Information & Chat > The Expatriate Life: Living in the FSU, Asia or Elsewhere
Would You Prefer a Western Democracy or Authoritarian Rule Like Putin or Xi?
Manny:
Prompted by the quote below from another topic.
--- Quote from: rosco on October 21, 2024, 08:21:35 AM ---
--- Quote from: AvHdB on October 19, 2024, 05:20:32 PM ---Ponder this would you prefer to reside in a West (American) oriented ‘democracy’ or something like a V. Putin or X. Jinping authoritarian rule?
--- End quote ---
That's a great question and worth starting a new thread Av? As of today, I would much rather live in my own country and make it an even better place to live. However, we're not on the right path and with our new idiot Government, our vocal woke society, the bed wetting apologists and mass illegal immigration, it's becoming quite unrecognisable. Everything British along with our culture and the family unit is being disassembled.
At this rate, I'll be looking to cash in at some stage down the road and move elsewhere. I know the point you're attempting to make but there's every chance that life in these countries you mention, could be better than our western societies within a few decades. We're pretty broken in the West these days and it's going to take something big to derail the libtard movement.
--- End quote ---
I agree completely with Rosco above, and as noted elsewhere, I am already researching potential locations. I'll be looking at this far more urgently if Labour gets a second term, as the damage will be irreparable then; if it isn't now. But I am slowly putting ducks in rows because the need may come to move quickly if capital controls are introduced or so-called "wealth taxes" or some other Socialist nonsense.
I'd like to challenge the assumption by many in the West, as echoed by AV above, that Russia and China are "authoritarian". Lets look at that word:
Authoritarianism refers to a system of government where power is concentrated in the hands of a single leader or a small group of individuals. In an authoritarian regime:
* Political opposition and individual freedoms are often suppressed.
* There is limited or no political pluralism, with the ruling party or leader exerting significant control over political, social, and economic life.
* Decisions are made without public input or accountability, with dissenting voices being silenced through censorship, intimidation, or force.
* The rule of law is often weakened, and the leadership may control or influence institutions like the judiciary.
I'd argue that we already have most of that in the UK. People are now imprisoned for Tweets, some for demonstrating or showing a "banned" film. The government does what it likes without regard for the manifesto on which it was elected. We have heavy censorship, many websites cannot be reached without VPNs, social media is so heavily policed that free speech is long gone, and the government certainly influences the judiciary. Really, we have ticked most of those boxes already.
I have to use a VPN in the UK to visit some websites; just like in China or Russia. Voting here is currently pretty meaningless, both main parties are two cheeks of the same arse anyway. Labour were voted in on just 20% of the potential votes. Your bank accounts can be frozen with a few keystrokes. You can be de-banked for having the "wrong" political views. We are even pressured under the threat of prison to pay a TV tax to receive left-wing propaganda via the BBC. Even North Korea doesn't charge for its propaganda. :chuckle:
So let's look at quality of life. For a middle-class person in China, the quality of life is quite good. Go to even a middle-tier city like Ningbo, Shenzhen or Changsha and you will be surprised by the infrastructure and how well things work. Nobody tells Westerners this. Those who go for the first time are astonished. A LOT about China is withheld by the media from Westerners. As long as you don't seek to make a nuisance of yourself with political protesting, the rules - while different - are no more onerous than at home for the average person.
Let's look at Russia. The infrastructure falls well behind China, but in larger cities, most things work OK. Petty corruption is still a problem but everyone seems to be used to it. The government doesn't seem to feature heavily in most people's lives. Like the UK in the 80s in many respects. Is the government in your life in Russia? I'd suggest like China or the UK, as long as you don't seek to become the next Navalny, nobody will care.
Each place has its plusses and minuses, depending on what you value the most. I'd argue the food is cleaner in Russia as China has a lot of processed food and/or food of dubious origin. Utility bills are cheap in both. Petrol (gas) is cheaper in both. You can see a doctor or dentist easier and faster in both than in the UK. The technology you will encounter in everyday life will blow your socks off in China compared to the West, and that includes EVs. People aren't living in tent cities in Russia or China. Immigrants are not stabbing people and raping kids with impunity like in Europe. Aggressive Islam hasn't taken over entire cities like in the UK (Islam in Russia seems in no way comparable to Europe. Compare Birmingham and Kazan - chalk and cheese).
