我的天啊! China gives Weibo users a week to use their real names China's version of Twitter, Sina Weibo, has warned its 340 million users they have until next Friday to verify their accounts using their real names. The company posted an official announcement Friday with a deadline of September 15, but didn't state what would happen to accounts that weren't verified. The service has been …
I think it's more likely that any account not in compliance will be canceled, or at least that will be the threat. It would be interesting to see if the communists would actually trash several hundred millions of accounts tho. Bound to be some sort of grumbling should that happen.
That is perhaps a wedge we should use. That is, list and characterize all these shady maneuvers of suppression by China, Russia, the countries that turn off cell services, etc. Label the list "things that evil countries do".
Then call out each that matches up with something our democratically elected representatives propose. Saying "we've heard of this before" ask "why do you want to emulate the CCP or Putin or Mugabe? Do you *want* dictatorial powers?"
>>shady maneuvers of suppression by China, Russia, the countries that turn off cell service...
Yes. Thank God nothing like that ever happens in the good ol' freedom-loving West.
[cough! cough! Pirate Bay, Silk Road, Daily Stormer, Stormfront, etc..]
Just a few days later, the Chinese authorities then started banning cultural content – including soap operas from Korea, animation from Japan, and pop music from the United States – because they originated from outside China and it had set a quota for Chinese and foreign content.
Well, this is a step in the right direction. Cultural imperialism of Japan and South Korea (and the US) is a big deal. Time will tell if China can produce some nice export worthy "pop culture" media.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cultural_imperialism#Contemporary_ideas_and_debate
"Well, this is a step in the right direction. Cultural imperialism of Japan and South Korea (and the US) is a big deal. Time will tell if China can produce some nice export worthy "pop culture" media."
China exporting its own media is also surely cultural imperialism, to go along with its actual imperialism, you know, like Tibet, Bhutan, Taiwan, the dodgy deals in Africa, the nine dash line, and so on.
In fact, since China is one of the most powerful nations on Earth, I don't see how South Korea could possibly be accused of cultural imperialism towards China. But then, I'm not a blithering idiot.
I don't think it's cultural imperialism if the people ask for it. If I watch a Korean movie, is that Korea being culturally imperialist? Cultural Imperialism would more accurately describe things like the English trying to stamp out Gaelic when they invaded Ireland, or China trying to stamp out Tibetan culture today, or pushing particular historical views in US schools, etc. Not people seeing a foreign movie and thinking "I want to watch that!"
"Another sign of a regime that will eventually fall."
Everything will eventually fall, even your Cowardly Anonymity (See what I did there!!). This regime has been around since 1949 though, and as you don't give a specific date for the fall of the regime, one can only summise, that this isn't a sign, and you are talking crap, but hey, that's what the internet is for right?
I think it's unarguable that sometimes anonymity is necessary in a free-functioning society. Without the capacity for whistleblowing or making a statement that the powers that be dislike, a society is doomed to corruption and oppression. There's a reason Martin Luther reputedly had to nail his theses to a church door in the dead of night.
I would also say that even when anonymity isn't necessary, its availability is a great facilitator for honest dialogue.
As to trying to restrict people from exposure to outside cultures, I find that disgusting just on principle. A government that does so, is a government that is afraid.
I think it's unarguable that sometimes anonymity is necessary in a free-functioning society.
Absolutely, and if it's suppressed on the internet, it'll take place in the streets, among neighbors, the cafes, anywhere a word can be shared in private.
By blocking it on the 'net, the authorities are just blinding themselves to a window to gauge how the people in the streets are feeling... well, at least until they're storming seats of government.
Then the inevitable: "But, but this cannot be! Online everyone is so happy and content! Everyone loves us!"
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