> Criticizing legitimate American counter-terrorism and counter espionage and suggesting that it's equivalent to China's suppression of thought of its citizens (and people in occupied zones like Tibet) are disingenuous.
However, what is not disingenuous is characterizing American behavior vis-a-vis the propaganda it espouses. That is a good test for any institution or country. Don't even need China here. Compare what happens in US and what US does internationally vs. what US govt and many of its citizens believe or tell others about America. "We are a beacon of democracy " that's a common idea. So now let's see how is the power distributed in US? Does the average citizen have the power to make decision and is that comparable to what the propaganda fantasy is promoting. How about another one "US Constitution protects us from unreasonable searches and severely restricts the power of the government from invading our privacy". A lot of people believe that (doesn't matter if they are Americans or not). Is that true compared to the number of people believing in that? I say it is not. A lot of people are living a lie, believing in a fantasy about the government that is not based in reality. I say that is unhealthy.
Something similar is happening in China or other repressive governments. People are lead to believe in things that are divorced from reality. "We are a paradise". "American Imperialists are out to destroy US" and so on.
There is actually one difference. In some countries (and I can speak for the former Soviet Union during its last days) people knew propaganda was lie and they laughed at it in private. We knew the image we were supposed to have about our country was false. Many Americans are not aware of it. The brainwashing is so effective, they actually believe we are exporting democracy in the Middle East. They believe we have the best health care system . Heck, many believe evolution is a big lie. There is a great amount of self delusion and self censorship. That is unhealthy.
So going back to the comparison. You are right, comparing US to China in absolute terms in certain areas, is like night and day. Say, when it comes to freedom of speech. You can grab a megaphone and go yell out crazy conspiracy stuff right by Obama's front gate. But if you look at the level of delusion, the situation, I think is not as great.
The philosopher Zizek has a great bit about the "unknown knowns" (the quadrant Rumsfeld wasn't smart enough to articulate). Meaning, of course, the unperceived fabric of Western ideology -- that works far better than explicit propaganda ever could.
However, what is not disingenuous is characterizing American behavior vis-a-vis the propaganda it espouses. That is a good test for any institution or country. Don't even need China here. Compare what happens in US and what US does internationally vs. what US govt and many of its citizens believe or tell others about America. "We are a beacon of democracy " that's a common idea. So now let's see how is the power distributed in US? Does the average citizen have the power to make decision and is that comparable to what the propaganda fantasy is promoting. How about another one "US Constitution protects us from unreasonable searches and severely restricts the power of the government from invading our privacy". A lot of people believe that (doesn't matter if they are Americans or not). Is that true compared to the number of people believing in that? I say it is not. A lot of people are living a lie, believing in a fantasy about the government that is not based in reality. I say that is unhealthy.
Something similar is happening in China or other repressive governments. People are lead to believe in things that are divorced from reality. "We are a paradise". "American Imperialists are out to destroy US" and so on.
There is actually one difference. In some countries (and I can speak for the former Soviet Union during its last days) people knew propaganda was lie and they laughed at it in private. We knew the image we were supposed to have about our country was false. Many Americans are not aware of it. The brainwashing is so effective, they actually believe we are exporting democracy in the Middle East. They believe we have the best health care system . Heck, many believe evolution is a big lie. There is a great amount of self delusion and self censorship. That is unhealthy.
So going back to the comparison. You are right, comparing US to China in absolute terms in certain areas, is like night and day. Say, when it comes to freedom of speech. You can grab a megaphone and go yell out crazy conspiracy stuff right by Obama's front gate. But if you look at the level of delusion, the situation, I think is not as great.