any critical thought¶

People are so propagandized about China that their beliefs about it are completely immune to any critical thought. They blithely parrot the line that it's a one-party state. When you point out that there are 9 parties on the NPC, they say "but those are all communist parties!" When you point out that both of the US's ruling parties are capitalist parties, they say "But they're not legally required to be!" When you point out that Chinese political parties aren't legally required to be communist, they say "But political opposition is still repressed!" When you point out that communists have been and continue to be repressed in capitalist countries, they say "Yeah, because communism is a repressive ideology!" When you ask what makes them say that, they say "Just look at China! It's a repressive, one-party state!"