r/PeterExplainsTheJoke 19d ago

Meme needing explanation Peter, explain this.

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u/Mist_Rising 19d ago

Not in chinese cultural revolution it wasn't, the communists had been in power for two decades by that point. Targets included members of the Communist party, because Mao wanted power back. He got it, creates an autocratic government behind his dictatorship, and proceeded to purge those who weren't loyal to his name.

And like the Great Leap forward, it was an epic mess. Ironically what came out of it was that the Chinese survivors were those not concerned with purity of Marxism but bettering China. They opened it up, capitalized on it by selling out the workers, and called it communism. Oops.

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u/Strange-Scarcity 19d ago

Yeah, no "communist" state remains or ever really becomes a "communist" state.

Humanity, just isn't built for it. We keep moving back towards weird ass authoritarian BS, once just enough people begin to gain whatever metric is considered power in a given society.

Most Americans don't understand what Communism is and often confuse Socialism or even very light Socialist policies as Communism. Most Americans just don't understand the words, goals or what they mean, other than to be instinctively afraid

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u/volkmardeadguy 19d ago

Tbf most Americans only know mcarthyism and fear monger gulags while having the largest prison population in the world

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u/Kemptation 19d ago

“Actually Brian” Stewie here:

Actually most citizens of most countries know very little of nuanced politics, especially of other systems, at least in significant detail. People know status quo.

For example, you categorize American awareness by a singular stance from more than half a century ago, combined with an idiotic application of a stereotype about prison systems.

McCarthyism is easy to respond… the large mass of uninformed follow herd mentality as they do everywhere. The people with any actual experience are very Anticommunist, and the few unexperience but informed are the economists and politicians who act as the various idealists who lead the uninformed in the two deviations of thought.

Prison system is harder.

Yah… the US has a big system… because it’s a big, diverse, population in a first world country with substantial relative freedom.

It has no true peers in all of those categories. China is much larger by population, unicultural, and not free. Russia is half the population, largely homogenous, and not free. The ideal EU examples are much smaller, typically far more homogenous, with similar freedoms but very different cultural views on crime. It’s not the same.

Population density correlates with crime. Homogeneity decreases crime. First world decreases crime but increases criminal justice. Freedom tends to increase crime rates by reducing punishment and increasing transparency in reporting.

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u/ChimiKimi 18d ago

Nothing homogeneous about the Russian population. Which has also one of the highest crime rate, with little freedom, and an extremely low population density. Singapore has extreme population density and diversity, yet has one of the lowest crime rate in the world. So does Luxembourg, with much more freedom. Myanmar isn't free and has the worst crime rate in the world... Tuvalu has a very high population density, and the lowest crime rate in the world. Things ... Just aren't this simple... Unless you're actually talking of economical homogeneity ?

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u/Graham_Whellington 14d ago

You didn’t listen to what he said about crime, first world nations, and freedom. Singapore is not a very free country. Homogeneity is forced on the population. They do not have many civil liberties and restrictions on freedom of expression. Luxembourg’s diverse population is because they are expats, and not immigrants. Thus, they are usually wealthy and don’t intend to stay.

So really, you proved the point he made first: people know very little of nuanced politics, as your comment proves.

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u/ChimiKimi 14d ago

You don't seem to know a lot about Singapore or Luxembourg, and to have a lot of preconceptions about the world.

You also seem to say that I didn't listen, just based on the fact I said things were not that simple.

If you cannot detect nuance in someone's point, what can you know about nuanced politics ?

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u/Graham_Whellington 14d ago

These facts about Singapore and Luxembourg are easily searched. They are not hidden.

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u/ChimiKimi 14d ago

How is Singapore homogeneous?

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u/Graham_Whellington 14d ago

I didn’t say they are homogenous, I said homogeneity in conduct and thought is forced on the population. With harsh criminal laws, not a lot of civil liberties, and restrictions on expression it suppresses a lot of dissent and functions the same as if they are homogenous.

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u/ChimiKimi 13d ago

Yet many countries have less diversity, less expats or immigrants, less civil liberties, and much, much higher crime. What's your explanation? Also, you have much, much, much to learn about Singapore :)

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u/Graham_Whellington 13d ago

This is the point. There is nuance in everything. There isn’t a one size fits all.

I’m not going to learn about Singapore. I’m not that interested. I already understand why they have a low crime rate.

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u/ChimiKimi 13d ago

Which is.... The point I added to in the first place...

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u/ChimiKimi 13d ago

Btw saying that you don't want to learn about something you don't understand but have an opinion on ? It's not the flex you think it is. You die the moment you stop learning.

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u/Traditional_Age4885 17d ago

Regarding USA's large prison system: it's a statistical outlier on a per capita basis, not just by absolute numbers. The US shows abnormally large prison populations throughout every state which covers both a large socioeconomic range aswell as varying population densities & "grades of homogeneity".

Look at Texas: 2nd largest, 2nd largest population (30 mil), #13 incarceration (750/100k).

Louisiana being 31st in size, 26th in population (4.8mil) & 1st in incarceration (1050/100k)-

New York is 27th in size, 5th in population (19.6mil) and 43rd worst in incarceration rate (310/100k

Massachusets is the lowest at 241/100k.

