Deadly Fire in China Leads to COVID Restriction Protests Nationwide

Chairman Xi has some big problems to deal with at home and has made increasingly bad decisions. 

First, China’s remarkable growth was made possible by the CCP’s formal endorsement and encouragement of ‘entrepreneurial’ economics fifty years ago - their version of Capitalism where risk taking is encouraged for enterprises that benefit the state and entrepreneurs receive an outsized portion of the proceeds of their successful enterprises. This single change is largely responsible for China’s remarkable economic growth. The economic benefits have been used for widespread education and markedly increased affluence of the Chinese people, generally. The CCP has recently been jailing the more outspoken successful entrepreneurs and taking their assets. 

With the increased affluence of entrepreneurs and the education of the populace, their people can see some of the benefits of democratic freedoms in historically aligned democracies, particularly those in Hong Kong and Taiwan. They want some of the same for themselves, and are increasingly willing to speak truth to power. This is similar to the Arab spring movement. 

Power to the people is the one thing that autocracies cannot survive - their only advantage is that autocratic governments have is their ability to make quick decisions without having to bother with what the people may want. This is a threat to the future of the CCP and, I feel, was the key factor in China’s subjugation of Honk Kong and their renewed threats to Taiwan.

Further, China’s former ‘one child’ family policy and the increased affluence that can come with smaller families has resulted in an aging population and a greatly reduced birth rate even after abandoning the ‘one child’ policy and the affects China’s ability to sustain their economic growth. 

Finally, Chinese nationalism prevents the CCP from accepting Covid vaccinations developed elsewhere, even though the China developed vaccine has not been particularly effective.  That is why the CCP has imposed such draconian total lockdowns sometimes lasting weeks to months, enforced by physical locks and barricades.

The Chinese people’s protests are mischaracterized as a protest against lockdown restrictions. Their protests are about freedoms that they do not have and want to have. The people killed in a fire that fire control equipment could not get to is the trigger for the protests which are really about many issues regarding basic human rights.

The CCP has chosen to tighten the grip that they have on their people instead of doing what their people want - to have the CCP’s grip ‘relaxed’ in order to restore the basic human rights that they desire.

I understand the desire of the Chinese government to try to stop the spread of COVID, but at what cost? Their strict policies have gone on far too long and have damaged the economy and the lives of the people far longer than any other country.

It's time for China to find a better way to manage public health, or the people are right to continue protesting.

I am glad to see the protests are peaceful, though. Violence is never the answer.

This appears to be the only balance in the power of Xi.

China would do a better job balancing the of control of COVID & the economy by changing to a more effective vaccine ' requiring masks than extended lockdowns & involuntary quarantined & hospitalizations.

China has created the problem by refusing to admit their vaccines are only half as effective as others.

US deniers (vaccines, masks, elections, etc) need to take note of what happens when scientific & technical facts are ignored in favor of misinformation & emotion.

 https://myacare.com/blog/comparison-of-covid-19-vaccines

In as far as it no longer seems to be working and may actively be harming people, then yes. Might be time to explore other options.

China should maintain its policy until it is able to vaccinate its population. It has been reported that they only have 4 ICU beds per 100,000 people.

Original Covid virus is a proven killer and still circulating not to mention the variants which are only slightly less dangerous to the vaccinated.

China's CCP has squandered its time and the Sinovaccine does not appear to have an effective efficiency rate.

Time to let the people be free and allow the virus to burn itself out 

All the major media networks are owned and operated by the Chinese ----lopk it 7p if you don't think so--thr is debt is 33 trillion --- how many zero re there in trillion 

I heard they're going to hire Gretchen Whitmer to help with lockdown.

It's quite absurd!  The USA was almost in this situation, thank God for conservatives speaking out and keeping real.  
But the again...  that's the plan to take away our freedoms and basic rights.  

Why is there only one network news station covering this story? You know who it is. China is rolling in the tanks to stop the Chinese people from protesting. The NBA, Apple, our government and Nike aren't saying a word.

When a country decides it's going to unilaterally isolate citizens and prevent their interaction with others by locking them inside buildings with no working exits usable even in case of emergencies it's an abuse of its citizens and a violation of public safety standards.

Not mentioned is how these isolated people are supposed to obtain food or supplies to last through their isolation period. There have been reports of blockades being erected on reports that somebody had possibly been exposed to Covid; without testing or confirmation of infection. The questions are how many more people are going to die either in emergency situations like fires, or by lack of access to food, supplies, healthcare, etc.

There appears to be a lack of consideration of consequences and a senseless devotion (AKA fear of disobeying orders)  to following instructions in spite of possible effects, both of which are possible in an autocratic regime.

China needs to stop with its Nationalism BS and join the rest of the world.

At the same time, producing medications to prevent, ease or cure disease, especially pandemics, proprietary is criminal.

So is it China or Western Pharmaceuticals to blame?

This appears to be a protest against a totalitarian government . The blank sheets of paper began be used after the shut down of the last free newspaper in Hong Kong (called Apple) last year.  Many from the paper's staff have been indicted!

This is what republicans want for our country. No free press.

Sounds as if China's government is about to be over thrown.  This is a country that we need to stay far away from until the "dust has settled".  There is an old saying that states " Give a man enough rope and he will soon hang himself."  That goes for countries as well.  A human being can handle only so much before they stand up for themselves.  We don't need to interfere with this BS.  Let the people of China clean out their own closet and that goes for other countries too.  We don't need to stick our noses into anyone else's business.  When people get "fed up" they will take a stand and that is when the "strongest will survive" no matter what. Maintaining balance in all things is a major law of the Universe.  We all need to remember that fact.  I'm rooting for the people not their government.  The same goes for my own country.  Our governing bodies are nothing to brag about here in the good old USA.  No matter where you are in the world, it still boils down to greed, power, and control of the masses by any means possible.  Thankfully, they cannot silence everybody's thoughts no matter how hard they try.  There will always be some opposition somewhere and there will always be followers.  Wisdom and positivity will win in the long run.  We all need to learn to think for ourself and learn from our mistakes.  As a whole, we can create a better and brighter future for all through compassion and unconditional love.  In the words of the "Jedi", "May the Force be with you."

Yes, BUT...  China has a truly huge population including a large percentage in poverty.  These people are potential fuel for the fire of potentially horrific exacerbation of the Covid Pandemic.  The government must protect against that, but they must also make practical accomodations to keep the general public willing to cooperate.  The current unrest serves no one in the end except to signal to the government that they must change course--at least somewhat.

CAUSES ASKS: "Should China do away with its strict "zero-COVID" policy?" ME:  It is definitely in the best interest of the country to do so.  Above all it is leaving the country with little acquired immunity thereby  making it more succeptible to future pandemics, not particularly of "covid" per-se but also of other SARS varieties.  China's "Please, Mother, I'd rather do it myself" posture regarding it's less effective vaccine likewise leaves a vulnerable population should the government get serious about mitigating it's Covid laws (not to mention missing a sterling opportunity for international cooperation). The hard crackdowns in pursuit of evading Covid are inexcusibly cruel and in cases have been deadly.  No wonder the people are protesting; some have been locked up for months and months.

There's a reason the Biden Administration and the Democrat Party are as quiet as church mice on this.  All of them want to do the same thing here!  All of them want China to show the world, and us, how it's done.

I believe that China should do whatever the Chinese people want.  However, I would not want China commenting on our domestic health policy and therefore do not think we should be commenting on theirs.

It does not work and hurts too much.  The people and the economy suffer.

This was awful!!