The American and French coverage of the 2019 Hong-Kong protests fawning over the protesters’ ingenuity and solidarity reminds me that I loathe when Occidentals (it’s always Occidentals) praise Asians (it’s always Asians) for examples of efficiency (clean subways, on-time trains, public apologies, etc…) without addressing the massive cultural difference that enables this efficiency: a focus on community rather than individuality.
But this isn’t magic or free, I expect this focus to come at certain personal costs that Occidentals don’t otherwise have to bear. This is why individualism is easy to sell: everyone can see the benefits for themselves and easily overlook the fuzzy incurred costs for the community.
Initially published on Friendica: https://friendica.mrpetovan.com/display/735a2029-135d-5ff0-284f-85c133603623