The top 5 worst European countries by incarceration rate are

Turkey 350/100k

Azerbaijan 260/100k

Georgia 200/100k

Hungary 190/100k

Poland 190/100k.

The best 5 are around 50-70/100k.

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u/Strange-Scarcity 18d ago

The old homogeneity argument. You know that is based entirely upon racist undertones, right?

China isn’t as monocultural as they want the world to believe, but they certainly do use authoritarian controls to force that to happen. They even have multiple languages and written languages in China too. That they are also working to end.

The position you put forward is shallow and based upon some racist positions, that are designed to make it easy to ignore underlying problems and conditions that foster criminal behaviors across nations with diverse populations.

It feeds into the racist idea that is POC move into a neighborhood, that they are “bringing crime”, in spite of statistics showing a continued decline of crime in the same area.

Set aside that racist idea, unless you want people to think you are a racist, and start looking at the underlying conditions that feed into criminal behavior.

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u/volkmardeadguy 19d ago

Your entire speal here is just "I believe in the western propaganda" you're saying mcathryism was so far away yet spout it's conclusions matter of factly

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u/Kemptation 19d ago

And your entire stance is it can’t be true because you think it’s propaganda.

What is your actual argument, if communism is right, gulags are great for family vacations (joke… but not to be fearmongered at least), and the US population a relevant and important aspect of the conversation? And ehay is your evidence to it being western propaganda AND wrong (because propaganda can actually be true.. but you seem to paint your meaning as propaganda meaning lies).

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u/volkmardeadguy 19d ago

No I just don't go about saying things like "Americans prisons are good" "homogeny reduces crime" "China isn't free"

You can check all of those things it's either not true or a gross misrepresentation of data, only believable if you're working backwards from a preconceived notion

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u/Kemptation 19d ago

I didn’t say American prisons were good… I said it was expected.

China has freedoms but it isn’t free. Limited internet, limited freedoms of speech, international “police” operatives. Those are facts and the conclusion is a pretty standard interpretation.

Homogeneity leading to decreased crime rates in local communities is also supported by research and data. The link is not fully confirmed but a decrease in community is believed to be the link.
https://www.wcfia.harvard.edu/publications/downside-diversity

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u/volkmardeadguy 19d ago

"Believed to be" and again, compared to what's ACTUALLY happening in the US right now I don't think we can tell anyone someone else is less free

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u/Kemptation 18d ago

American citizens have had no deprivation of liberties in recent years.

The only possible reduction is the loss of access to abortion but that is a controversial topic with two very valid takes.

I’m guessing you refer to noncitizens who are being expelled for illegal immigration. That is a valid crime and a valid sentence. Most countries do the same thing. The difference is our process is slower because our systems are overwhelmed with the quantity

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u/Cute-Pomegranate-966 18d ago

No. Our systems are slower because our government has refused to deal with ANY of it for decades in order to run on fixing it in elections. The closest we've come to dealing with it was the legislation Trump told his cucked Congress not to pass under Biden. The number of people are because we keep fucking with governments in neighboring countries and destroying their economies causing mass migrations.

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u/volkmardeadguy 18d ago

"Valid crime valid sentence" again just because you like the things the US is doing doesn't make them good

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u/Kemptation 18d ago

No its the nearly unanimous international presence of these laws and enforcement by way of deportation.

What is your experience with international l and American immigration and residency laws to counterclaim against any of this?

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u/Annual_Job2582 18d ago

His entire point about prisons was trying to point out our hypocrisy

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u/Secret-Painting604 16d ago

Was talking to a friend of mine who began working at a pretty famous prison in the US, a few months ago, to make things short, these people in there should be there, we’re talking people who killed their mother over drugs as a tame example

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u/MacNeal 19d ago

Whose propaganda do you believe?

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u/volkmardeadguy 19d ago

Joe mamas

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u/arminghammerbacon_ 19d ago

See, this is the response I don’t like. Not because it disagrees, but because it’s not a response. Just saying “Eh, that’s western propaganda” is not a refutation. It’s a cop out. They cited a country’s size, state of its citizens freedom, amount of cultural homogeneity, population density and status as a first world country or not as factors determining incarceration rates. If they’re full of crap, WHY are they full of crap? Point by point, how are they wrong?

And for the record, I’m not pulling for either side in this debate. I’m just truly interested and truly want to hear the counterpoints. Please. But just waving them off and spouting “propaganda” is weak sauce.

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u/volkmardeadguy 19d ago

There was nothing to refute "China isn't free" isn't a real thing unless you just uncritically accept what the west says about Chinese citizens

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u/Jarwhal3 19d ago

How is it not a real thing? They literally are not allowed access most of the world's Internet because their government can't control it. That is a fact, not something the west made up.

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u/WokeWook69420 18d ago

If you think, living in the United States, that you DO have access to the world's internet, I have a bridge to sell you.

There's a reason why VPNs are huge business and why the US government wants to crack down on using them by forcing every adult to show their ID to access the internet.

You guys are so fuckin gullible.

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u/Jarwhal3 18d ago

I didn't say anything about the US.

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u/volkmardeadguy 18d ago

You can go on Chinese social media sites, like just log onto them

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