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The Chinese Communist Party’s fear of its people spells trouble

economist.com

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Re: The Chinese Communist Party’s fear of its people spells trouble

#2
>To be a great, rather than just a big power, China needs the world’s acceptance. More open domestic markets, fewer hidden subsidies and less dumping, less industrial espionage and less aggression in the South China Sea would all help.

Why? The US posturing and genocide in South America for 200 years did not stop it from being a great power, that the pacific rim will now see the same from a yellow and not white face doesn't change much.

Re: The Chinese Communist Party’s fear of its people spells trouble

#4

I'd argue that a government is supposed to fear its citizens. It's just not supposed to censor them and take away their rights to quell that fear: rather, it should hold itself accountable and not do things that would cause resentment.

Or perhaps it could be a cooperative relationship where neither side has to fear?

Re: The Chinese Communist Party’s fear of its people spells trouble

#6
post #2

>To be a great, rather than just a big power, China needs the world’s acceptance. More open domestic markets, fewer hidden subsidies and less dumping, less industrial espionage and less aggression in the South China Sea would all help. Why? The US posturing and genocide in South America for 200 years did not stop it from being a great power, that the pacific rim will now see the same from a yellow and not white face…

It's funny how pundits from countries that have (and are still doing) all those things, point the finger at other countries for doing the same (and, internationally, far less).

"aggression in the South China Sea"? The US has invaded 3+ countries in the last 20 years producing as much failed states. Is it just a "big" and not a "great" power?

Re: The Chinese Communist Party’s fear of its people spells trouble

#7

I'd argue that a government is supposed to fear its citizens. It's just not supposed to censor them and take away their rights to quell that fear: rather, it should hold itself accountable and not do things that would cause resentment.

That would be the ideal; the rules change somewhat when you've got strong autocratic tendencies.

This is a good opportunity to quote Bert Brecht, who (after seeing which way the wind blew, doing a 180 degree flip on his original stance) penned the poem 'Die Lösung' in response to the East German Worker's Uprising of June 17th, 1953 -

"Nach dem Aufstand des 17. Juni / Ließ der Sekretär des Schriftstellerverbands / In der Stalinallee Flugblätter verteilen / Auf denen zu lesen war, dass das Volk / Das Vertrauen der Regierung verscherzt habe / Und es nur durch verdoppelte Arbeit / Zurückerobern könne. Wäre es da / Nicht doch einfacher, die Regierung / Löste das Volk auf und / Wählte ein anderes?“

The translation is my own, and neither German nor English is my first language, so please bear with me:

"After the June 17th uprising / The secretary of the Writers' Union / Had leaflets distributed on the Stalinallee / They said that the people had lost the trust of the government / And could only regain the trust by doubling their efforts / Wouldn't it be simpler, then / If the government dissolved the people / and elected another?"

Re: The Chinese Communist Party’s fear of its people spells trouble

#8
post #5

From the article: "To suppress views of China that it does not like, the party is trying to replicate its domestic censorship on a global scale," says Isabel Hilton Real purpose behind EU's copyright filter?

Even if that is not the intended purpose, it may inevitably end up being used for that.

Re: The Chinese Communist Party’s fear of its people spells trouble

#9
post #4

I'd argue that a government is supposed to fear its citizens. It's just not supposed to censor them and take away their rights to quell that fear: rather, it should hold itself accountable and not do things that would cause resentment.

Or perhaps it could be a cooperative relationship where neither side has to fear?

Maybe block-chain can actually be useful this time, it is quite easy to create a news forum that even the most powerful government can not bring down. where educated individuals are rewarded to vote on articles just like HN.

Here in JP we see people holding cardboard stating how they are miss-treated in front of the ward office. Letting these voice be heard means more leverage to the citizen. like pressuring law changes. A large part of the world is not like America. In Chinese twitter there are quite a few words you simply can not type.

Re: The Chinese Communist Party’s fear of its people spells trouble

#10
post #6
post #2

>To be a great, rather than just a big power, China needs the world’s acceptance. More open domestic markets, fewer hidden subsidies and less dumping, less industrial espionage and less aggression in the South China Sea would all help. Why? The US posturing and genocide in South America for 200 years did not stop it from being a great power, that the pacific rim will now see the same from a yellow and not white face…

It's funny how pundits from countries that have (and are still doing) all those things, point the finger at other countries for doing the same (and, internationally, far less). "aggression in the South China Sea"? The US has invaded 3+ countries in the last 20 years producing as much failed states. Is it just a "big" and not a "great" power?

Note: The Economist is British.
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