I think a lot of western leftism is less focused on building a movement and more on carving out little leftists enclaves where you can LARP like you're living in a post-capitalist society. And the thing is, it's easier to do that under a bourgeois liberal democracy than a AES state. The bourgeois don't care about your zucchini farming commune, have fun fuckers it's not challenge to our power. The Party Chairman who's survived 3 assassination attempts this year alone is maybe within his rights to suspect your utopian commune could become a CIA gun smuggling front and may shut it down.
Anyway that's why I think certain "anti-authoritarian leftists" defend western liberal democracy, internally they're a more welcoming space for social experimentation.
Nah they just slurp up US state department propaganda thats served to them like it's candy. They really think AES states are indistinguishable from fascism and that the US is good but flawed and just needs some reforms.
I might be taking a meme way too seriously, buuuut.
Okay, if life in China and the US is about equal if not better in favour of China - why not go live there?
I wouldn't. Why? No trans rights. Familial approval for medication is a killer for trans people, in practice it might as well be a ban outside of two neighbourhoods in San Francisco. Not to mention the clamping down on DIY, which unlike the west, the Chinese government has real power to actually enforce to some extent.
So the US is better off in that regard, I'd much rather live there and their government positions align more with my own and I'm anti-China and "anti-authoritarian" in that sense, but still a socialist.
Why wouldn't I be?
This is just one example, there are others. So I think it's disingenuous to frame Libertarian socialists/anarchists as purely just simping for 'murikkka when many of them are readily willing to admit US bad too, just less bad in some ways.
So, let me get this straight, you think that not participating in warfare for more than 40 years is just as bad as constantly invading the rest of the world, committing genocides, torture, etc. in the name of colonialism on the grounds that you get to benefit from the latter regime? And you want to be taken seriously?
Yeah, seems like you are just simping for the empire that kills and tortures non-white people en masse because you are, personally, a beneficiary of said killings and torture.
On the grounds I get to benefit? So are you implying that the relative freedom for queer folk in the US is a direct product of imperialist foreign policy, and the absence of this in China is why queer rights struggle there?
Wow an imperialist social democrat, I'm shocked. You'd better actually be trans, and not some weasel hiding your bullshit behind fake concern for trans people.
you know theres plenty of situations in the us were families need to approve of you transitioning, or are you conveniently ignoring that?
Struggle where you are, fight in your workplace, support and raise awareness for international causes at home.
you know theres plenty of situations in the us were families need to approve of you transitioning, or are you conveniently ignoring that?
No I don't actually, I'd be interested to hear about this? As far as I'm aware, blue US states all have informed consent as the treatment model for adults, basically world standard in that regard.
Wow an imperialist
I think just because I critique an empire you like from an anarchist perspective doesn't make me an imperialist, but we can agree to disagree I suppose.
Struggle where you are, fight in your workplace, support and raise awareness for international causes at home.
One doesn't exclude the other. I'm not sitting about foaming at the mouth about China all day, we're just having a discussion and I'm open to hearing your perspective.
Most importantly, you can't go become a citizen or even permanent resident there. Oh, sure you can go on their embassy website and it has a process. You won't ever get through that process, though. Only a few super rich or famous westerns are able to get through that process. Not average people like us. If you marry a Chinese citizen you won't even get it. You will have to get temporary visas every few years even if you have a kid. Your kid will be a Chinese citizen. You will never be or even a permanent resident. You will not be able to open a bank account, fully use WeChat for easy stuff like payments, have trouble getting housing, and so much more. You will perpetually be a legal outsider there.
I wouldn't. Why? No trans rights. Familial approval for medication is a killer for trans people, in practice it might as well be a ban outside of two neighbourhoods in San Francisco.
I know almost nothing about LGBT stuff in China, and am kind of generally ignorant about most LGBT experiences in the US, so I definitely agree with your skepticism of China on the prospect of living there, but at the same time, I don't feel confident that either of us have reliable information on where China is in terms of cultural progression to adopting LGBT rights. You might be standing on shaky ground regarding the US's apparent progress and recent advancements, which appears at high risk of reactionary regression. I'd say staying in the US is perhaps not as safe as one may assume, but also, moving to a northern state is much easier than moving to China, so the mean time, I'll give you that, proving China is better on LGBT stuff will likely be a tall order. The burden of proof is probably going to be on us, and it will be a heavy burden.
Not to mention the clamping down on DIY, which unlike the west, the Chinese government has real power to actually enforce to some extent.
I have no idea what this is referring to, but I feel like this is also happening in the US, but it's enforced via corporations using profit motives. The usual barrier to DIY projects in the US is that John Deere/Apple doesn't want you to, or Radio Shack closed and you have to buy your parts online, some parts too complicated/miniaturized to build on US soil.
I don't feel confident that either of us have reliable information on where China is in terms of cultural progression to adopting LGBT rights.
Agreed. All my statements can be appended with an asterisk that all of these things would appear to be that way based on information available.
You might be standing on shaky ground regarding the US's apparent progress and recent advancements, which appears at high risk of reactionary regression
100% agree. It is a very worrying and increasingly likely prospect.
Yes! Cuba's reforms are very welcome and positive for LGBT folks, and I often use it as an example myself!
I have no idea what this is referring to
No problem, I'm happy to explain: In context of trans issues - DIY is referring to DIY Hormone Therapy (DIY HRT for short), where instead of whatever the medical process in a country is for transition (e.g. you go to a psychiatrist and they assess and diagnose you and then you go to an endocrinologist who issues a prescription for hormones) you go around all that by simply buying medication from usually a grey-market pharmacy that does not ask for prescriptions or even a homebrew unlicensed project that makes their own injectable hormones (it sounds dodgy, but the community is really good at self-policing the bad stuff from the good stuff, so it's a viable option).
Since HRT is what the bulk of physical transition is and what causes the most physical changes, especially to secondary sex characteristics (external physical traits that are not genitalia), it is highly desirable to trans folks, and the ability to do so without wait times, costs or legal restrictions associated with their country's medical system is extremely important, especially when such a system is or appears to be unfriendly and restrictive (UK, Russia, China).
The UK government was talking a big game about restricting DIY by blocking websites where one can buy hormones, but it culminated in one request to Google to take down a search result, so I feel fairly safe saying that the UK government simply doesn't have the means to do this, but in China, the government is fairly good at internet censorship (though the actual extent of it is overblown by western media of course), hence my original point is that they have capability and appear to have demonstrated a political desire to restrict DIY, which will harm trans folks.
That's the short version, hope it makes sense and thanks for reading.