It's sad that in America the only way we get interesting performance art like traditional Chinese dance is because of millions of dollars from the NED/USAID to promote anticommunist propaganda. Like, if you ever wonder why there aren't more traveling dance troupes with the reach of Shen Yun, it's because the model is inherently unprofitable under late-stage capitalism. They can only do it because of insane government handouts.

A functional country would have a Department of Arts and Culture, but the only arts and culture the U.S. government funds is media that benefits another goal of the U.S. state through changing public opinion.

[–] bobs_guns@lemmygrad.ml 24 points 2 months ago (1 children)

It's a mid as hell Chinese opera and dance production that's basically a bunch of anti-communist propaganda run by the Falun Gong, who in addition to the anti-communism are well known for their homophobia, transphobia, racism (including believing that race mixing is a sin, that mixed race people should be exterminated, and that heaven is racially segregated), promotion of unfounded and harmful medical quackery and organ harvesting conspiracy theories, practice of qi gong in public parks, and probably some other whacked out things that I'm forgetting.

[–] mao_dun@lemmygrad.ml 7 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (1 children)

qi gong/modified tai chi and meditation practices (by themselves) are at worst harmless, but unfortunately that cult uses that as a front/excuse/cover to describe and advertise as their primary activities, and they even go as far to ascribe spirituality to those activities and ~~synthesize~~ syncretize them into their belief system, particularly their version of faith healing.

Like it's not even medical quackery it's straight up faith healing, or rather, they believe that if you come down with bodily sickness, it's a reflection of impurity in your thoughts/belief/practices. And furthermore, you shouldn't even touch (evil, something to do with aliens/ufos) modern medicine at all: if you believe in their cult leader enough and do the Correct Practices and think the most pure/correct Thoughts particularly about their cult leader you will be healed. If you fail to be healed through FLDF practice it means you didn't do enough. Worse, part of that "good deeds/practices" to idk up your spirit points would be to contribute labor to cult activities (for example proselytizing, putting up flyers, writing, etc, all for no monetary pay)... in order to 'heal'!!!

iirc this belief system was AMONG the main reasonS they got kicked out of the PRC, family members of FLG "practitioners" lodged many complaints to the government that their loved ones were dying of colds and easily curable diseases as well as refusing cancer screenings/treatments.

[–] bobs_guns@lemmygrad.ml 5 points 2 months ago

Yes, the qi gong is not sinister in itself, but is a mostly harmless cult recruitment activity (outside the fact that it's recruiting for a cult.)

[–] REEEEvolution@lemmygrad.ml 13 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

Dance troupe of chinese Sicientology.

[–] marl_karx@lemmygrad.ml 4 points 2 months ago

Falun Gong musical piece