this post was submitted on 05 Jun 2025
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Privacy
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This is a cool way to protect a belief, narrowing the scope so that the refuting data do not apply anymore. Perhaps I can write a fucking essay about it, but do you have data to support this narrowing move? There is like a ton of data that the West has been invasively spying of possible threats to the status quo (from Cointelpro to undercover UK cops like recently), not just people "acting on it". Furthermore, actions can fall under protected free speech as well, like putting up a poster, demonstrating, and protesting. So your proposal is inherently undemocratic if you roll back freedom to only protect oral expression, quite similar to a "Don't ask don't tell" attitude towards gay people. What you just said is simply counter-factual. Blanket surveillance is a staple of Western societies in the 21st century, and it blows my mind that there are still people oblivious to what is more or less spelled out clearly in the Patriot Act and all laws modeled after it across the globe.
Sure, any censorship, spying and oppression is bad. I’m just saying one goes harder than the other, but I’m not denying that it sucks and that it clearly exists. I’m well aware of the patriot act and that speaking can endanger you. I just have this feeling like you get persecuted for speaking against the government in countries like China, whereas you need to be a strong figure to have the same fate in other countries. Anyways, it sucks for all countries that have this.
I have no data and this is just a feeling.
Democracy and freedom of speech, freedom to protest, freedom in general is in danger
Tell that to the students that were expelled from their universities and had their degrees revoked or the public employees that were for fired for speaking out against the American government's support for the Gazan genocide.
Not to mention the civil servants that were fired/fined for advocating for LGBTQ rights in the decades past.
USA sucks as well. As far as I’m concerned, it is not a democratic country that supports freedom of speech and I’ll never go there.
USA is a bit similar to china on this subject
it's not just the usa; similar actions have happened in the uk and france regarding the genocide and they've also punished people for advocating for lgbtq rights in the past.
that feeling that you have regarding repression from countries like china is only a feeling; not reality.
Even though we have many instances where this happened? And people dissapeared in Hong Kong? Come on, you must be joking.
i literally just pointed out many instances of the same thing happening outside of china; my point is that it happens everywhere and your feeling that it only happens is china is not reality.
Your comment only implied that it did not happen in China.
I still feel like it’s worse there. It happens everywhere sure, but not as much. Fuck their shitty firewall and fuck surveillance.
I’ll just stop here because we’re getting nowhere. You’re saying it happens everywhere, I agree, but feel like it happens more in China for example.
again, feelings are not facts
Those feelings are based on facts.
The great firewall, Hong Kong, censorship against other regimes and countries, Taiwan, social credit… fucking WeChat!?
You've already admitted that your feelings are not based on data or facts. And the fact you still think social credit is real or that "Taiwan" just as a word is condemnation of China certainly confirms that.
Social credit is real in some areas of China
I’ll just stop because that’s cringe. I’ve lost enough time already
Do you base that on "feeling it to be true" as well?