The Hollow Hypocrisy of China Calling Out the United States
Few things bring out the Irish in me more than the Chinese government dunking on the United States of America.
Like just about every American these days, I’ve got my complaints about the direction of our country and how our government is dealing with the myriad challenges facing us. But, unlike virtually every Chinese citizen, I’m free to express those complaints. Say what you will about the manifest incompetence and dysfunction of our government, but at least—no, wait, that sentence should have ended at “government.”
Consider that among the many shortages imposed upon Americans these days, the national stockpile of fresh insults for the current president is almost exhausted. Stand-up comedians and cable news pundits alike are trotting out recycled “orange man” jokes about his bronzer addiction. But unlike other shortages, government regulation isn’t to blame; it’s simply because people have been mocking President Trump for so long, and so freely, new material is hard to come by.
The same can’t be said about China, where direct criticism of President-for-life Xi Jinping is outlawed. Critics have had to resort to clever workarounds. Images of Winnie the Pooh have been banned for several years because critics started using the rotund fellow as a symbol for Xi.