Authoritarianism in the West is forever creeping up on us. Yet most people imagine they live in some kind of free democracy, and really, they don't. The US is probably somewhat more free than Europe you could argue. But libtard simpletons seem to run the east and west coasts, relative normality seems to exist in pockets in the middle and the south.
I put it to you that "authoritarian" China or Russia, for average middle-income people, isn't anything like as bad as Western media would have you believe. And in many cases, the quality of life is better.
2tallbill:
--- Quote from: Manny on October 21, 2024, 12:18:52 PM ---
I put it to you that "authoritarian" China or Russia, for average middle-income people, isn't anything like as bad as Western media would have you believe. And in many cases, the quality of life is better.
--- End quote ---
I would always prefer a less authoritarian regime. That has a more consistent
rule of law.
The USA has many, many faults. The US Constitution is one of our strengths.
We have a relatively consistent rule of law. You didn't put up a poll, but I
would live in the West before the East.
rosco:
--- Quote from: 2tallbill on October 21, 2024, 04:39:35 PM ---
--- Quote from: Manny on October 21, 2024, 12:18:52 PM ---
I put it to you that "authoritarian" China or Russia, for average middle-income people, isn't anything like as bad as Western media would have you believe. And in many cases, the quality of life is better.
--- End quote ---
I would always prefer a less authoritarian regime. That has a more consistent
rule of law.
The USA has many, many faults. The US Constitution is one of our strengths.
We have a relatively consistent rule of law. You didn't put up a poll, but I
would live in the West before the East.
--- End quote ---
My question would be, but what if our path continues and our respective countries head for woke ruin and more government. I wouldn't leave today but the trend concerns me. People arrested on Facebook for having an opinion , journalists arrested for reporting the truth, increasing taxes, foreign wars, elite wealth accruement at the expense of the public.
I've been following this bloke on the socials, who's traveling China and quite honestly, there's cities I haven't even heard of that look fantastic. Do I want to move to China or St Petersburg today, no. But if the mess continues and our streets are filled with homelessness, junkies and African/Arab men raping, stabbing and shitting everywhere, there's got to be a question asked at some stage.
There's still parts of the UK and the US, that has been able to insulate itself from what's going on elsewhere and that's all fine and well today. But that wont last forever unless things change sooner rather than later.
Having money helps pretend we dont have problems but the dont have's are starting to get really fed up now,
Contrarian:
Somewhere near St Pete sounds wonderful.
Steveboy always tells me that he'll get a pot of hot tea going for when I arrive. I'd like that. :)
And a hot Russian babe as well please. :laugh:
Manny:
--- Quote from: rosco on October 22, 2024, 07:32:54 AM ---I've been following this bloke on the socials, who's traveling China and quite honestly, there's cities I haven't even heard of that look fantastic. Do I want to move to China or St Petersburg today, no. But if the mess continues and our streets are filled with homelessness, junkies and African/Arab men raping, stabbing and shitting everywhere, there's got to be a question asked at some stage.
--- End quote ---
Well put. When I first went to Ningbo it was just for two nights on my way to elsewhere, and only because one of my main suppliers is based there and they keep inviting me. I wasn't expecting much. I went all over, of course, there are some scruffy bits, but on the whole, I was blown away. I remember standing by the river one warm evening outside a row of bars and restaurants. The city scenery was great. Nobody was screaming or shouting, no drunks, no homeless. It was spotlessly clean and absolutely safe - as China is. I remember thinking to myself, "I could live here quite painlessly". I've just put a short video of that spot on X >>here<< so you can see it.
--- Quote from: rosco on October 22, 2024, 07:32:54 AM ---There's still parts of the UK and the US, that has been able to insulate itself from what's going on elsewhere and that's all fine and well today. But that wont last forever unless things change sooner rather than later.
Having money helps pretend we dont have problems but the dont have's are starting to get really fed up now,
--- End quote ---
It won't take much to start more social unrest. Look at Southport recently. The underclass are like a coiled spring.
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