This is part 1 – Routine Malarky and Lying Tactics – of the interview.
–
Mr. Liu: Life was good until some incompetent people brought such a crisis upon our society. We have been shut at home for 45 days, and prices are high. I posted a few comments to the community in the chatroom. I was told that I should not have done that.

Reporter: In fact, it means that the people know what the Communist Party is all about.

Mr. Liu: But sometimes people dare not talk about it, and sometimes I would say something. For example, the community staff are saying how tired they are. The newspaper reports that veggies, ribs, etc are cheap. I told the community staff that you should buy more. They said it’s not available. That means someone has been lying. There are two cases when it’s not available. One is false propaganda in the newspaper, a whitewash, and the other is a bad job done by the community staff.

As a resident, I complained to the community hotline. I asked them to be clear to people about the supplies. I said it’s either the newspaper was wrong or the community did not do their job. Since the 22nd of last month, our living expenses have skyrocketed. Now we only eat two meals, three meals would cost more.

Reporter: Life is becoming very stressful, isn’t it?

Mr. Liu: They publicized cheap veggies and pork in newspapers, I only got it once since the 22nd. The rest is all highly priced. But the newspaper said the opposite. People in Qingshan (where Vice Premier Sun Chunlan visited in Wuhan) were shouting “fake, fake”? It’s the same lie everywhere, but we can’t do anything about their lies.

Reporter: Besides lying, they also demand a grateful attitude. How does this work?

Mr. Liu: Do we dare to be honest in China? If you talk too much and tell the truth, you’ll be taken away. You see many WeChat usernames, The Dawn, Dawning, and the like. With the real name registration, it’s very difficult.

Before the city was locked down, we could spend 3,000 yuan ($431.21) a month on living expenses. Now we need at least 4,500 yuan ($646.82). And yet, the supplies are not sufficient. We are locked at home and have no way to buy them.

A pass is money, it means a lot of money. You can sell it for a high price.

Reporter: Who can get this pass?

Mr. Liu: I don’t know. The community staff told us: “It would require multiple approvals, and we can’t do it.”
(I asked) Who can do it, then?
“It would be those who work for the government or people who help the community according to policies and regulations.”
(I asked) So can I help the community?
They said: “We already have people.”

When we see a problem, we should present the problem to the community. But those who are afraid to do that would ask why we’re doing it. What do you say about living in this weird life circle?

Now the community says it clearly: “None is available. We can’t help.”

(I said) You should tell us that your supplies are tight. You should not lie to us, or have us fight for food. Now the sources are scarce, and we are all fighting. Why do you have to make others fight? Open up the channels. In other regions, a lot of produce in the big market doesn’t sell. But we have nothing to eat here.

Many online videos show cheap vegetables in the big market. The wholesalers can’t get a deal for cucumber even at a price of two or three dollars ($0.28 or $0.43) for half a kilo. It’s 8 yuan ($1.15) here. Barely anything is supplied at a cheap price.