47 Comments
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Karuna's avatar

Thanks for sharing your observations. But please, you made one massive error in claiming “the US has democracy”. It clearly doesn’t. It has the best government money can buy. That is NOT a democracy. Being owned by billionaire lobbyists meets no rendition of “democracy” of which I am aware.

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Codebra's avatar

This is a paid Chinese shill. There are hundreds of them on YouTube. They literally all use the same script. China has many impressive accomplishments, but an equal number of very serious problems. The great majority of Chinese people still subsist on what would be extreme poverty in the US.

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Cyrus Janssen's avatar

Thanks for your comment! You can throw out all the false allegations you like, the truth is I've never been paid by China. The term "Chinese shill" is only used by people that hate China and have had very little to almost no experience in the country. You are right, China has many impressive accomplishments, and like every country in the world, also very serious problems. Look at the US right now...we can say the exact same thing. And here is where you expose your limited knowledge of China...."The great majority of Chinese people still subsist on what would be extreme poverty in the US." (I think you mean exist)...you said the key part there "in the US". Why are you comparing a Chinese salary to the living costs in USA? It's an apples to oranges comparison. This is why people like you can't understand China...you look at China through an American lens, which makes zero sense.

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Rilme's avatar

I don't want to get into an endless philosophical debate, but if you consider "subsistence level" to be a level of income that provides only enough money for basic needs, you'll see that "subsist" fits. IMHO, "exist" is near enough. Which would you rather live on: $200 a month in Kensington Road, or the same amount in rural China?

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Nick Jolliffe's avatar

I went to China on business 10 years ago expecting third world conditions: I was blown away by Chinas modernity and development. I saw no poverty per se, that said I wasn't looking for it.

Last year I was in Baltimore where I saw tent towns on the strip between the highway. I saw homeless people asleep in NYC outside the Stock Exchange. I wasn't looking but couldn't help seeing.

What to make of it? I'd suggest we sort our own backyard before commenting on others. I'm in NZ, we too have the problem.

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Jennie's avatar

Paid or not, if you actually went and lived in Shanghai/Beijing/Shenzhen for a prolonged period and then come back and compare against the Western equivalents, it is hard to deny that China is ahead in all of the areas cited above. It is definitely not all roses over there, but it is also undeniable that China is moving ahead whereas domestic conflicts are dragging Europe (won't comment on US), down

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Kwok's avatar

A reply from someone who only gets their information from western media.

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Velociraver's avatar

What are these "serious problems" that Americans do not also face, or worse?

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Marge Wherley's avatar

I think the point is not that china is perfect but the progress that is possible when decision makers aren’t bought off by corporate interests.

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Kate's avatar
7dEdited

I’m not sure if the whole video wasn’t bought and paid for by the Chinese government. If not it sure sounds like a commercial. I hoped for something new and impartial about China because I want to learn more but I truly can't stand the hard-sell style. I tried.

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Cyrus Janssen's avatar

None of the video was bought and paid for by China's government. If you watched the video you will see a company X Origin paid for an advert in the middle of the video and that's how I fund my channel, just like every other YouTubers, ad revenue and sponsors 😉

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Velociraver's avatar

You mean like Hegseth's cartoons?

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Kate's avatar

I'm sorry I don't know the cartoons you speak of. Are you a fan of Hegseth?

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Velociraver's avatar

You haven't seen his hilarious drone video? And no, I'm not a fan of religious nutbags of any stripe.

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Kate's avatar

I'm off to look for Hegseth's drone video. I may never return ...

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The Fringe Finance Report's avatar

Great article!

I have the same experience traveling to unpopular areas (including BRICS).

The reality is nothing like it is portrayed in our media.

As an investor, my area of expertise, it is so important to see the world for what it is, and not what I want it to be.

That isn't easy, as national pride (who doesn't want their country to do well) and biased media reporting make it difficult to see.

Travel and finding independent media sources across the political spectrum helps a lot.

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V900's avatar

I’d rather have crime free cities, a closed border and a wage that I can actually live off and a buy a house with, than democracy.

Especially since voting never seems to change anything.

(Besides, China is also democratic. Just in a different way. You can’t rule a country as big as China, without having public buy in.)

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Cyrus Janssen's avatar

Couldn't agree more

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Paul Morrison's avatar

Completely fascinating piece Cyrus thank you. A resumption in the long term trend? China has been the worlds biggest economy for 17 of the last 20 centuries?!

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Cyrus Janssen's avatar

Great point to bring up! You are correct

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Lindsay Smith's avatar

I agree with everything you have written. I spent a few days there a couple of years ago and I am still struggling to come to terms with the lies we've been told in the West. The more we believe those lies, the further behind we'll get.

America's drive is for personal wealth. China is trying to improve everyone's lives. I'm sorry, but i know where I'd rather be.

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Elaine Seinfeld's avatar

china only has about 600,000,000 people

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Cyrus Janssen's avatar

wow you think China's population is off by 800 million? give me a break

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Rilme's avatar

Even back in Jacques Dutronc's day (1966), it was 700 million:

"Sept cent millions de chinois

Et moi, et moi, et moi"

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Miguel Hidalgo's avatar

Dear Mr. Cyrus, I have been following you for years. Sorry, but I am a code developer and do not like the substack "stuff." I am not ready to subscribe either. I hope you are open-minded. I hope you get this message. I saw your production about Chongqing. You met a friend there. I am traveling back to mainland China to rekindle my businesses. Can you provide the contact information to reach him and you? --mhidalgo ideas@miguel-hidalgo.net

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Lars's avatar

China is definitely the most technology advanced fascist nation beside the US and EU. Classic democracy is not available in any leading nation and liberal democracy has devolved down to oligarchy with the same 5-year objective as China; technocratic tyranny.

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Kwok's avatar

Well said Cyrus. You have lived in China and back to the US and Canada. At least you have an open view on China unlike the western bias comments I have read.

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Graham R. Knotsea's avatar

China is not handicapped by DEI, which is killing the West.

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Stephen Reynolds's avatar

As you've highlighted China is becoming the world leader in many advanced fields of manufacturing and the highest trending story on manufacturing in the USA is the about a guy struggling to build a BBQ scrubber. Oh how the mighty have fallen.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ZTGwcHQfLY

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ᛯEichelhäher🜨's avatar

China is a National Socialist country.

This is not a condemnation.

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Shahid Buttar's avatar

The relative comparison between China and the United States is made even more stark by the various intersecting economic crises invited by the Trump administration’s policies. https://shahidbuttar.substack.com/p/a-dozen-ways-that-the-trump-administration-d33

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colin loughran's avatar

Propaganda

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Cyrus Janssen's avatar

Fact check check me on any point, sorry the truth hurts

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Velociraver's avatar

What part of it isn't true? Be specific.

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