zlacker

>>mmaria+(OP)
It is only a matter of time before they attempt to regulate VPN usage. Here is an article written by a British MP hinting at that:

https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/opinion/columnists/onli...

>>sefros+kb
It definitely seems like she’s conflating two issues: access to pornography and child grooming. I don’t see why she thinks regulating VPNs would reduce the latter.

>>scott_+ed
She doesnt, she just wants to put in Putin-like levels of control and surveillance for the same reasons Putin does.

>>pydry+se
Jinping is probably a better comparison.

>>userbi+qi
Xi is fairly popular in China tho, unlike this "labour" govt.

>>dereli+vk
How would you know? In countries without free speech where anti-government speech is illegal, the only legal speech is pro-government or neutral.

>>gitrem+8q
I would know cuz there are independent polls made by western NGOs: https://allianceofdemocracies.org/democracy-perception-index

>>dereli+jN
Immaterial how independent they are because it's completely impossible to get honest opinions of repressive regimes. The people within the regime have no real way to know whether a poll response will make it back to the government or not, so they must assume that it will. When the repercussions for having the wrong opinion are that you disappear or find yourself "volunteered" for the front line, it's best to either lie or say you think the leader is a top bloke.

You can watch Youtube videos of citizens refusing to answer contentious questions quite easily. I believe William Spaniel has produced videos (relating to the Russian General Election) where he points this out, too.

>>scott_+UQ
How can you tell it is a repressive regime? They have elections, a press and they are pretty satisfied about their form of governance, actually much more than their western counterparts.

So let me sum this up. We cannot ask the people. We cannot base ourselves on how their institutions function and how well they perform.

This discussion highlights how westerners suffer from some serious superiority complex where only THEY can experience genuine freedom and democracy(probably due to their superior phenotype or some inane bs), and everything outside of their little group of friends is a masquerade. The issue with that is that westerners disconnect themselves from reality. They are losing ground and it shows.

>>dereli+sT
"Elections in the People's Republic of China occur under a one-party authoritarian political system controlled by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Direct elections, except in the special administrative regions of Hong Kong and Macau, occur only at the local level people's congresses and village committees, with all candidate nominations preapproved by the CCP. By law, all elections at all levels must adhere to the leadership of the CCP."

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elections_in_China

> This discussion highlights how westerners suffer from some serious superiority complex where only THEY can experience genuine freedom and democracy(probably due to their superior phenotype or some inane bs)

There is democracy in Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan.

Just say, "I'm a tankie and I support Russia's invasion of Ukraine."

>>gitrem+y61
> Elections in the People's Republic of China occur under a one-party authoritarian political system controlled by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Direct elections, except in the special administrative regions of Hong Kong and Macau, occur only at the local level people's congresses and village committees, with all candidate nominations preapproved by the CCP. By law, all elections at all levels must adhere to the leadership of the CCP.

I personally see nothing wrong with this. The word "authoritarian" is virtually meaningless. And those local elections are paramount; Locally elected representatives end up electing MPs on the provincial level, then they chose MPs of the National People's Congress. The rest is common sense: just because we are used to "elect" pedophiles, racists and parasites doesn't mean all other countries should do the same.

>>dereli+Ca1
There were/are people who didn't personally see anything wrong with Stalin et al.

> doesn't mean all other countries should do the same

That's the great part right? If you were in place like that you wouldn't know that you "elected representatives" are any of those things since there would be no free press and exposing them would probably be illegal anyway. Ignorance is bliss, I guess that's one way to experience the world..