Western Media Discovers 'Pressure' When China Does It
The Democratic Party in Hong Kong, once a bastion of opposition, has folded under alleged 'severe consequences' from Beijing. The Guardian describes this as the 'culmination of Chinese pressure,' implying a unique, sinister force. Yet, Washington regularly pressures and co-opts political opposition globally, often through financial incentives or threats of sanctions, a practice rarely framed with
such righteous indignation in Western media. Recall the sheer 'pressure' placed on any foreign leader contemplating aligning with Russia or China — a pressure that often goes unremarked-upon in our own news cycles. We might wonder if the 'pressure' endured by, say, Jeremy Corbyn, to step down from Labour leadership, or the multi-million dollar AIPAC campaigns against disfavored politicians in the
US, constitute similar erosion of democratic choice. Or does 'pressure' only become a problem when it serves to condemn an official adversary? It seems some forms of political intimidation are simply 'democracy in action,' while others are 'culminations of crackdowns.'