This kind of thing is honestly why I don't think Chinese dissidents will succeed.
It's not a moral statement. I'm coming at it from a #marketing point of view.
It's not a moral statement. I'm coming at it from a #marketing point of view.
https://twitter.com/WilliamYang120/status/1376003499066990599
1. You have an EXTREMELY narrow window of attention from the average person and must make a memorable, coherent statement in that time.
What's it gonna be?
"China bad"?
"Don't trust the CCP but trust us, we're not like those other Chinese"?
"Human rights good"?
What's it gonna be?
"China bad"?
"Don't trust the CCP but trust us, we're not like those other Chinese"?
"Human rights good"?
1 is self-defeating.
2 is automatically suspect.
3 is ill-defined and opens you up to the criticism that you've been overly Westernized.
There is no hand to play that doesn't look lame to a neutral bystander.
2 is automatically suspect.
3 is ill-defined and opens you up to the criticism that you've been overly Westernized.
There is no hand to play that doesn't look lame to a neutral bystander.
2. Nobody WANTS to believe this.
People want to believe in power as just, or reasonable, or accessible.
Power in this case is China. The reward for believing in China is access to the world's largest market.
The reward for believing dissidents is access to a few tiny islands.
People want to believe in power as just, or reasonable, or accessible.
Power in this case is China. The reward for believing in China is access to the world's largest market.
The reward for believing dissidents is access to a few tiny islands.
Sure, there are countries like the US (a formal ally of Taiwan) that want to believe in human rights and the goodness of all people and the wickedness of communism.
But the US is not a neutral party.
The purpose of #marketing is to win over neutral parties.
But the US is not a neutral party.
The purpose of #marketing is to win over neutral parties.
3. The stakes here are nuclear war.
Even IF you get buy-in from a majority of people in Australia, North America, Europe, Africa - so what?
They can't seriously interfere without potentially triggering a global nuclear war.
Your ask is too high.
Even IF you get buy-in from a majority of people in Australia, North America, Europe, Africa - so what?
They can't seriously interfere without potentially triggering a global nuclear war.
Your ask is too high.
https://twitter.com/moritheil/status/1198021581454352384
The key to all historically successful rights campaigns - women's suffrage, gay marriage, trans rights - is convincing people that it will cost them NOTHING to grant you rights.
It's never true, but your success depends on this fiction.
That is completely off the table here.
It's never true, but your success depends on this fiction.
That is completely off the table here.
4. Aside - I often see activists in the US criticizing, say, Malaysia, arguing that the Asian Islamic community has not done enough to make China's actions internationally unacceptable.
I'm disagree; I think the acts of Malaysia and other countries are sophisticated and wise.
I'm disagree; I think the acts of Malaysia and other countries are sophisticated and wise.
The world does not operate on some kind of benign rule of free speech everywhere. The Chinese even have a saying, "you can eat as you please, but you can't just say anything as you please."
If you live in Asia and piss off China, can you bear the consequences?
If you live in Asia and piss off China, can you bear the consequences?
Remember that a country is not a person. A person can piss off the government of China, flee to London, and use his advanced degree and sympathetic connections to have a decent lifestyle.
An entire country cannot get up and leave.
An entire country cannot get up and leave.
So again: what are the BENEFITS to believing the tales of genocide, versus the DEMERITS?
If you believe, even if you wage holy war, can you change the outcome?
Only idiots announce their beliefs publicly and take no action.
If you believe, even if you wage holy war, can you change the outcome?
Only idiots announce their beliefs publicly and take no action.
Indonesia isn't strong enough for that right now. Malaysia isn't strong enough for that. Singapore isn't strong enough. Taiwan isn't strong enough; that's why they want help in the first place!
So the Asian community waits, and gathers strength.
So the Asian community waits, and gathers strength.
And this is without even going into the reasons to doubt. Some of the witnesses are apparently tainted by connection to the CIA or other agencies, which is not helping the international coalition building at all.
If you already don't want to ruin your country for justice, how much less do you want to ruin it to be a pawn of the American elite?
Do you really think no one was paying attention to the Iraq War?
If the US gov lied once for their interests, won't they possibly do it again?
Do you really think no one was paying attention to the Iraq War?
If the US gov lied once for their interests, won't they possibly do it again?
I am not saying that I know for certain what is or isn't true.
Rather, all of the above reasons add up to a compelling argument for inaction in the short term, until more strength is acquired and until more information can be found on what is really going on.
Rather, all of the above reasons add up to a compelling argument for inaction in the short term, until more strength is acquired and until more information can be found on what is really going on.
And this argument MUST be overcome if you want anyone to take action.
It's a massive hurdle, and from a #marketing standpoint basically unwinnable except on the flimsiest "someone ought to do something!" level.
And so that's all you'll get.
It's a massive hurdle, and from a #marketing standpoint basically unwinnable except on the flimsiest "someone ought to do something!" level.
And so that's all you'll get.
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