this post was submitted on 24 Dec 2025
642 points (98.1% liked)

World News

51476 readers
3122 users here now

A community for discussing events around the World

Rules:

Similarly, if you see posts along these lines, do not engage. Report them, block them, and live a happier life than they do. We see too many slapfights that boil down to "Mom! He's bugging me!" and "I'm not touching you!" Going forward, slapfights will result in removed comments and temp bans to cool off.

We ask that the users report any comment or post that violate the rules, to use critical thinking when reading, posting or commenting. Users that post off-topic spam, advocate violence, have multiple comments or posts removed, weaponize reports or violate the code of conduct will be banned.

All posts and comments will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. This means that some content that violates the rules may be allowed, while other content that does not violate the rules may be removed. The moderators retain the right to remove any content and ban users.


Lemmy World Partners

News !news@lemmy.world

Politics !politics@lemmy.world

World Politics !globalpolitics@lemmy.world


Recommendations

For Firefox users, there is media bias / propaganda / fact check plugin.

https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/media-bias-fact-check/

founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS
 

Video shows Gen Xu Qinxian explaining why he refused to deploy troops to crush 1989 student-led demonstrations

Rare footage of a People’s Liberation Army (PLA) general who defied orders to lead his troops into Tiananmen Square and crush the 1989 student protesters has been leaked online, offering a highly unusual glimpse into the upper echelons of the military at one of the most fraught moments in modern Chinese history.

General Xu Qinxian’s refusal to take his troops from the PLA’s prestigious 38th Group Army, a unit based on the outskirts of Beijing, into the capital has been the stuff of Tiananmen lore for decades.

The six-hour video recording of Gen Xu’s court martial hearing the next year sheds light on the rare act of defiance. In the video, Xu said he refused because he did not want to become “a sinner in history”.

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[–] AstaKask@lemmy.cafe 89 points 4 days ago (5 children)

Good man. Too bad China kills good people. It's a horrible empire.

[–] Nurse_Robot@lemmy.world 88 points 4 days ago (3 children)

It seems like all empires are horrible to me. Humans suck, especially when they have power

[–] nogooduser@lemmy.world 20 points 3 days ago (2 children)

Yeah.

There’s lots of instances throughout history that prove that humans with power suck.

I like to think that it’s because nice people aren’t the type to accumulate power rather than power corrupts nice people who do get power.

[–] Rekorse@sh.itjust.works 16 points 3 days ago (1 children)

I think we make the mistake of letting people govern groups of people that they are too distant from to care about. Leaders are essential, but they have to care about the people they lead. I dont think its actually possible to care about people a thousand miles away the same way as the people in your community. I think this is why the largest countries that are controlled by the fewest people have the most problems. Its a delegation issue essentially.

[–] Jaberw0cky@lemmy.world 1 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Why are leaders essential? I would say just the opposite, leaders are unnecessary and inherently dangerous. Anyone seeking a leadership position is a red flag.

[–] Rekorse@sh.itjust.works 2 points 2 days ago

Because putting people with good judgment in leadership roles improves the lives of everyone. I suppose that doesn't make them essential though.

[–] Natanael@infosec.pub 4 points 3 days ago

Power corrupts insecure people

[–] Sine_Fine_Belli@lemmy.world 2 points 3 days ago

I agree, that’s why all empires must die

[–] drmoose@lemmy.world 1 points 3 days ago

It's a flaw of empires in general. They become this pervasive machine where ends always justify the means and there's just too much power and slow rare of change. Just a bad system no matter how you look at it.

[–] AugustWest@lemmy.world 29 points 4 days ago (1 children)

A good point. Though I was surprised to read this particular dissident only got 5 years in prison and exile from Beijing.

[–] CosmoNova@lemmy.world 27 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago)

Seems like standard procedure to higher ups in China. They did something similar to Xi Jinping‘s father when he spoke out against a violent solution for the protests. Too bad Xi learned all the wrong lesson‘s from his dad‘s political exile.

[–] UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.world 7 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Too bad China kills good people.

He wasn't killed, he was court marshalled and released five years later. He died in '21 at the ripe old age of 85

[–] angrystego@lemmy.world 6 points 2 days ago (1 children)
[–] UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.world -2 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (1 children)

Protestors burned alive in their APC by the nefarious CCP Street Clothes division

[–] stickly@lemmy.world 7 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Lmfao it doesn't get more tankie than mourning the loss of a fucking tank.

Now let's all laugh about the pictures of actual crushed, shot and mutilated humans [NSFL]. Are these people plain clothes PLA killed by uh... students false flagging as tank drivers?

[–] UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.world -5 points 2 days ago (1 children)
[–] stickly@lemmy.world 3 points 2 days ago

Nice deflection!

But I do agree, seems like you hit your own nerve reading these comments. Having trouble stomaching the fact that blind support for "AES" means cheering for the jack boots running over hunger striking students? Keep digging up conspiracies and excuses, you'll beat that cognitive dissonance eventually.

[–] avidamoeba@lemmy.ca 17 points 3 days ago (1 children)
[–] Rekorse@sh.itjust.works 41 points 3 days ago (2 children)

He went to prison for 5 years and then lived into his 80s.

[–] RickyRigatoni@retrolemmy.com 13 points 3 days ago (2 children)

They killed him in the slowest way possible 😔

[–] Rekorse@sh.itjust.works 8 points 3 days ago (1 children)

We put him in the time machine but it only goes forwards at normal speed!

[–] Tja@programming.dev 4 points 3 days ago

I build a time machine that allows you to travel into the future at 60 seconds per minute.

[–] SpookyBogMonster@lemmy.ml 2 points 2 days ago

The CCP is slowly killing us all right now, with the passage of time 😔

[–] axh@lemmy.world 3 points 3 days ago

With a clear continence.