Today in China, unlike twenty-three years ago, nothing happens. Nothing at all. Now check out the latest Panda pics! That appears the message going out to a billion Chinese. The government has blocked any mention of the bloody Tiananmen Square crackdown on June 1989. In addition, the country is rounding up dissidents and anyone else who might mention the anniversary or utter thoughts of freedom.
If you are on the Internet in China, you will also find other terms blocked like “six four”, “23”, “candle” and “never forget.” Thousands of censors and tens of thousands of police officers have been mobilized to erase any memory or mention of the killings, beating, and arrests of pro-democracy protesters.
On my trips to China, I often discuss the crackdown with young people that I meet. They are very reluctant to discuss the event, but many know of it. However, it is depressing to see how many young people have learned to be passive in the face of government controls. There is an intense materialism but is more common than idealism. That may be the worse part of the crackdown. The government has convinced an entire generation that rights are not as important as economic advancement. The result is a nation that can seem engaged in a soulless pursuit of wealth — far more evident than in the “capitalistic West.” Obviously, there remain that portion of the society which secretly desire and work for greater freedoms. The government is obsessed with the lingering number of Chinese who are not content to trade free speech for the chance at a car or better apartment. I have always viewed the civil libertarians and environmentalists as some of the most inspiring heroes — with women fighting for greater rights in the Middle East and other true heroes of our generation.
In the end, even the massive Chinese propaganda machine and state-control media cannot destroy an idea . . . and a memory.
Source: Guardian
Chinese is not even decent enough to be a communist country any more. The workers can go to jail for attempting to unionize. They’ve got more new billionaires than any other country, mostly due to zero labor and enviromental regulations. If it weren’t for their penchant for eating human babys in pill form it would be a Republican paradise.
There was an interesting piece on NPR this morning about a Chinese artist who has spent the last 4 years asking writers, philosophers & intellectuals in China “what do you need”
The answer often came down to “freedom” he has written books (not published in China) and made a film so of course he his currently not allowed to leave the country & is being hassled by the government.
The statement came through several times that what China has is not communism so I was surprised NPR ran that. I think their goal is to model after Singapore and what the United States is becoming. An oligarchy. powerful men running the show for their own enrichment at the expense of everyone and everything else behind the guise of a representative government.
Just another day in paradise……
Disgusting. The Chinese are making us look good.
“In addition, the country is rounding up dissidents and anyone else who might mention the anniversary or utter thoughts of freedom.”
****
The Chinese round up dissidents ceaselessly; it’s a generational thing. I’ve been reading about China rounding up dissidents since the cultural revolution. same for the Soviets re-booted as the just plain Russian government under that toll Putin.
The Chinese have not changed, what has changed is our trade and borrowing policies toward them. If we wanted to effectively punish them for their ongoing human rights abuses we would pay off our debt to them and and rebuild our industrial/manufacturing capacity, as well as tell WalMart to find a different supplier. Srsly.
Idealist, Ai Wei Wei, the architect that gave them the Bird-Nest stadium- they (the government) have no shame. I can’t believe, even today, that we did not boycott the Olympics in China.
Seems like this is the future, here now. In the US and elsewhere, cutting down on civil rights and the populations not responding. (or afraid to respond)
Thanks for the observation. Some things make you glad, and the memories of the young man balking the tank is one. Propaganda for the American way of life and cherry.picked of course, but rest assured he was not a prop put there for the networks sake. Doubt if he survived.
Now to business:
Ai Wei Wei is exhibiting (major) at Magasin 3 in Stockholm until June 10th. If you hurry you can make it, and if the trend holds, also experience Stockholm’s coldest June in 84 years.
I hope I don’t have to remind you his position vv the regime, And theirs to him. It took Billary to help him latest.
Here’s the link to the page with images. Tha page has linke to other info on the left side.
http://www.magasin3.com/blog/pressarchive/ai-weiwei/
Doncha just love the david & GOLIETH thingy?