Based on my examination of my own attitudes about China, I'd say unease/fear about the future actions of the Chinese government may fuel some of my desire to criticize it for issues I may otherwise be indifferent to. While this fear is not based on some underlying dread of the Han people, it is, perhaps, motivated by nationalist instincts that many might disparage.
Self-preservation, especially in the face of a group diametrically opposed to your culture's values, isn't something to be ashamed of. Nationalism is not evil when it is defined inclusively, and not based on immutable characteristics.
I would go further and say that while we shouldn't be ashamed of nationalism, we should draw our boundary wider. We should say that we are proud of, and willing to support, the values we uphold and all people that uphold them, regardless of what country they happen to live in. The people of Hong Kong, for instance, are in serious jeopardy. Simply acquiescing to the influence of the Chinese government allows them to steamroll ever more people, and silence ever more voices in favor of the values countless people have fought and died for.
"When bad men combine, the good must associate; else they will fall, one by one, an unpitied sacrifice in a contemptible struggle" - Edmund Burke
My only long term fear with China is what happens if it collapses. It might last another 100+ years, but dictatorship + immense corruption is not a recipe for stability. China’s internal politics has changed a lot since 1976 and it’s still evolving rapidly.
The explanation with both is that on charged issues people only want figure out if you are with them or against them. If you are neither, they will still try to categorize you as quickly as possible based on a keyword match to their prejudices.
Another pattern I see is that discussions about the CCP quickly devolve into distracting comparisons to problems outside of China. I never see discussions about problems outside of China get distracted by "what about the CCP".
I'm not sure if it's a coordinated distraction campaign designed to make false equivalences; or if it's just American guilt (fostered by the media and schools) losing all perspective.
Let's stay focused. The CCP is a real problem for human rights -- not just for the Chinese people, but for everyone around the world.
This is a good case in point. The parent comment, at the time of my comment, has decent points about how criticism of CCP is treated. And it is itself greyed out due to downvoting. Thus, the OP's point is sustained.
