Comment by zpeti | Hacker News Reader

Comment by zpeti | Hacker News Reader

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What's amazing is how true this is culturally and for discourse as well, for me. With the amount of activism now happening in the western world, it's amazing that it's not against China or other abusers of human rights. No, it's usually against your own country which is multiples better to live in than somewhere like China from an oppression point of view, yet it's taken decades to even get it into the conversation. It's literally taken concentration camps of muslims for even a mild interest to take place in big media organisations about whether China is a decent place or not.

And I'm not saying they should cover it. They're free to do what they want. But claiming to be activists against tyranny and oppression while ignoring china is very hypocritical.

Where are the calls for boycotts? Where are the kneeling sportsman? Where are the protests?

So I should not fix a leak in my roof because Steve’s house down the street is flooded and I should be happy that my bedroom is still dry?

So, succinctly:

1) Ultimately, what happens in another country is that country’s problem. Sometimes we ought to intervene, but the bar needs to be very high. Intervention most of the time leads to outcomes ranging from bad to catastrophic.

2) I am entitled to participate in how my country is run, and I owe to future generations to help improve it as much as I reasonably can.

I’ll let you piece 1 and 2 together.

Don't use 'it is worse over there' as a counterargument against someone who fights (rightfully or not) for things to be better 'here'.

Of course if you've thought this far you've determined the answers - the media and their activists are politically motivated. Presenting as activists against tyranny and oppression is part of a strategy, they want to attract and exploit people who hold those values. These strategists and politicians think in terms of achieving outcomes and are more cynical than most can imagine.

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