An American using the phrase “century of humiliation?” Unlikely…
Comment on 你好!
Objection@lemmy.ml 1 week ago
The American brain drain is gonna suck for people living here but is also very justified and deserved at this point.
The Americans have gotten so complacent about being on top of the world that lots of people don’t think there are any real consequences to anything and just wanna fuck around. We used to be at the forefront of research but now nobody with half a brain would want to come here. We’re heading full speed into a century of humiliation and people are just gonna keep doubling down on ignorance and bigotry as things get worse
Letstakealook@lemm.ee 1 week ago
Objection@lemmy.ml 1 week ago
This is a fair point. We are quite far along on the brain drain already. I suppose I should take the fact that you think I’m too knowledgeable to possibly be an American as a complement. There are, however, still some intellectuals with a basic knowledge of other countries’ history here, the stereotype that were’re all a bunch of backwards hicks and self-centered chauvanists is only mostly correct.
I used the phrase “century of humiliation” intentionally to draw a comparison between the two. If you talk to Chinese people (for example on RedNote) a lot of them will tell you that they care about science and advancement, not just for it’s own sake, but because they have the cultural memory of what happened when they didn’t. The century of humiliation is a big reason why the Chinese have got that dog in 'em when it comes to science, while Americans love toying around with antivax shit and similar anti-science ideas because we’re so used to being on top and none of our actions having consequences.
China had the same kind of backwards traditionalists back in the Qing that we have today, and everyone say that traditional approach get steamrolled by guns and battleships. But we never had that experience. So why not fuck around with forcing Creationism into science textbooks? “What’s the worst that could happen?”
Just as the Qing dynasty was committed to doing things their way and refusing to adapt to changing conditions or learning from other countries, you see similar tendencies in the US today. As your disbelief attests, people don’t look to other countries to understand why they do what they do or to take any lessons from their history. And those who do are regarded as traitors or spies, just like those in the Qing dynasty who advocated for studying and adopting Western science were. Really, there are a lot of parallels between the two, imo.
Lemmygradwontallowme@hexbear.net 1 week ago
I guess Americans don’t read to even a 4th grade level, I guess? shrug-outta-hecks
Letstakealook@lemm.ee 1 week ago
It isn’t something many Americans would be familiar with nor on the front of their mind to use as an expression. That individual is likely Chinese or has an unusual interest in 19th-century Chinese history for an American. There is no need to be a smug asshole about basic facts.
Lemmygradwontallowme@hexbear.net 1 week ago
Lemmygradwontallowme@hexbear.net 1 week ago
That individual is likely Chinese or has an unusual interest in 19th-century Chinese history for an American.
I know its a specific historical term for the rapid decline of Qing-era China, but it’s not being a smug asshole, it’s clearly reading what’s on the tin.
Kuori@hexbear.net 1 week ago
don’t be a coward. if you’re going to accuse someone of something say it outright or fuck off. nobody thinks this coy shit is cute.
Lemmygradwontallowme@hexbear.net 1 week ago
clarification for Kuori’s statement: Letstakealook accuses someone of being un-American, ironic, coming from a European vassal stater who wants father U.S.A to maintain NATO for them
Kumikommunism@hexbear.net 1 week ago
Hilarious to accuse someone of something based on knowing a phrase, while knowing the phrase yourself lmao
Also, the person you’re responding to never claimed to be American. You are inventing things to argue about.
Letstakealook@lemm.ee 1 week ago
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I didn’t.
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“We’re headed full speed into a century of humiliation.”
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tane@lemm.ee 1 week ago
I’m American and I’ve been saying this with glee for weeks now lol
Trollception@sh.itjust.works 1 week ago
That sounds rather unamerican tbh.
tane@lemm.ee 1 week ago
Ohhh nooo not that anything but that
Fredthefishlord@lemmy.blahaj.zone 1 week ago
That is highly dependent on country of origin