• barsoap@lemm.ee
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      1 year ago

      It’s a thing that every Chinese knows, that the students weren’t massacred. They were the main force behind the whole thing, it’s not a minor detail. The collective memory, the meaning of the whole thing would be vastly different had they been massacred. It’s more or less a symbol and reminder that you’ll be “invited for a tea” before anything actually bad happens, that shit is oppressive yes but it’s not cultural revolution times where it was nigh impossible to know how you’re even supposed to act, where the limits are. They’re still fuzzy but they’ll be explained to you over a stern cup of tea nowadays.

      It may be a small detail from your POV, it isn’t from the Chinese one.

        • barsoap@lemm.ee
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          1 year ago

          It’s an euphemism, think similar connotations as “offer you can’t refuse”. OTOH might involve actual drinking of drinking-temperature tea, it’s China after all.

            • barsoap@lemm.ee
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              1 year ago

              It’s intimidation that’s for sure. But it’s better than being dragged in front of a random assortment of culture revolutionaries to be judged by whatever standard they come up with today.