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PaperclipPerfector  3d ago (text post)   10439 thread views

Culture War Roundup for the week of August 31, 2026

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You aren’t American, are you?

Nope, European, easterner living on the west side.

Anyway, my point is that you don’t “allow” others as if you’re the sole force dictating other nations’ and peoples’ will.

Some countries have more weight to push around, and they use it to their advantage. Europe does it too, I'm sure Chine will too in due time, if it's not already doing it. You can see that sort of thing happen even between individual people.

Why haven’t Africans built their own countries if what mattered was whether you allowed them to develop?

There's obviously more than one factor involved, being in the good graces of the Americans is not a guarantee of success, but it sure helps! In case of China, I'm sure you guys could reach your current level all on your own, but surely you'll admit that being able to sell goods to the west sped things up?

Complain to the them in your country.

I'm doing what I can...

I'm sure Chine will too in due time, if it's not already doing it.

Of course. I don’t completely buy the ccp’s “peaceful rise” narrative, although I think there’s truth in it. Even if it’s mostly not kinetic, with our weight we inevitably clash with others’ interests. I just hope it’s more civil and less zero-sum. I’m also not against selling off some of our interests in exchange for others.

I'm sure you guys could reach your current level all on your own, but surely you'll admit that being able to sell goods to the west sped things up?

I don’t deny it. Unlike the most hawkish Chinese nationalists, I do believe Americans aren’t just being calculating but also have mutual benefits in mind. I’m just saying it’s hypocritical for Americans to bring that up every other minute as if it’s a charity instead of a trade. They enjoyed unparalleled material wealth partly because of Asian (mostly Chinese) labor and Europeans and Japanese/Koreans being their vassals. It’s annoying that they complain about an arrangement they set up for their own interest, but their elite bungled it. Surely as a European you’d understand what I meant.

I feel sympathetic to you guys for having an elite class who constantly sell out their own people to Americans, or worse, to various strains of third worlders who certainly do not deserve it. Is this because of your aristocratic traditions, where the blue bloods share no interests with the muggles? It’s completely mysterious, scary and painful to watch from a distance.

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