The Chinese Communist Party and NYC Pizza

During the Cultural Revolution of the 1960s/1970s (and again just after the Tiananmen Square massacre), a foreigner could commiserate with visiting Chinese citizens re: the awfulness of the regime. The regime was not China, and China wasn't the regime.

At around the same time, strong, ahem, business interests controlled the cheese available to NYC-area slice pizzerias, and a customer could commiserate with pizzeria owners, who were doing their best under the circumstances with crappy cheese.

Time went by. The regime came to feel like China. And crappy cheese came to seem standard for NYC slice pizza.

Now, it's a faux pas to make remarks about the PRC to Chinese nationals - even those not thrilled with the regime - because you're insulting their country. And if you remark about crappy cheese to a pizza maker, you'd anger him/wound his pride.