Two things can be true at the same time. In the case you brought up, imperialism done by both China and the West are illegitimate. I am stating the obvious fact that accusations done by Western politicians and ideologues are self-serving. If accusations are self-serving and have no weight, they become illegitimate. Rightful accusations of authoritarianism against Western countries are automatically labelled as illegitimate by such people because the target is the west.
It appears to be an appeal to hypocrisy. But to clarify what I am saying, the accusations of authoritarianism and totalitarianism by such people is always self serving hence their accusation is illegitimate. There are instances of clear authoritarianism such as when @HikingVet@lemmy.ca brought up the Uyghers. It does not mean that the accusation is still illegitimate.
To make an analogy, a broken clock is right twice a day. So two times in the day the time shown on the clock is correct. For those two times of the day, the objective time of day matches what the clock is saying. The statement made by the broken clock does not give you the objective time, rather by accident the objective time matches with the clock. For the entire day excluding those two times when the clock is correct, we can both agree that the statement made by the clock is illegitimate because the clock is wrong. For the brief moment when they agree, I would still argue that the reading from the clock is illegitimate because it is a broken clock. To know that they agree, we have to have another source to tell us not the broken clock by itself.
The accusation about hypocrisy is more the fact that if nothing happens to the West for doing what we do, then why should China? It’s simple rule of law stuff really.
And my example from my original comment is about how China treats billionaires not about it’s imperialism. If China was aligned to Western interests (i.e. protect billionaires) but are authoritarian to other peoples (e.g. Uyghers), the west would not declare China as authoritarian.
Good example is Morocco that is authoritarian, especially against Western Shara, but no such accusation leveled against them in diplomatic foreign affairs.
Two things can be true at the same time. In the case you brought up, imperialism done by both China and the West are illegitimate. I am stating the obvious fact that accusations done by Western politicians and ideologues are self-serving. If accusations are self-serving and have no weight, they become illegitimate. Rightful accusations of authoritarianism against Western countries are automatically labelled as illegitimate by such people because the target is the west.
It appears to be an appeal to hypocrisy. But to clarify what I am saying, the accusations of authoritarianism and totalitarianism by such people is always self serving hence their accusation is illegitimate. There are instances of clear authoritarianism such as when @HikingVet@lemmy.ca brought up the Uyghers. It does not mean that the accusation is still illegitimate.
To make an analogy, a broken clock is right twice a day. So two times in the day the time shown on the clock is correct. For those two times of the day, the objective time of day matches what the clock is saying. The statement made by the broken clock does not give you the objective time, rather by accident the objective time matches with the clock. For the entire day excluding those two times when the clock is correct, we can both agree that the statement made by the clock is illegitimate because the clock is wrong. For the brief moment when they agree, I would still argue that the reading from the clock is illegitimate because it is a broken clock. To know that they agree, we have to have another source to tell us not the broken clock by itself.
The accusation about hypocrisy is more the fact that if nothing happens to the West for doing what we do, then why should China? It’s simple rule of law stuff really.
And my example from my original comment is about how China treats billionaires not about it’s imperialism. If China was aligned to Western interests (i.e. protect billionaires) but are authoritarian to other peoples (e.g. Uyghers), the west would not declare China as authoritarian.
Good example is Morocco that is authoritarian, especially against Western Shara, but no such accusation leveled against them in diplomatic foreign affairs.
Or in the words of Yes Minister:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7hsNfNM0SvE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1EvBS_sbPbc