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Beijing is banning all foreign media from publishing online in China

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Re: Beijing is banning all foreign media from publishing online in China

#61

I am not a sociologist, political scientist, or an economist. It appears that China is too big to govern and has become a diseconomy of scale. China has 160 cities with over 1-million people in them (US has 10 cities) and I think it's a miracle that the lights still work and they have running water. When you double the size of a plane it it becomes 4-times heavier (Observe what it takes to fly a B-52). The PRC seems…

China has historically been too big to govern. Few regimes over the last 2500 years have managed to hold any major portion of what is modern day China under a single rule for any amount of time. While the PRC may make token shows of aggression on the world stage, all of their arrows are really pointed inwards.

Outward aggression can have internal reasons, too. War with a "foreign aggressor" is a pretty good way to get a fractious polity to pull together, historically speaking.

The trick is to find a "foreign aggressor" who's powerful enough to scare people into putting their internecine disputes aside, but not so powerful that they stomp your regime like a bug.

Re: Beijing is banning all foreign media from publishing online in China

#62
China's leadership seems to be becoming more paranoid. Yet China has no serious external enemies other than the ones they make for themselves, the economy is stressed a bit but production is in great shape, and the standard of living has been rising for years. Why?

Re: Beijing is banning all foreign media from publishing online in China

#63

Earlier quoted context omitted.

China has historically been too big to govern. Few regimes over the last 2500 years have managed to hold any major portion of what is modern day China under a single rule for any amount of time. While the PRC may make token shows of aggression on the world stage, all of their arrows are really pointed inwards.

Outward aggression can have internal reasons, too. War with a "foreign aggressor" is a pretty good way to get a fractious polity to pull together, historically speaking. The trick is to find a "foreign aggressor" who's powerful enough to scare people into putting their internecine disputes aside, but not so powerful that they stomp your regime like a bug.

I'm based in India and you make me want to hide.

Re: Beijing is banning all foreign media from publishing online in China

#64
post #62

China's leadership seems to be becoming more paranoid. Yet China has no serious external enemies other than the ones they make for themselves, the economy is stressed a bit but production is in great shape, and the standard of living has been rising for years. Why?

Which is easier. Keeping your existing tight grip hanging from a suspended bar? Or grabbing on tighter after you've let go a a bit?

Re: Beijing is banning all foreign media from publishing online in China

#65
post #54
post #50

Xi Jin Ping is worse than King jong un. He is a stupid and arrogant leader. He want people in China to call him "习大大(xi big big)", but actually we like to call him "习包子(xi bao zi)"

I don't speak chinese; can you explain why xi bao zi is not flattering? Thanks!

They are calling him a steamed bread or something like that.

Re: Beijing is banning all foreign media from publishing online in China

#66
post #54
post #50

Xi Jin Ping is worse than King jong un. He is a stupid and arrogant leader. He want people in China to call him "习大大(xi big big)", but actually we like to call him "习包子(xi bao zi)"

I don't speak chinese; can you explain why xi bao zi is not flattering? Thanks!

Bao zi = buns, like pork buns.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baozi

Basically, he's got a nickname that resembles "little piggy". (By intent, not literal translation.)

Re: Beijing is banning all foreign media from publishing online in China

#67
post #62

China's leadership seems to be becoming more paranoid. Yet China has no serious external enemies other than the ones they make for themselves, the economy is stressed a bit but production is in great shape, and the standard of living has been rising for years. Why?

If you control the populace's view of the outside world then you can turn foreigners into anything you want them to be: monsters, war mongers, greedy capitalists intent on collapsing your economy and taking away the dream of prosperity, etc.

China has too many single men who will never know marriage and who present a huge threat to their society. It is better to point the tip of that spear in a different direction through tightly controlled propaganda. War, cold or hot, is on the horizon.

Re: Beijing is banning all foreign media from publishing online in China

#68
post #62

China's leadership seems to be becoming more paranoid. Yet China has no serious external enemies other than the ones they make for themselves, the economy is stressed a bit but production is in great shape, and the standard of living has been rising for years. Why?

My brother in law lived there for years and claims that the general sense is that if the leadership can't maintain at least 5-10% GDP growth forever they will lose favor. People there are very unsatisfied with the government but they're also afraid of revolution. Paranoia seems a good description of the government's mentality.

Re: Beijing is banning all foreign media from publishing online in China

#69

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Outward aggression can have internal reasons, too. War with a "foreign aggressor" is a pretty good way to get a fractious polity to pull together, historically speaking. The trick is to find a "foreign aggressor" who's powerful enough to scare people into putting their internecine disputes aside, but not so powerful that they stomp your regime like a bug.

I'm based in India and you make me want to hide.

I don't think China has any intention of attacking and occupying India. I'm sure they are more than capable if they wanted to but there is just no incentive.

Re: Beijing is banning all foreign media from publishing online in China

#70

I am not a sociologist, political scientist, or an economist. It appears that China is too big to govern and has become a diseconomy of scale. China has 160 cities with over 1-million people in them (US has 10 cities) and I think it's a miracle that the lights still work and they have running water. When you double the size of a plane it it becomes 4-times heavier (Observe what it takes to fly a B-52). The PRC seems…

> When you double the size of a plane it it becomes 4-times heavier

So there is a creature after all, even if mechanical, to which the BMI applies!

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