I wasn't clear, I have no place to talk from your perspective and was not attempting to speak from it

[–] spacecadet@hexbear.net 16 points 1 year ago (2 children)

I pray it's a bit otherwise this site is mostly full of delusional contrarians.

[–] sooper_dooper_roofer@hexbear.net 8 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

It's not a bit, they're objectively superior to the west when you adjust for GDP and population density

Obviously the west has absolute higher living standards on average (just don't ask about the median) because they, you know, live on multiple continents of land stolen within the last 200 years. But even despite this, China has a lower homeless rate than the US

https://i.imgur.com/jrnArxa.png

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[–] GreenTeaRedFlag@hexbear.net 13 points 1 year ago

At any given time it's contrarianism, mental-health saving delusion, bit, and slight hyperbole in varying amounts. It's the biggest force doing anything good in the world right now, so even though it's got problems I want to hold it up.

[–] Tankiedesantski@hexbear.net 9 points 1 year ago

China still has a loooong way to go when it comes to development, especially in rural areas. Even I'm first rate cities like Shanghai, there are still deficiencies. For example, it's generally not recommended to drink tap water without boiling.

That being said, I think that the key difference between China and the West is one of trajectory. Every time I visit China, the place I was at last time is better, newer, more developed. When I visit the West, things tend to be either the same, or have new improvements but surrounded by poor people and the homeless.

This is supported when you look at surveys of public sentiment. Most Chinese people think that they will be better off in 5 years. Most Westerners think the opposite.

China is in no way a utopia. It may one day become a utiopia, but that's long in the future. For now, it's enough for most Chinese that their lives are getting better every year.

[–] oregoncom@hexbear.net 5 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Where, when, and do you speak Chinese?

[–] Runcible@hexbear.net 6 points 1 year ago

I went to several cities in the the Henan province (primarily Zhengzhou) in 2019 & no I don't speak Chinese.

[–] zephyreks@hexbear.net 3 points 1 year ago

Rural China and urban China feel like two completely different worlds. There's a reason China has built up a housing surplus...

[–] zephyreks@hexbear.net 7 points 1 year ago (1 children)

India got slammed for this shit at the G20 summit in New Delhi

Meanwhile San Francisco:

[–] mathemachristian@hexbear.net 5 points 1 year ago

These kind of storys are standard background noise for every olympic competition and FIFA WC.

[–] GriffithDidNothingWrong@hexbear.net 72 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I mentioned this on a previous thread but I still find turning San Fransisco into a Potemkin village to impress the general secretary of the communist party of China to be peak satire

[–] Awoo@hexbear.net 43 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Doubt it's for Xi specifically really. 22 other world leaders and a shit load of billionaires will be in attendance.

[–] GriffithDidNothingWrong@hexbear.net 30 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Damnit Awoo! Don't take this from me. i need this

[–] Awoo@hexbear.net 25 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)
[–] GriffithDidNothingWrong@hexbear.net 20 points 1 year ago (1 children)
[–] Tachanka@hexbear.net 13 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

乔·拜登,我即将按照您的指示按下"核佛罗里达"按钮。通过这种方式,你一定能赢得 2024 年并继续你的共产主义政策。

[–] zephyreks@hexbear.net 6 points 1 year ago

A good chunk of the billionaires are from the area though

[–] quarrk@hexbear.net 51 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Conservatives will use this to show how easily they could “solve” poverty if elected

[–] Tankiedesantski@hexbear.net 54 points 1 year ago (2 children)
[–] HexReplyBot@hexbear.net 7 points 1 year ago

I found a YouTube link in your comment. Here are links to the same video on alternative frontends that protect your privacy:

[–] jabrd@hexbear.net 16 points 1 year ago

Yes, this isn't much of a solution save for pushing towards a final one. Beating the poors off the streets because you have important dinner guests coming over should not be looked to as aspirational

[–] zed_proclaimer@hexbear.net 40 points 1 year ago

demolishing a bunch of homeless camps and throwing them in jail or moving them over to another side of the city isn't fixing anything though

[–] buckykat@hexbear.net 36 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Xi should insist on staying in a cheap motel or something like that time Castro came to New York and stayed in Harlem

[–] Redcuban1959@hexbear.net 22 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I think the Hotel wanted like 20k per day from Castro. So Malcolm X invited him to stay on a hotel he knew in Harlem.

[–] Nakoichi@hexbear.net 13 points 1 year ago (1 children)

iirc, they had arranged a suite for him in a segregated hotel and he said nope fuck that.

[–] Budwig_v_1337hoven@hexbear.net 6 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Watched that big Castro docu a few weeks ago. The hotel he had originally stayed in threw out the Cuban delegation because of public pressure. Castro threatened to camp out in front of the UN and that's when the Theresa Hotel in Harlem offered him to stay there for free and he took them up on the offer. Sorta sparked the long-standing solidarity between Cuba and Black liberation more generally
They talk about it here. Whole thing is worth watching too

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[–] Great_Leader_Is_Dead@hexbear.net 36 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I've weirdly haven't seen many Libs on reddit-logo talking about this. You think they'd be frothing over it.

[–] Awoo@hexbear.net 15 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Conservative media picked it up first, libs are leaving it to them.

[–] Bay_of_Piggies@hexbear.net 18 points 1 year ago (1 children)

This has to objectively look like a win for Xi right? So the 'objective' liberal media has to mostly ignore it. The reactionary media can just outright lie and spin in the dumbest ways, so they get this story.

[–] Awoo@hexbear.net 14 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

I think liberal media can't explain why China is an evil enemy that they need to disconnect from while at the same time allowing Xi to come to america and do a trade summit to attract investment to China, so they ignore it rather than have liberals asking questions like that.

[–] RNAi@hexbear.net 33 points 1 year ago (1 children)
[–] Tankiedesantski@hexbear.net 33 points 1 year ago (3 children)

I went back and forth over if this belongs in the Dunk Tank, because "ProudArmyBrat" is definitely some sort of chud who has reactionary opinions of the unhoused.

I do not endorse removing the unhoused to maintain an image, but at the same time I don't think the current US policy of just letting the problem fester is tenable either. There needs to be concerted government effort to house, employ, and otherwise rehabilitate (from addictions, illness, etc.) the unhoused. That effort is portrayed as impossible or unrealistic by both parties but this temporary cleanup is at least a shadow of a step towards doing something to help the unhoused and those around them.

[–] RNAi@hexbear.net 33 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I get it, but whoever once lived in a tent there is now still unhoused and their tent and any belongings has been destroyed by SF police.

[–] Tankiedesantski@hexbear.net 20 points 1 year ago

A problem solved the American way: fucking over poor people.

[–] prismaTK@hexbear.net 7 points 1 year ago

Also the planters are still taking up space on the sidewalk that could be used by the public, so not only have you failed to solve one of the alleged problems (the sidewalk is blocked), you’ve also hidden away the people suffering. All the government of SF did is push these people under the rug, and now the libs don’t have to see them so they won’t feel bad.

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[–] LaughingLion@hexbear.net 24 points 1 year ago

I demand to see photos of Xi in a Walmart surrounded by state department suits admiring produce.

Holy shit, I remember that! Thing is, the city I live by does that ANNUALLY for an international event they put on. Gotta push the unhoused people deeper into the slum areas or arrest them for the week, can't let the international community see our shame.

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