@yogthos@mas.to While I support the CPC and I agree with the general theory of "Socialism with Chinese Characteristics" (it's actually Orthodox Marxism).. I also think they're using it as a convenient excuse to embrace orthodox theory while simultaneously furthering state capitalism (or, state socialism?) with ulterior motive. I think Deng Xiaoping and Jiang Zemin had good intentions. Hu Jintao was a safe autopilot. I don't know how I feel about Xi Jinping---I agree with a lot of his policies while simultaneously disagreeing with a lot of other policies. At any rate, China is ostensibly following Marx's concepts of civilizational evolution towards Communism vs. the unorthodox revolutionary Communist trajectory within undeveloped, agrarian civilizations. @AgreeableLandscape@mastodon.social

@yogthos@mas.to Yeah, exactly. And, even if you didn't know what "fire" or "car" meant in English, as long as you knew the phonetics, you could at least pronounce and say the words by "sounding it out". There is no way to convey pronunciation intrinsically within Chinese. You either know what a logogram is meant to sound like or you don't. @AgreeableLandscape@mastodon.social

@yogthos@mas.to I would say that American society is much more dangerous, far more expensive.. but, more than anything, exceptionally lonely. I'm so lonely. I feel so isolated. @AgreeableLandscape@mastodon.social

@yogthos@mas.to I miss China a great deal, but not really China exclusively, per-say, or China for merit of being China. I just miss not America. I miss living in a society that is alive, that has life. Even though I live in a city and am surrounded by people, the way the society and the people within it are structured and live, it feels more akin to a sort of giant house arrest. I feel like these wealthy criminals who are locked away on lavish compounds. All the enjoyments of life, but without the life. @AgreeableLandscape@mastodon.social

@yogthos@mas.to Yeah, it can be difficult now for Canadians and Americans to get to China. It's not impossible, but it's a lot more difficult than it used to be. China utilized COVID as a means of essentially liquidating foreigners from the country. They simply refused to renew visas and so when people's visas were due for expiration they were forced to exit the country or face detainment and forced ejection. It's still quite easy for Russians and other Eastern Europeans to enter China, though. I know many Russians who are living in China. There is actually a fairly robust sub-culture of former-USSR-nationality individuals living and working in China. @AgreeableLandscape@mastodon.social

@yogthos@mas.to You are in Russia right now? Or where? @AgreeableLandscape@mastodon.social

@yogthos@mas.to I feel Russia (or, former USSR, rather) has a different relationship with China vs. the rest of the world.

Chinese is really difficult to learn! I applaud you learning! @AgreeableLandscape@mastodon.social

@yogthos@mas.to The town in China where I'm from is the same. Not the part about capitalism, but the part about being highly populated, high-density housing, but extremely safe and thriving with a robustly healthy social and cultural life. The city is almost 2 million people but with virtually zero crime. There is vibrant street life. The parks are always full of elderly and children. The streets are populated. Children play freely and walk to and from school unsupervised and without fear.

Meanwhile, living in America, everything is totally empty and alienated and atomized. Everyone is suspicious of one another and unfriendly. The crime rate is much higher despite virtually zero population density by comparison. @AgreeableLandscape@mastodon.social