In a follow up to a very popular video I made about how China can actually be FREER than the USA, I decided to talk about the things that you absolutely cannot do in China.
The differences in personal freedoms are real here, and I'd like to break it down.
#5 - DRUGS There is this notion that drug use (particularly cannabis) is becoming a social norm in a lot of western countries. With countries like Portugal decriminalizing, and states in America changing their laws and attitude towards marijuana, you wouldn't be blamed for assuming that this might be a global phenomenon. Unfortunately (depending on your opinion) this is simply not the case in China. China, and many asian countries in general, have responded to the western attitude change by cracking down even harder on the drug, with many high profile cases entering the media. Forced urine tests in bars are a norm here, and punishments are high.
#2 - THE INTERNET I was pretty happy when I moved to China in 2008 when I had almost completely unblocked internet. Sure, pornography was blocked, but for the most part, everything like YouTube and Facebook was accessible. You'd get the impression that things are opening up, and the Communist Party of China is loosening it's grip.
NOPE!
It's never been harder to get around the great firewall, and rumors of more VPN crackdowns make this a pretty scary situation.
#3 - SARCASM Language barriers can make anyone crazy, especially in a country with very little spoken English proficiency. However, language also constructs a lot of our humor, and sarcasm is simply not a thing here in China. It often leads to very confusing conversations.
#4 - GAMBLING Ok, ok... gambling is literally everywhere in China, but it is HIGHLY illegal. As a foreigner, I'd avoid any poker nights involving money, as you might be the target of a crackdown. Not to mention, gambling, especially online gambling, in China is rife with scammers.
#5 - FREEDOM OF SPEECH Most people think that China is a country without freedom of speech. They would be wrong if they are talking about 99% of daily life. China's restrictions come from internet speech, and freedom of assembly. You are pretty much free to say what you want, but if you form a group, or try to speak your mind in protest, that's where things get messy. Criticism of politics is best left between friends here, as doing anything on mass scale will land you in trouble.
Although cannabis is technically illegal in China, there is a huge industry and sanctioned by the government. Cannabis is illegal as a recreational drug but for other purposes it is allowed. See my post if you have time https://steemit.com/cannabis/@marcusxman/growing-cannabis-in-china-is-not-illegal
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Just read it and upvoted. Very interesting stuff. I figured something like this would happen, but I would hazard a guess that if I started growing weed in my backyard, I would most likely go to jail.
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Well if you were one of the privileged in China, I guess you can grow anything. But times are slowly changing and privileged or not Jail it is!
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true!
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It sounds like a jail more than a country.
So, in essence, you are free to complain individually, but not allowed to change what you find wrong?
That is so diminishing...
I hope everything changes really quick and really soon.
And without any mess.
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I doubt it
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Hope dies the last. Keep the faith.
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Great story and vlog as always. I think I've watched every one of them . ❤️
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Thank you so much for watching!
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nice description
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Thank you!
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Good info to know :)
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Ohh Great story and the vlog as always .
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Thank you for checking it out!
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Oh wow laowhy86 on steemit? This day just became wonderful! I watched your videos as a preparation before coming to China and continue to do so when I get through the great firewall once in a while. I love watching your and Proxies adventures.
I am currently in Changde, Hunan where they set up a German Town and am spending my days working here as a Barista.
I recently published my story about my short time as a pleasure boy at KTV and I'd love if you would gift me with a read.
If you want to level up your Steemit game I highly recommend you to join steem speak.com on Discord to connect with other fellow steemians. I'd highly appreciate seeing you there.
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read, upvoted, and enjoyed! Thanks for your support!
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Whey! Thanks and anytime Ji.
Have you already considered posting your videos on dtube.com or view.ly instead of just sharing the youtube Link? Would 1. work on the stolen video / dependence on Google and 2. allow people like me living inside of China's firewall to enjoy watching your videos.
Had a hard time today with your newest video because of the combination of the stricter VPN laws and my slow Chinanet.
Oh and I can confirm the Sarcasm dilemma which is really giving me a hard time here with sarcasm being the language I am most fluent in.
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It's funny with all the laws and social restrictions, China is a lot more free in some ways. I would never have expected that before I came here.
By the way, I watched your video about getting your car taken away. That would have been brutal. I guess that's another thing that goes on the list of things you can do in America that you can't in China (modifications).
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I didn't even think about it like that haha. Very true!
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friend of rootingrobert, saw your post, excellent, you have a new follower andn it's nice to see a non biased take on China as an American without my media demonizing everthing ;)
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Your China videos are interesting....:)
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Hey C-Milk, we now got a Steemit Expat group on Discord with expats living in China and all over the world, to exchange ideas, network, and improve our Steemit game.
I'd love you to join. Feel free to follow this link https://discord.gg/9NwTTM and join us!
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All I'm going to say is that as I sit here in Beijing in 2019 reeling from getting put through the wringer of what passes for a legal system over here for even the faintest suspicion of having passingly "made remarks critical of China," it is clear how long ago this was written. If some clown passing you by on the streets tells the local PSB goons "dees laowai spika not good tings a-baotta dee mah-tee Chah-nah," you get surrounded by the prissy little parade-ground princesses who masquerade as a police force in this third-world pit of a country, and have to fight your way out.
The most ironic thing is that the accusations were made in regards to the one and only venue in the world where I haven't made remarks absolutely lambasting the self-anointed Zhongxin Guojia, namely, t work.
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