astro

Wrong and dumb

So edgy and cool.

Yes, I agree that they should not have shut this down. The "concerned" people should just not use the fruits of the project rather than try to prevent everyone from being able to.

2024

It is offensive to me on a philosophical level to see that so many people feel that they should have control, in perpetuity, over who can see/read/experience/use something that they've put from their mind into the world. Doubly so when considering that their own knowledge and perspective is shaped by the works of those who came before. Software especially. It is sad that capitalism has so thoroughly warped the notion of what society should be that even self-proclaimed leftists can't imagine a world where everything isn't transactional in some way.

Extraordinary rendition is actually something they've been quite credibly accused of doing, look into the case of Ling Huazhan.

I can’t read Chinese, can you?

Yes, I lived in China for almost a decade.

The things mentioned in the article aren’t police stations, Chinese or otherwise, nor are they secret.

That is the exactly the crux of the conflict, when does a citizen service station abroad that maintains communications with province-level PSBs and performs functions that the PSB would perform domestically need to seek approval from a host country? And why would the volunteers burn comms after the FBI started snooping in there were no secret dealings behind the scenes in the non-secret, totally-above-board hukou and drivers license operation? Beyond that, the testimonials from diaspora Chinese in the US are hard for me to handwave away. To be clear, I don't intend to take any moral stance on this, I just think it is a bit naive to assume China wouldn't do that or hasn't done that, even without considering the weight of the claims on either side, diaspora community/Biden DOJ and Zhao Lijian/the MFA.

[https://www.mfa.gov.cn/fyrbt_673021/jzhsl_673025/202211/t20221102_10797427.shtml](A briefing by MFA spokesman Zhao Lijian)

It is widely known and actually mentioned in the article you linked above. You also read the Chinese government's explanation for their existence if you search the MFA website for 海外警务服务中心

It was my understanding that the existence of police stations in foreign countries is not debated, they have them. The allegation that they are used for repressive purposes beyond their stated aim of providing administrative services to citizens living abroad is what is controversial. It really seems like, when you cut all the baggage away, all we have is testimonials from expats claiming harassment and assurances from the MFA that it never happened, so I struggle to land firmly on one side of belief considering both parties have historically been loose with the truth.

Anything that deals more directly with the issue than the past of the founder of one associated organization? "One of the guys saying it is bad, so it isn't true" doesn't work well on the people I argue with.