The 1980’s and the 1990’s were most optimistic times: people seriously believed that information advances, beginning with the fax machine and culminating in the internet would, of necessity, integrate all aspects of the world at the speed of light, and places that heretofore were stymied under the heavy hand of authoritarian regimes and worse would liberalize. And not merely economically. China, the world’s largest nation and the world’s most rapidly developing one, seemed to be the primary focus of this thinking.
It was believed that the fax machine hastened the student protest movement that, alas, was crushed by good old tanks and the willingness to use them against one’s own populace by Deng Xiao Ping and the CPC hard line leadership
who crushed the student democracy movement at Tiannamen Square in the late 1980’s.
But the subtle, yet total control of China’s government manifests itself, such as this piece from People’s Daily noting that 50,000 “illegal” internet cafes have been, or are being, shut down by the central government. The government can state a variety of reasons for this action, such as “inappropriate” use of the internet, or failure to pay licensing fees, but what it is doing loudly and clearly is demonstrating just who is in charge of the inflow of information into (and around) China, and hence, the ability to disseminate that information in a way that might be unfomfortable (or worse) for the Beijing government.
One has to admire the Beijing government’s attention to detail: for example, note this piece observing the government of Vanuatu espousing “the one China policy”.
Well, as we fight for freedom and democracy in Iraq, we’ll endeavor to give you periodic reports from the Eastasian Metropole, so we can see how our new owners are doing.
tdog
Hi, it’s me, and who possibly could that be? Well, it has something to do with a Helmsley building where lunch took place among 3 males (you being one of them) and 1 female where I was introduced to you by one of the males who’s named after a famous liquor called B&B and whose point of introduction had to do with your new blog at that time.
Anyway, I am dropping you a note of congratulations on the progress of your blog, not only in the subject matter chosen and the interjection of dry wit, but in returning the reader to the facts at issue. As for the “What’s the Matter With Kansas” comment, maybe you inadvertently stoked the culture war (i.e.- those dam New York liberals).
In any event, say hi to B&B for me since he probably will wonder whatever happened to the Green Bay Packers, or when does same have time to talk back to a talking dog when there is work to be done; this is my Sabbath day.
Keep up the good work and PEACE.
Ya v serpe i neebet2. sdf4fdena!
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