Is Anyone Actually Surprised That China Has Blocked Social Media Sites For Tiananmen Anniversary?
from the great-firewall-at-work dept
To be honest, stories about China using its "Great Firewall" to block certain sites are hardly new. They've been happening for years. And yet, tons of people have been submitting variations on the news that China appears to have upped the blockade by including sites like Twitter, Flickr, Hotmail and the new Microsoft search engine Bing, recognizing that it's the 20th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square crackdown which is (not surprisingly) expected to draw quite an online discussion. I wasn't going to write anything about it, but a few thoughts occurred to me, as more and more people submitted it:- Is anyone actually surprised that this has happened? China regularly bans and unbans a variety of different sites, often based on what's happening in the news. To think that it wouldn't raise the gates for such an event seems naive.
- Does it really do any good for the Chinese gov't? It pisses off those who use those services who are in China, certainly, but it also serves to call more attention to the heavy hand of gov't censorship in that country. Now, many don't seem to care one way or another -- and so it doesn't impact those people either way. But for those who do care, it reinforces their feelings about it, but hardly stops news from spreading.
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Filed Under: blocking, censorship, china, great firewall
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mindset
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Re: mindset
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Re: Re: mindset
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Re: Re: mindset
A scorpion and a frog meet on the bank of a stream and the
scorpion asks the frog to carry him across on its back. The
frog asks, "How do I know you won't sting me?" The scorpion
says, "Because if I do, I will die too."
The frog is satisfied, and they set out, but in midstream,
the scorpion stings the frog. The frog feels the onset of
paralysis and starts to sink, knowing they both will drown,
but has just enough time to gasp "Why?"
Replies the scorpion: "Its my nature..."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Scorpion_and_the_Frog
http://www.aesopfables.com/cgi /aesop1.cgi?4&TheScorpionandtheFrog
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not the point
If you don't know the truth, there's nothing to get upset about... which is why the Chicom government manages the news in China.
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frog and scorpion
A scorpion asks a frog for help crossing a river. Intimidated by the scorpion's prominent stinger, the frog demurs.
``Don't be scared,'' the scorpion says. ``If something happens to you, I'll drown.'' Moved by this logic, the frog puts the scorpion on his back and wades into the river. Half way across, the scorpion stings the frog.
The dying frog croaks, ``How could you -- you know that you'll drown?''
``It's my nature,'' gasps the sinking scorpion.
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Re:
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Re:
Their government for the most part stays out of the normal person's life as long as they keep to their own. it's quite nice over there without all the laws and safeties that prevent us from doing lots of things in the US.
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Re: Re: in response to brent.
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>slamming them at every turn. You might understand thing a
>little better.
Mike doesn't need to spend time in China to recognize an oppressive government, just as I don't need to spend time with terrorists to "understand thing a little better" about why they do what they do.
Understanding something doesn't make it anymore right. I may UNDERSTAND why a drunk driver killed my child, but it doesn't make it any more right nor does it bring my child back.
The scorpion and frog analogy is good, but a little off the point.
They do what they do, not because it's their nature - although perhaps it really is at this point - but out of FEAR. The leaders fear expression, freedom and choice. Why? Because people could CHOOSE to overthrow the government and they would lose power. They do what they do to stay in power. It has nothing to do with what is best for China and its people. It's all about what is best for those in power.
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I have spent a fair amount of time in China in the last couple of years (and will visit again next month). The American version of freedom isn't the type of freedom that everyone wants.
Most Chinese people I meet actually take great comfort in known that the Government is working to keep an ordered society in place. They are a remarkably free people, I have only every had one person say to me that they envy my lifestyle. For the most part, they live freely, the work, they do what they want, and they live and eat very well. Their children go to university, the communities are supportive of each other, and generally things work out okay.
No, things in China are not like they are in the West in certain situations, but I have never run into a situation where something could not be done because of a stupid regulation, the reasons are often intelligent and show forethought in assumring that problems don't occur.
WHile controlling social media sites in the west is an unthinkable crime against "freedom", in China it is seem as a good way to generally keep the peace. They will be able to use the social sites after, they can use it before, but they cannot use it in the key time frame, to avoid having minor dissent look like major dissent.
The Chinese don't fear their leaders, in fact for the most part they are very supportive and even somewhat loving towards President Hu. Again, if you don't experience the situation, you cannot comment on it. You want people who fear their leader (and die as a result), please look at North Korea.
So, how long have you spent in China in the last 5 years? How many times have you sat down with real chinese people in china to have dinner, watch the TV news, and chat about the world?
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Re: Re:
much of their lifestyle is very free. you wont see someone spill coffee and then have the ability to sue the company that made the coffee. There is alot more personal responsibility over there and so people dont have to worry about all sorts of regulations on things that usually don't need regulation but just common sense.
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Yup. Which is why I wrote in the post: "Now, many don't seem to care one way or another -- and so it doesn't impact those people either way." So why is it that you're claiming I was presenting things otherwise?
I said many people are fine with it, and believe the gov't is protecting them (I've written that before as well).
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It's a Win-Win no brainer
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who are these people?
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From the outside world
One last thing - Apparently, it's not just the websites being blocked. The London Times is reporting that various people - some of whom had relations or were actually involved with the 1989 protests, and at least one who was merely an advocate for the protestors' rights - have been taken from their homes and placed under house arrest, or 'urged' to leave the capital for the anniversary. Now, I don't know if this has happened in past years, but if not, it sounds to me like the CCP is getting nervous about something.
Courtney
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Ideology of control
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What I don't get is..why don't people use random programs to distribute information...such as the chat system in various RPGs....or randomly selected and agreed upon forums etc....China can't shut everything down everytime there's an event or they'd pretty much have to block the entire internet 24/7
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