Does China Have More Freedom Than the United States?
Posted3 months agoActive3 months ago
cyrusjanssen.substack.comOtherstory
controversialmixed
Debate
60/100
ChinaFreedomPoliticsComparative Analysis
Key topics
China
Freedom
Politics
Comparative Analysis
The article 'Does China Have More Freedom Than the United States?' sparks a debate on the concept of freedom and its comparison between the two countries, with commenters questioning the author's perspective and methodology.
Snapshot generated from the HN discussion
Discussion Activity
Light discussionFirst comment
53m
Peak period
2
1-2h
Avg / period
1.7
Key moments
- 01Story posted
Sep 26, 2025 at 10:49 AM EDT
3 months ago
Step 01 - 02First comment
Sep 26, 2025 at 11:42 AM EDT
53m after posting
Step 02 - 03Peak activity
2 comments in 1-2h
Hottest window of the conversation
Step 03 - 04Latest activity
Sep 26, 2025 at 6:42 PM EDT
3 months ago
Step 04
Generating AI Summary...
Analyzing up to 500 comments to identify key contributors and discussion patterns
ID: 45387153Type: storyLast synced: 11/17/2025, 1:16:43 PM
Want the full context?
Jump to the original sources
Read the primary article or dive into the live Hacker News thread when you're ready.
Without it, how can you trust official (or even unofficial) polls and reports? With such heavy surveillance and lack of real privacy, people rarely say what they actually think.
> "In every one of these categories, Chinese responses far outpaced those from Western nations."
I bet. Makes you wonder what would happen if they answered differently. I'm 100% sure the results are honest!
> (in US) "As a result, many people remain in jobs they find to be miserable just to keep their insurance, since without it they might not be able to afford life-saving treatments."
That’s almost funny - as if in China everyone has their dream job. Good thing Amnesty International and other organizations haven’t found any abuses or forced labor there; oh wait...
When it comes to movement, healthcare, and housing — it's striking that the hukou (户口) system still ties people to their birthplace. Sure, you can travel and even live elsewhere, but in practice you lose access to social benefits like healthcare or public schooling for your kids. This isn't some small exception - we're talking about hundreds of millions of migrant workers in cities who live as a "second category" of citizens. Formally free to move, but with limited rights.
Sorry, but the article reads more like propaganda than analysis - calling something "freedom" that, in reality, is not.
Now tell me this is equivalent to freedom.
All the other points to attack this might be misleading remarks.