When you compare the bravery of the citizens of China and Iran to the “resist” Blueanon crowd in the US, the contrast is striking.

I used to manage a team in China and travel there a few times a year. One guy on my team, in particular, was very western. He LOVED the US and especially, the NBA (I got to take him to a Celtics game when he came over to the states which was awesome).

When he was in the states or we were on calls together (not on WeChat mind you), we would discuss politics, what was happening in Hong Kong at the time, etc. But, on a trip to China, we were getting coffee one afternoon, and I brought up a topic we had discussed many times before...around the difference between the expectations of Americans to have a government that respects individual liberty vs. the Chinese expectations of a strongman leader, and he got VERY uncomfortable. Later he asked me to not bring up those discussions in public when I’m in China because you never know who’s listening.

I was really taken aback. It was one of those small moments that makes you appreciative to be an American; that I never have to worry about who is listening over my shoulder (other than for the fear of liberal schoolmarms, to wag their finger at me).

Praying for the Chinese people, and hope that at the very least American companies (looking at you, Apple and Google), can stay out of the way and not aid the Chinese government in their repression.