Canuckus Deploracus Loc: North of the wall

Majorities oppress minorities within democracies too...

You could probably tic off a dozen examples from your own Nation without using the internet

son of witless

Very true, but within my country oppressed minorities have Constitutional Guarantees. They have defenses. Particularly in the present this is true. In the past it was not. In your adopted country I have heard of minorities in the present having their cultural identities erased and there are no such Guarantees to protect them from the powerful majority. Perhaps I am misinformed ?

The US Constitution is loaded with provisions to slow down whichever majority has seized power. Majorities always seek to tyrannize minorities in all societies. It is human nature. The Majority are Wicked. In Democracies and in Dictatorships that is true.

Canuckus Deploracus Loc: North of the wall

The minorities in China have protevtions under the Constitution... Whether they are apied is another story...

son of witless

What specific protections do the Uhigurs have ? What specific protections do Christians have ?

Canuckus Deploracus Loc: North of the wall

Uighurs have the right to their own language, schools, and representatives in the party...

Both Muslims and Christians have the right to practice their religion, although proselytizing is restricted...

There are also various forms of aid or benefit that apply to various minority groups...

son of witless

" proselytizing is restricted "

Is that within their own communities ? If it is, then isn't the state trying to eliminate their religion ?

Canuckus Deploracus Loc: North of the wall

No... They can have worship and encourage their family members and friends to come... But they can't go out on the street or door to door...

I agree with this... If someone is interested they should go to the Church/Mosque...

son of witless

All countries are prisoners of their history. The US being the daughter of England was fortunate that when it broke away from the mother country, it's English heritage had traditions of protections for individuals and minorities going back to the Magna Carta.

When it finally forged a strong Central Federal Government, the Constitution was packed full of limits on the Government's power. Competing power centers were intentionally set up to keep any faction from becoming too powerful. Sometimes it causes chaos and anarchy, but it restrains majorities from wiping out minorities.

China has no examples in it's long history where there were anything similar. Minorities were and still are at the mercy of wh**ever majority controls the levers of power. In terms of protections, Cultural and Religious minorities have no better protections today than they did under the Chinese Emperors.

After the Revolution, the Russian C*******ts used the same oppression to hold power that the Czars had used. That was their model. Russia had no Democratic Traditions for Lenin and Stalin to copy. Chinese C*******ts also had no model of Democratic Protections when they gained power. Mao copied the Russian C*******ts.

Canuckus Deploracus Loc: North of the wall

Historically, China has been more tolerant of diverse cultures and religiobs than the West... To my knowledge, the only culture they ever had a serious issue with before the past century were western Christians, particularly evangelicals...

Chinese emporers tended to follow the Confucian belief that each individual had role in society and that society would function best when individuals adhered to such roles.... E******y certainly didn't come into the equation...

son of witless

Still minorities were at the mercy of an Emperor being benevolent. If an Emperor happened to dislike minorities for wh**ever reasons, they had no protections. Even within the government frequently the Ministers wielded real power. If a faction took over the bureaucracy, any minority could be at risk.

But we are speaking of now. There are no restraints on the present leader.

Canuckus Deploracus Loc: North of the wall

There are huge restraints on Xi... The party is not as unified as people think.. And the Constitution only allows for certain powers...

Minorities are always at the mercy of the majority.... Including the c*******t Party

son of witless

I am guessing that within China all minorities are not created equal. There must be some who are more equal than others. Those less equal like Christians and Uighurs likely are having their rights infringed on and they lack the Constitutional Guarantees that they would have in the US. You can rightly point out that B****s and Native Americans previously in the US had their Constitutional Rights stomped and trampled on, especially in the 19th century. Nothing can be done to change history already lived. However, our generation lives now, today. We have to answer for what we allow our governments to do in the present.

An example of the Uighur situation in today's world.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-22278037

Canuckus Deploracus Loc: North of the wall

They are protected under the Constitution... But there are of course ways around that... Claiming counter terrorism measures for example... (although terrorism is no longer an issue, so maybe it was a decent trade off)...

I agree, no nation is perfect... And China is continuing to grow.... Their entry into the international arena, and the sheer number of internet users, are both factors that are having strong effects on the government...

Perhaps, like America, China should be left to sort out its own internal issues??? I don't imagine the US would welcome outside interference on its problems, right

son of witless

There is no getting around that China is the main competitor to the US now, and will be likely for the next century. Russia isn't likely to recover it's Super Power status ever, or at least in our life times.

The US is always one generation away from decline. Presidents like Jimmy Carter and Barak Obama caused temporary declines, but we bounced back. One day we won't bounce back. If we don't, then China will step into the vacuum. Both nations have interfered in the other's internal affairs and will continue to do so.

The US is the old champ. China is the new challenger with all of the brash energy of youth. I used to think that in the 1970s and 80s the Soviets and America should have just carved up the world and stayed out of each other's way, but that didn't happen. It would be nice if China and the US could carve up the world and also stay out of each others way, but for China to reach it's goals it must push the US out of Asia altogether.

The competition in trade, and for influence, and militarily will continue. China has snuck up on the US. Our politicians did not take China seriously. President Trump is the first American President to realize the danger to the US from China. If Joe Biden wins that would be the greatest outcome for China.

Hopefully the US and China will find a way to live with one another without damaging each other. I am pessimistic on that. Japan adopted western institutions after WW2 and has not been a threat to the US. China has too many historic grievances against the west, to do that.

Canuckus Deploracus Loc: North of the wall

Don't sell India short...