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Chinese Netizen Fined over 1M Yuan for Using VPN

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Re: Chinese Netizen Fined over 1M Yuan for Using VPN

#81

Post by seanmcdirmid »

FredPret wrote: post #67
ookdatnog wrote: post #64

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Your entire argument is nonsensical, but this part: > With enough money you can buy all the others is particularly easily falsifiable. A billionaire in China does not have freedom of speech and cannot buy it.

I'd love to see your well-developed argument against economic freedom. Our billionaire Chinese friend can escape to the free world, or buy political influence at home.

> Our billionaire Chinese friend can escape to the free world, or buy political influence at home.

That didn’t work for Jack Ma.

Re: Chinese Netizen Fined over 1M Yuan for Using VPN

#82

Post by throwaway290 »

lziest wrote: post #4

The fine is actually 200 yuan, but the salary, over 1 million yuan, which he received while working remotely has been deemed as "illegal income" and subject to confiscation.

Let's not forget about others who got fined a bit more than 200 yuan of course (like dozens of years behind bars https://www.rfa.org/english/news/uyghur/student-sentenced-06...)

Re: Chinese Netizen Fined over 1M Yuan for Using VPN

#83

Post by tw1984 »

FredPret wrote: post #67
ookdatnog wrote: post #64

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Your entire argument is nonsensical, but this part: > With enough money you can buy all the others is particularly easily falsifiable. A billionaire in China does not have freedom of speech and cannot buy it.

I'd love to see your well-developed argument against economic freedom. Our billionaire Chinese friend can escape to the free world, or buy political influence at home.

> Our billionaire Chinese friend can escape to the free world

probably because they enjoy the prison food in the free world. check what happened to Guo Wengui.

> or buy political influence at home.

Jack Ma and Hui Ka Yan won't agree with your comments above.

Re: Chinese Netizen Fined over 1M Yuan for Using VPN

#84

Post by spacebanana7 »

throwaway4good wrote: post #53
FredPret wrote: post #49

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Economic freedom is second among the freedoms only after physical safety. With enough money you can buy all the others, and all the others exist primarily to ensure you can be safe and end up with enough money. This fact is ignored, overlooked, or pooh-poohed by those whose ambitions for society requires a large state. To maximize human freedom, there's an optimal balance to be struck between a stateless society and…

China is very high on the economic freedom scale (setting up a business, taxation etc.); probably much higher than the US or Europe.

China is a has a very statist economic system with limited economic freedom for consumers.

To list a few examples - urban property cannot be owned outright by any non-state entity, Chinese citizens are heavily restricted from investing overseas, and foreign investment/media consumption is also limited.

Re: Chinese Netizen Fined over 1M Yuan for Using VPN

#85

Post by mark_up »

b112 wrote: post #50
lziest wrote: post #4

The fine is actually 200 yuan, but the salary, over 1 million yuan, which he received while working remotely has been deemed as "illegal income" and subject to confiscation.

Having your income confiscated is very much a "fine".

[dead]

Re: Chinese Netizen Fined over 1M Yuan for Using VPN

#86

Post by expertentipp »

bjornsing wrote: post #70
raverbashing wrote: post #45

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> But if I fail to report 138000 USD in earnings I’d still be in for a world of hurt: First the tax authority would take about 100000-200000 USD from me. Then I’d be prosecuted for tax fraud And where in the world do you think this would not be the case? (except maybe in 3rd world countries with bribable authorities) (such a fine of 100k is probably on the higher end for most places though)

Sweden goes further than most western countries in this case though. For example, the European Convention on Human Rights prohibits dubble punishment for a single crime. Most European countries interpret this to mean that you can be either criminally prosecuted, or administratively sanctioned with "extra tax", but not both. Sweden however has a fondness for doing both. So in Sweden a very realistic scenario in this c…

You are overthinking. Why don't you simply marry into Tetra pack, IKEA, or Wallenberg families?! I doubt any bailiff dares to even send them a letter.

Re: Chinese Netizen Fined over 1M Yuan for Using VPN

#87

Post by tibbydudeza »

datadeft wrote: post #62
bjornsing wrote: post #40

Where I live (Sweden) it’s legal to use GitHub (with or without a VPN). But if I fail to report 138000 USD in earnings I’d still be in for a world of hurt: First the tax authority would take about 100000-200000 USD from me. Then I’d be prosecuted for tax fraud. Nobody would be upset or come to my defense. Not saying I prefer the Chinese system, but it’s interesting that in this specific case it’s probably more lenien…

"If you crush a cockroach, you're a hero. If you crush a beautiful butterfly, you're a villain. Morals have aesthetic criteria." This applies to the context of west vs China. Everything China does is because of oppression and everything the west does is because of democracy and protecting you.

That is such an awesome quote - where does it come from ???.

Re: Chinese Netizen Fined over 1M Yuan for Using VPN

#88

Post by tw1984 »

seanmcdirmid wrote: post #55
aydyn wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It sounds like he's saying this is not an abuse of the central government, but by a local one. I doubt VPNs are illegal in China in general.

VPNs are illegal in China in general, but China isn’t a rule of law country so that in itself isn’t very meaningful (free speech is guaranteed by the Chinese constitution for example, but that’s irrelevant). VPN usage is rarely prosecuted unless they want to get you on something (a basic thing in rule by law).

> VPN usage is rarely prosecuted unless they want to get you on something (a basic thing in rule by law).

If they really want to get you on something, using vpn won't be the good excuse anyway as the max penalty is way too low. it is like $100 fine plus maybe up to 2 weeks in detection. in fact, 2 weeks detection for using vpn is unheard of, a few days is already extremely rare.

It is like jaywalking & argued with the driver on the road which cause the traffic to be stopped for 1-2 minutes kind of offense.

Re: Chinese Netizen Fined over 1M Yuan for Using VPN

#89

Post by tibbydudeza »

ookdatnog wrote: post #64
FredPret wrote: post #49

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Economic freedom is second among the freedoms only after physical safety. With enough money you can buy all the others, and all the others exist primarily to ensure you can be safe and end up with enough money. This fact is ignored, overlooked, or pooh-poohed by those whose ambitions for society requires a large state. To maximize human freedom, there's an optimal balance to be struck between a stateless society and…

Your entire argument is nonsensical, but this part: > With enough money you can buy all the others is particularly easily falsifiable. A billionaire in China does not have freedom of speech and cannot buy it.

Ask Jack Ma from Alibaba how that ended for him - he never realized he was just in a bigger gilded cage than the other folks in China.

Re: Chinese Netizen Fined over 1M Yuan for Using VPN

#90

Post by datadeft »

tibbydudeza wrote: post #87
datadeft wrote: post #62

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"If you crush a cockroach, you're a hero. If you crush a beautiful butterfly, you're a villain. Morals have aesthetic criteria." This applies to the context of west vs China. Everything China does is because of oppression and everything the west does is because of democracy and protecting you.

That is such an awesome quote - where does it come from ???.

Allegedly: https://library.fairmontstate.edu/news/1/Friedrich-Nietzsche...
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