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Posted on 08/28/2019 7:11:42 PM PDT by MarvinStinson
'They’ve done a lot of things for their people'
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I., Vt.) declared that communist China has done more to alleviate poverty than any country in history during a Tuesday appearance on HILL TV’s Rising.
Granting that it is unfortunate that China is "moving" toward authoritarianism instead of democratic governance, the presidential candidate argued its record on poverty is the best in the world.
"China is a country that is moving, unfortunately, in a more authoritarian way in a number of directions," Sanders said. "But what we have to say about China in fairness to China and its leadership is, if I’m not mistaken, they have made more progress in addressing extreme poverty than any country in the history of civilization. So they’ve done a lot of things for their people."
Sanders had just finished denouncing "far-right authoritarian leaders" such as President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, both elected leaders of liberal democratic nations, when he was asked about China at the 10:27 mark of the episode. HILL TV host Krystal Ball asked Sanders about his prior statement that normalizing trade relations with China would be devastating for America.
"Their economy now is struggling but I think it is absolutely possible for us to have a positive working relationship with China," Sanders said. He argued the problem with Chinese trade is that it benefits the wealthy too much, since companies can outsource labor to China where wages are lower.
He did not address how China’s communist government has oppressed religious people and minorities, putting at least one million Uighur Muslims in concentration camps while instituting one of the most comprehensive surveillance states in history. In China, the Communist Party requires all religions to pledge ultimate loyalty to President Xi Jinping, who is atop a one-party system that does not allow political opposition.
While Sanders did say trade with China is potentially bad for workers because of labor competition, he did not address China's violations of trade rules, such as intellectual property theft. As a socialist, Sanders has been a vocal opponent of free trade for decades.
But Sanders said he would "take a stand" against the Communist Party’s designs for Hong Kong, a former province of the British Empire that is now part of China but has special status.
"You gotta make a very strong statement that we in the United States—this is certainly not the case with Donald Trump—but historically at least, and under a Bernie Sanders presidency, we stand for democracy and we stand for human rights and we will do everything that we can to prevent oppressive governments from forcefully denying people their democratic rights."
Hongkongers have freedoms not enjoyed on the mainland, but the police have brutally suppressed recent protests, and many are concerned China will use the military to put down political dissent in the city.
Living standards in China are inferior to those of its democratic neighbors Japan and South Korea, but their economy has grown in recent years as it has instituted more capitalist structures in its economy. Contrary to what Sanders said, it has not been "moving" toward authoritarian government, but rather has long had it. Its founding leader Mao Zedong was responsible for an estimated 35-45 million deaths in the 20th century, and even after he died, political dissent was suppressed repeatedly, most notably at Tiananmen Square.
In China, information is rigidly controlled regarding topics such as Tiananmen and Mao’s Cultural Revolution.
I know a lot of chinese who have escaped from china. They tell a different story than his.
Are you questioning his patriotism? How dare you sir! This McCarthyism MUST stop! Oh, the horror of exaggerated claims of being a Communist sycophant with foreign loyalties...
< /s >
Oh, I think Bern is all for PRC’s methods of population control. You can eliminate a ton of poverty by just eliminating the poor (for which most Chinese would be fair game).
Great post.
And true.
I would assume being free of communism’s grasp would help with that.
And Ronald Maximus was responsible for freeing Scores of MILLIONS from communism’s grasp.
Most don’t appreciate what an INCREDIBLE thing he did.
I NEVER, EVER thought the USSR would disintegrate in my lifetime. And I was only 24 at the time.
I know a lot of people call Trump “best President” ever.
In my lifetime I would see a tie for first but Reagan comes second to no one. He brought our biggest and longest enemy to its knees.
Without firing a shot.
Students of the Maoist revolution killed and ate their teachers.
Well if you murder 20 or 30 million there’s a lot more to go around.
L
When Richard Feynman wrote and spoke about “Cargo Cult Science” he had Bernie Sanders and company in mind ...
Because THEY UNDERSTAND NOTHING concerning CAUSE and EFFECT.
By selling to capitalist countries.
.
too bad bernie isn’t going to get the nomination so he can continue to promote the wonderfulness of china in contrast to the awfulness of the United States during his Presidential campaign ... you know, in diametric contradiction to President Trump’s absolute declaration of America First policies ... let me see now, will voters want China First or America First?
To some extent that is true. But what really lifted large numbers of Chinese citizens out of abject poverty was the infusion of American technology and business practices into China when certain US companies decided to move manufacturing operations to China, and to source products from China.
The Chinese government changed some of their policies to accommodate their new western partners, but without the western investments and partnerships their citizens would still be mired in poverty.
Sanders is presenting a false view of the situation and conveniently ignoring the vast benefits of technology and expertise developed in the United States for countries all over the world.
Does Bernie realize, as one simple example, that the entire technological infrastructure of the Chinese cell phone industry is based on innovations created in the United States?
Communist countries acknowledge and work with the economic law of “supply and demand”.
When demand exceeds supply, they reduce demand. Brutally.
Right in a way there, Bernie.
China has made poverty middle class.
We’ll stick with our version, thank you.
Just. No.
And he ignores the tens of millions murdered in China’s forced labor camps.
so, when is he moving there?
Bernie Sanders’ praise for murderous totalitarian regimes is certainly nothing new - he has been doing it for decades.
“” “” Bernie Sanders is just wrong. If any nation can be credited with doing the most to solve poverty worldwide it is the United States of America.
Oh, and we didn’t massacre tens of millions of people to do it. “” “”
That’s both right and wrong depending on historical perspective.
Whaddya expect from a guy who chose Moscow as his honeymoon destination.
During the Cold War.
Bernie probably wears Che t-shirts around the dacha.
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