INTRODUCTION
If you follow current news and events to any degree, you would no doubt have heard commentary on the country of China. Common comments include: "The Sleeping Dragon," "This Is The Chinese Century," "CHINA WILL GROW LARGER" etc...
If you used your brain to any degree, you would also realize that China has, in fact, been growing in influence, whether it's financially, economically, politically, culturally or socially.
And if you surfed the Internet to any degree, you would also realize the growing number of English-speaking Internet Chinese nationalists (living locally or foreign) whose job (voluntary or paid) is to talk up China's achievements and/or downplay China's flaws and more questionable actions. These individuals and/or groups are most commonly found on Internet message boards/forums, the comment section of China-related blogs, news portal sites and YouTube. You may even have engaged in debate and discussion with these people before.
"So what?" you ask. "They're no different from your typical Pro-American or Pro-British. And if we're talking about paid services, or even the Pro-Russians."
Well no, by itself, Internet Chinese nationalists aren't exactly noteworthy, no. But. And there's always a but.
But... in these heated Internet discussions, debates and arguments, there is an imbalance. I call this phenomenon "The Chinese Imbalance of Views Syndrome" (or CIVS).
THE SEARCH FOR TRUTH AND JUSTICE
In any debate, there would usually be two sides. In a more complex issue, there may even be a third or fourth side. Any good argument would involve a side offering well-reason arguments and the other side would respond directly to the argument with a hopefully, just as well-reasoned counter-argument. Inevitably, any side would make criticisms about the arguments from the other side. Criticism is good. As long as we are opened minded, criticisms allows us to look at the mistakes in our own faulty arguments. We would then revise our views until we come up with a more well-rounded argument in our continual search for truth and justice.
Freedom of speech and expression is therefore a powerful tool. When we use our civil right to freedom of speech and expression in the right way, we can point out the flaws and faults of our society, criticize those who make it happen or enable it to happen, and ultimately, improve the wellbeing of society. We can even use this right to criticize OTHER countries at the same time. And so we should. To solve problems, we must identify the problem. To make the problem known, we make it public by criticizing. Injustices and atrocities occur daily, whether it's in our hometown or the town of a country on the other side of the world.
Which brings me to the continual debate about China vs The Western World.
This debate is healthy for the international community because everyone has the right to freedom of speech to identify problems in their own nation and in other nations. Right?
THE IMBALANCE SYNDROME
American people living in America while criticizing America = ALLOWED
Chinese people living in America while criticizing America = ALLOWED
American people living in America while criticizing China = ALLOWED
Chinese people living in America while criticizing China = ALLOWED
Chinese/Non-Chinese people living in China while criticizing America = ALLOWED
Chinese/Non-Chinese people living in China while criticizing China = Heavily discouraged to the point of being illegal (if not illegal already, practically or literally)
-Any references (particularly negative comments which target the Chinese government or related issues) to this on the internet are deleted. The internet is also heavily censored
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_firewall and there is no anonymity.
-Any references in the media are blocked from appearing in the first place (The media industry is a monopoly and the Chinese government owns it)
-Anti-China protests are shut down quickly and forcibly, even peaceful non-violent ones.
-Actively criticizing China or the Chinese government may have negative social consequences. Like in other Asian societies, there is less focus on individualism (which America prefers) and more on collectivism ("The nail that sticks up must be hammered down"). So the critic may be "hammered down" metaphorically by his/her own community and be branded a traitor to China.
-Possible penalties for those who are seen as a threat to the Chinese government or its interests include being arrested, being "re-educated" or worse.
-Higher profile Chinese dissidents (people who challenge establishments like the Chinese government) are arrested
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Chinese_dissidents. Worst case scenario, they are tortured and executed.
-Last but not least, the Chinese government can not be voted out. Alternative political parties are also illegal to form. This means government accountability and transparency is difficult to achieve.Along with the fact that criticizing China/Chinese government is heavily discouraged and the media , it means it is hard to make the government transparent or accountable.
THE SYMPTOMS
So what do I mean "The Chinese Imbalance of Views Syndrome"?
Simple. The combination of:
-censored Internet
-government-controlled media (with no alternative)
-government-controlled political system (with no alternative),
-the social outcasting and the arresting of the more active dissidents
means that Chinese people are born and raised with one certain view and the past, current and future factors in their lives means that alternative views are hard to come by. So in the end, they only have one view, because that is the only view the Chinese government wants them to have, and that's the view they'll ever have and since they're so set on that view, they assume it is the right one. What I'm trying to say is that they don't know if their view is right or wrong because they never had a chance to compare it with other, possibly opposing views. The factors above perpetuate the lack of opposing views. If they are lucky or skilled enough to find, consider and compare other opposing views, and even take the opposing view for him/herself, the factors above mean that they are heavily discouraged from having that view in public.
And that, my friends, is the imbalance that needs to be known, recognized and addressed.
To use an simplified extreme example, in America no-one is heavily discouraged from having a certain view. A person who has no view can, and I remind you this is a simplied and extreme example, consider the opinions of Bill O'Reilly and on the "other side", they can consider the opinions of Michael Moore. Based on what they learn, they can join a side. Or they can remain neutral and seek more information until they are convinced that there is a right side. A person who already has a view can do the same thing. This is freedom of speech and expression. Where people are free to make their opinions heard without fear of reprisal and where people are free to consider or ignore the opinion.
This is not the case with China. You can be anti-American, you can be anti-British, you can be anti-French, you can be anti-apples and anti-oranges. Just don't be anti-China/Chinese/Chinese Government.
This situation creates the imbalance and as long as this imbalance exists, then we can never have a fruitful debate with Chinese people.
FIGHT FOR THE TRUTH, BECAUSE THE TRUTH CAN'T FIGHT FOR THEMSELVES
What is the solution? I don't really have one. And even if I did, it would be too complicated to right here. However, to end this article, I will leave you with a quote:
"All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing"
I assume you live in a relatively free country and that you have the access to freedom of speech and expression and you have the ability to give and receive opinions.
Consider those opinions and strengthen your arguments by ironing out the flaws in your continue search for truth and justice.
As for the internet Chinese nationalists, if you see one that makes an argument that has an obvious lie, mistruth, falsehood, hyperbole, distortion, deception, misrepresentation, falsehood, selective quoting or is misleading, then do something, not nothing. Point out the flaws and attack the argument.
Facts and truth are worth fighting for.