Folks in the west, it's scary to see the epidemic coming & your politicians aren't prepared, but pls refrain from concluding that govts like China are doing a better job because they are authoritarian. 1/5
This is the first pandemic on social media. In democracies you're seeing people venting their frustrations, voicing diverse opinions (flu vs not flu), you're seeing politicians fail and fumble in real time. It's messy, but that's how democracy works. 2/5
You're lucky you can criticize your govt w/o fear. In #China people are trying so hard to tell the truth. I don't have to mention how the govt covered up the epidemic; Chinese people are still trying to speak up, going as far as using *Morse code*: hongkongfp.com/2020/03/13/cor… 3/5
In Italy, the Prime Minister says, “We live in a system in which we guarantee health and the right of everyone to be cured.” In China, health care is unaffordable and highly inequitable. Read @suilee's harrowing report on having cancer in #China: nytimes.com/2018/11/11/bus… 4/5
We can beat the epidemic while respecting rights. Some Asian countries, esp. Taiwan, are shinning examples in this difficult time which tests our values: nbcnews.com/health/health-…
Human rights = maximized overall well-being in society. END
Human rights = maximized overall well-being in society. END
