China, Embracing Free Markets--and Thuggery
From today's New York Times:
China Moves to Block Foreign News on Nobel Prize Ceremony
SHANGHAI — Chinese censors apparently began blocking the news Web sites of CNN, the BBC and the Norwegian broadcaster NRK from appearing in China on Thursday, a day before the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony is to be held in Oslo to honor Liu Xiaobo, the imprisoned dissident.The Chinese authorities have denounced the decision by the Nobel Committee to award this year’s prize to Mr. Liu, who is serving a 11-year prison sentence for subversion after he led a pro-democracy campaign here.
In a thread on China just last week, I argued that in embracing free markets Beijing was embracing an important component of freedom itself. Today's news reminds us that Beijing is intent on embracing only economic freedom.
You can draw a straight line from the massacre in Tiananmen Square 21 years ago to this thuggish behavior today. We should welcome China as a trading partner, but keep our eyes wide open. Any government that insists on standing in this kind of relationship to its own citizens--blacking out news, suppressing democracy by force--retains the capacity for international thuggery as well.
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Sep '10
Re: China, Embracing Free Markets--and Thuggery
"began blocking...a day before the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony..." What ever happened to the vaunted asian nuance and sophistication? As always, REAL oppression is about as subtle as a louisville slugger to the temple.
Aug '10
Re: China, Embracing Free Markets--and Thuggery
"China, Embracing Free Markets--and Thuggery"
A Marxist would ask, "What's the difference?"
Aug '10
Re: China, Embracing Free Markets--and Thuggery
Peter Robinson:
In a thread on China just last week, I argued that in embracing free markets Beijing was embracing an important component of freedom itself. Today's news reminds us that Beijing is intent on embracing only economic freedom.
Fortunately, it's not easy to embrace only economic freedom, as one of the things economic freedom allows you to do is to purchase other freedoms -- even if you initially have to resort to the black market to find them.
I remain hopefully pessimistic.
May '10
Re: China, Embracing Free Markets--and Thuggery
First, the news blocking on Chinese cable TV is very strangely uneven. And on-line, some web sites have long been verboten, others with the exact same news have not.
But the blocking of sites is rather useless, of course. Everyone who wants to see the news will- the viral transmittal of proxy server information gets everyone on lone who wants to be.
No matter what some of the Party leaders would like, you simply can't have that many cell phones in a country and maintain control. And in time, the people will decide that they should be able to vote for leaders the same way they vote now for every contest winner on TV, including "Chinese Idol".
May '10
Re: China, Embracing Free Markets--and Thuggery
Peter, China is not a "partner". China is a conspiracy.