The OP to me was framing it in a way that “China Bad”, and that sort of thought terminating rhetoric is what gets us into terrible situations in the first place.

Calling out that two western “bastions” of democracy like the US and UK are going through similar struggles right now, re-frames the comment to show how silly calling out China for this as if western countries don’t also have their flavor of the same thing, really is.

Every country has their problems. Saying China doesn’t let you say bad things about China so that’s why you shouldn’t live in a country that pays for your healthcare, ensures its people aren’t starving, has a great educational system, amazing public transportation, is investing heavily in STEM, and is paying a wild salary rate while you’re there; is just a silly comment because there’s a lot of countries that don’t let you do that now, with more popping up every day.

Can’t say anything about freeing Palestine in the UK or you’ll get arrested though.

Also true of the US and UK right now.

We definitely know.

Can’t do anything about it at the moment though. They’ve kept us so poor we can’t even afford to protest in a way that doesn’t put a lot of people’s livelihoods at risk.

Fuck religion and authoritarian governments that use it as an excuse to keep the population cowed and under educated.