.@brandyzadrozny.bsky.social and I heard tell of so much of this stuff when we were reporting this story about the Epoch Times/Shen Yun/Falun Gong. They all live on a compound and are encouraged to marry elders to stay in the country. Their existence is shocking. www.nbcnews.com/tech/tech-ne... - ThreadSky

bencollins.bsky.social • 9 days ago

[email protected] and I heard tell of so much of this stuff when we were reporting this story about the Epoch Times/Shen Yun/Falun Gong.

They all live on a compound and are encouraged to marry elders to stay in the country. Their existence is shocking.

https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/tech-news/trump-qanon-impending-judgment-day-behind-facebook-fueled-rise-epoch-n1044121

Comments

ocelots1.bsky.social•9 days ago

This is the wildest current cult situation to me. It’s even crazier how mainstream the Epoch Times has become over the last 10 years or so.

iaindooley.com•9 days ago

Falun Gong is an interesting case study in propaganda, because growing up I would see them protesting around the place and meditating and took their allegations of brutal torture at face value. Then I found out they’re basically like the Scientologists of China and trumpy libertarians

iaindooley.com•9 days ago

Watching libertarianism evolve into fascism so brazenly in the US has made me rethink a lot of the knee jerk “China bad” type opinions that have been drilled into me throughout the years

kaitensatsuma.bsky.social•8 days ago

The Shen Yun propaganda depends heavily on American ignorance of even the most basic Chinese History: I would treat people who thought life was better during the Qing the same way I treat White South Africans.

"Why, how many people did your family kill for your own financial security?"

phasmatic.bsky.social•8 days ago

These guys make Scientology look like a book club. They make those breakaway Warren Jeffs mormons look like United Methodists.

If your study abroad group wants to hold onto your passport for safekeeping, that is a Red Flag, people.

tri-stan.bsky.social•9 days ago

Is it all child abuse and sex crimes?

rotanen.bsky.social•9 days ago

I'm astounded that so many businesses put up Shen Yun posters in their windows.

begferdeth.bsky.social•9 days ago

The shen Yun guys often don't ask... just put a pile of leaflets on the desk while nobody is looking and walk off.

kaitensatsuma.bsky.social•8 days ago

Yeah, but it is a decision to leave them there.

zebathome.bsky.social•9 days ago

They take them at face value, that it is a dance troop.

bencollins.bsky.social•9 days ago

Yeah, they just don't know, and the people handing them out portray it as innocuous.

jaql.net•9 days ago

it's so funny that they had a failed Chinese theme park near Disney world that eventually got bulldozed and turned into a huge Margaritaville timeshare

skraegorn.bsky.social•9 days ago

And when Jimmy was still around he’d even give free concerts there! (RIP)

kaitensatsuma.bsky.social•9 days ago

"Maybe the people worshipping the time when China was under the Iron Heel of Britain, Russia, America and several other powers because 'AT LEAST BACK THEN WE HAD AN EMPEROR' aren't objective about history?"

patrickndg.bsky.social•9 days ago

Surprise! They must have a ridiculous postering budget: they had a show here in April, and had been wallpapering the city with posters for 6 months previous. from highway billboards to community billboards.

beatopuente.bsky.social•9 days ago

I remember in undergrad in the early oughts, them putting up a falun gong table next to the Amnesty one I was working and digesting the uncomfortable realisation that China’s abusive oppression remained wrong but holy fuck is that cult ever culty, even for a cult!

grumpyrootbeer.bsky.social•9 days ago

Yeah, that's the thing about Falun Gong: you eventually realize the Chinese authorities were kind of right to try to shut them down, they just did it in maybe the last effective way they could have picked.

disorderlybrdrline.bsky.social•9 days ago

The sad part isn't that a religion has turned people into slaves. These days, that seems to be the norm.

What's shocking is just how much money they have accumulated.

At last estimate they have $250,000,000 in the bank.

dchaloux.bsky.social•9 days ago

They also absolutely freak out if they catch wind of anyone calling them (or this show) a cult.

Totally normal behavior.

breadedhamster.bsky.social•9 days ago

Anti-communists and child abuse, a classic pairing.

mattenloe.bsky.social•9 days ago

Snitch tagging @brandyzadrozny.bsky.social because she's the best and because the dot thing doesn't work here like it did on Twitter

brandyzadrozny.bsky.social•9 days ago

thanks guys this made me feel good <3

mattenloe.bsky.social•9 days ago

Any time bestie. Come visit Chicago pls

richburroughs.dev•9 days ago

Hell yes she is

bencollins.bsky.social•9 days ago

Darnit.

bracing.bsky.social•9 days ago

Can confirm! Please follow her

slowpuke.bsky.social•9 days ago

I remember the one time I got an Epoch Times issue on my doorstep and was floored. The city of Toronto allows Falun Gong members to shut down entire roads downtown to do marches and it’s appalling.

pishibrishi.bsky.social•9 days ago

Yep. It's worrisome. They would stage uninterrupted "die-ins" on college campuses that quickly thwart other kinds of protest. Growing up, I remember that people who came here from HK in the 80s/90s were aggressively targeted. More recently, the influence of the Epoch Times led to vaccine hesitancy

pishibrishi.bsky.social•9 days ago

in some local seniors. There was a huge effort made by community members to fight that propaganda and get them protected in 2021. Hell, Epoch Times used to be in my community library. They even own a cable channel that's in free preview for a good 6 months a year (and airs Shen Yun, of course).

an0nym0u53.bsky.social•9 days ago

Two things. First, Falun Gong is absolutely a cult. The CCP was correct about this. Second, that does not mean you get to steal their organs.

m3hp3dl.bsky.social•9 days ago

So many weirdos and criminals love Trump it's hard to keep track.

drew.rw•9 days ago

Just like Up with People!

asperasbompar.bsky.social•9 days ago

These folks announced they were bad when they got into NYC politics claiming Comptroller candidate John Liu was a Chinese Communist (he's Taiwanese and worked in banking). I feel almost certain they were paid by the opposing candidate to spread the rumor in the Chinese community.

rootrot1519.bsky.social•9 days ago

these guys, moonies, mormons, dozens to hundreds of others, is any country as welcoming to cults as america?

alajon.bsky.social•9 days ago

using .@ here is unnecessary and actually breaks things. the comment doesn't only go to people's feeds that are following both you and the person tagged like on twitter.

grungehamster.bsky.social•9 days ago

gtoe.bsky.social•9 days ago

They're in Honolulu again. Heavy rotation TV ads. $$.
Who the hell goes to these things? They're here every few years. 🤔 Journalism sucks here, and bc of the heavy ad buy, news stations here are reluctant to cover. They're pretty lazy & most news coverage here is via press release.