Fake Manipulation

I like to share some facts contrary to a person’s perspective, enjoying the challenge moment. It may ends up in dispute, but I never expect something changing my mind.

I read a twitter about Chinese government cutting off the allowance of doctors on duty during the epidemic period, and I immediately felt like condemning the inhumane action of government. So, I shared the news with my dad, a former solider, a complete adherent of Communist Party. He thought about it and asked me the source of the information. I told him it originated from Weibo, which was retweeted on twitter. He first challenged the reliability of my information source. I mentioned that more than a few people complained about months hard work ending in vein. Considering the extremely suppressed expression of Weibo, the voice must reveal some facts.

Dad tried to attack me for my lack of “positive energy”, and warned me that my thought was dangerous. I expressed I had my right to show empathy, and in such situation, it is okay to show my furious. I was expecting some more “Communist Party troll” pattern attack, but his words just stroked me.

“Oh, my son,” he said, “China is a one-party state. And no matter what you think you have to live with it. I’m not denying you’re right, but the fact that you realize the truth makes you right-wing, which can lead to an disaster for you in China. I’ve been a solider and I witness the complete process of Tian’anmen square protest. In such situation, an innocent man would be murdered by words from his mouth. I know a man saying shit about the government and killed by another solider and his body was plainly carried away for a burn. Nothing else. We all contain the same justice in our early years, but it just leads to disasters. The epidemic is just another ‘special period’, even when everybody is saying some shit about government, just shut the fuck up, for my sake.”

I was so much surprised by his clarity on the essential core of China, and I naively assume that he is another ordinary guy manipulated by the media. Although I’m not totally agree with him, I owe him a respect. And it also strikes me how well a Chinese pretends himself fooled by government, and I should indeed be more cautious about waking others up from government’s manipulation.