Comments by "peabase" (@peabase) on "China's National People's Congress begins: What's on the agenda? | DW News" video.

Are the moral implications lost on you? Russia is waging an unprovoked war of aggression on foreign soil, while Ukraine is defending itself against said ruthless foreign invader. Spot the difference?
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Is it a novel concept to you that developed countries see their economic growth plateau? China is still clearly a developing country.
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@1234Mwafrika You're generalising. Executive orders and decrees in general are mostly a US affair. In parliamentary democracies, they're practically unheard of, or strictly reserved for national emergencies.
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@Skyyy Putin must have a very poor grasp of geography. Russia has NATO borders with the Baltic countries, Poland and Norway -- and very soon, Finland - but not Ukraine. Besides, NATO expands by popular consent. And sovereign countries can strike alliances with whomever they want. Until recently, Russia said so repeatedly.
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@robertseaborne5758 You're not setting the bar very high if you compare China to the USA. The US is notorious for having an unusually low life expectancy for a developed country. The lack of universal healthcare is obviously a big factor, as especially the poor tend to die prematurely. Also, politically, the US deservedly ranks as a flawed democracy owing to the de facto duopoly, the extreme polarisation and the widespread distrust in democratic institutions. Why don't you compare China to the best-in-class instead?
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@freeloader247 You said it. Russia broke the UN Charter, and should be booted out of the UNSC for it.
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@1234Mwafrika Who invaded Iraq? Not us.
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It's part and parcel of autocratic regimes. Russia has one, too, in the State Duma. If Putin decides that he wants to become Tsar Vladimir the Greatest, a jubilant State Duma will make it so.
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@jasonjean2901 That's a dumb question and you know it, too. Being classified as either developed or developing depends on gross national income per capita and/or human development index. The IMF, UN and World Bank all consider China a developing country. China doesn't object, since the status comes with nice perks.
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@howluk2901 Sure, why not kick them out of the UNSC, too. But how did we end up discussing the US? Do you have problems focusing or is it because... you're an incorrigible whataboutist?
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@gzkony So decentralise and devolve powers then. At least the US has a measure decentralisation and devolution built-in with its federal structure.
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@robertseaborne5758 Try the Democracy Index and the World Bank's statistics on life expectancy. The world's top democracy is Norway. The US ranks 30th and China... 156th. In life expectancy, Japan tops the charts, the US is 46th and China 51st.
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@robertseaborne5758 You've demonstrated your ability to use Wikipedia, so why not look up 'Democracy Index'? You're still comparing China to the US. My whole point is that you aim higher.
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@robertseaborne5758 So, Norway doesn't have active and passive suffrage? In stark contrast, China is a party dictatorship that outlaws all political competition and where the CCP can overrule the constitution at will. And you think they're even coming close to flawed democracy USA?
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@robertseaborne5758 I know the ins and outs of China's fanciful claims about being democratic. It speaks volumes that China keeps making frantic efforts to redefine democracy in order to make it somehow stick onto what is essentially still a party dictatorship. The truth is, China can't stand international comparisons based on scientific analysis. I could list several others beside the Democracy Index, but I can tell that you can't let go of your preconceived notions.
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@robertseaborne5758 Yup, I rely on internationally respected sources. You rely on CCP-approved ones.
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@robertseaborne5758 Aw, I addressed your paymaster wrongly? I feel your pain.
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