What's in the News

Also innovation and invention through science and technology - won't be looking up to that anymore. That and queuing are all about hastening the decline of China as the society we deserve.

Listen To "Cyberspace Spirit," China's Anthem To Internet Censorship

[youtube video]

It would be easy to make fun of China's new anthem glorifying internet censorship. But I don't want to pan"Cyberspace Spirit" or mock the Cyberspace Administration of China choral group signing it, because they literally don't know what they're missing.

The Great Firewall of China truly sucks. If you or I tried living a day behind it, we'd quickly realize how much we take free speech and—perhaps more importantly—the freedom to read that speech for granted. There are nearly 3,500 websites that are blocked in China, including Google, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Vimeo, most of Wikipedia, and nearly all of Wordpress. How much would it screw up your cyberspace spirit if you couldn't access these key services?

According to The New York Times, this anthem to censorship was performed at a Beijing Internet Association event this week—and the Chinese government has been deleting the video evidence ever since. "Can China now claim to have censored the online celebration of its own Internet censorship agency?," asks the NYT. "The Beijing Internet Association did not respond to a request for comment."

Luckily, video does still exist, along with translated lyrics:

Devotedly keeping watch over the space every day,
Taking up our mission as the sun rises in the east,
Innovating every day, embracing the clear and bright,
Like warm sunshine moving in our hearts.
Unified with the strength of all living things,
Devoted to turning the global village into the most beautiful scene.

An Internet power: Where the Internet is, so is the glorious dream.
An Internet power: From the distant cosmos to the missing home.
An Internet power: Tell the world that the Chinese Dream is uplifting China.
An Internet power: I represent my nation to the world.

In this world all rivers flow to the sea,
Assuming the measure of Chinese civilization.
Five thousand years of history condensed to illuminate innovation,
Integrity is the clear ripple of a nationality.
We are unified between heaven and earth,
Faith and devotion flow like the Yellow River and Yangtze.

An Internet power: Where the Internet is, so is the glorious dream.
An Internet power: Thinking of home from the distant cosmos.
An Internet power: Tell the world that the Chinese Dream is uplifting China.
An Internet power: I represent my nation to the world.

There's nothing like the steady cadence of a military march to celebrate a government—especially when that government makes it impossible for its citizens to find out what it's up to.

Now in Glorious Subtitlevision:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-QlNjvWlWZk

Under The Dome, Chai Jing's self-funded anti-pollution presentation/documentary. It's in the news because...

Over the weekend, tens of millions of Chinese web users watched a new documentary on the country's air pollution problem that is leading an unprecedented national discussion.

http://online.thatsmags.com/post/as-former-cctv-presenters-pollution-documentary-is-watched-by-millions-what-does-it-say-about-upcoming-reform

The whole thing, nearly two hours worth of presentation, in Chinese with Chinese subtitles, is in the link above.

TED style, but too long. Stole the Al Gore Inconvenient Truth docu/info style, But still a good watch. Glad it's still being allowed here and millions are watching.

Did you watch the whole thing? I haven't made time for it yet but I did look at the first few minutes. Then I saw an ultrasound and it seemed like with her tone and style she was telling the audience what reaction to have...

I think "allowed" doesn't cover it.  Some of the politicians interviewed claimed they lacked the power to correct things.  The timing of this coming out correlates to some big meetings where environmental regulation is being discussed.  The powers that be want popular support firmly lined up before they make some big corporations very unhappy.

A little obvious, but still a very good move to make.

Someone eventually will subtitle the damn thing. Meanwhile, even if it is Upworthy:

See Read it here: exclusive English translation of powerful viral Chinese documentary 'Under the Dome'

Retired investigative journalist Chai Jing's self-funded documentary "Under the Dome" about the long-term effects of air pollution in China went massively viral in early March 2015, racking up over 150 million views in its first weekend.

We at Upworthy felt it was so important to share the documentary with non-Mandarin speakers that we commissioned exclusive translations of the first and last 10 minutes of the documentary, which I have embedded below.

To fill in the middle, however, we called on Upworthy Head of Product Mike Su, who grew up in Taiwan and speaks fluent Mandarin, to provide a summarized play-by-play.

[link]

The Coming Chinese Crackup

The endgame of communist rule in China has begun, and Xi Jinping’s ruthless measures are only bringing the country closer to a breaking point

On Thursday, the National People’s Congress convened in Beijing in what has become a familiar annual ritual. Some 3,000 “elected” delegates from all over the country—ranging from colorfully clad ethnic minorities to urbane billionaires—will meet for a week to discuss the state of the nation and to engage in the pretense of political participation.

Some see this impressive gathering as a sign of the strength of the Chinese political system—but it masks serious weaknesses. Chinese politics has always had a theatrical veneer, with staged events like the congress intended to project the power and stability of the Chinese Communist Party, or CCP. Officials and citizens alike know that they are supposed to conform to these rituals, participating cheerfully and parroting back official slogans. This behavior is known in Chinese as biaotai, “declaring where one stands,” but it is little more than an act of symbolic compliance.

Despite appearances, China’s political system is badly broken, and nobody knows it better than the Communist Party itself. China’s strongman leader, Xi Jinping , is hoping that a crackdown on dissent and corruption will shore up the party’s rule. He is determined to avoid becoming the Mikhail Gorbachev of China, presiding over the party’s collapse. But instead of being the antithesis of Mr. Gorbachev, Mr. Xi may well wind up having the same effect. His despotism is severely stressing China’s system and society—and bringing it closer to a breaking point....


DAVID SHAMBAUGH is the author. Apparently people who know his China scholarship are surprised by this article, and take it seriously, though many disagree.

Revisit the magic. Experience the joy.

Under the Dome: Watch the viral video documentary about pollution that is scaring the Chinese government

Now with English subtitles.

The Coming Chinese Crackup

The endgame of communist rule in China has begun, and Xi Jinping’s ruthless measures are only bringing the country closer to a breaking point


DAVID SHAMBAUGH is the author. Apparently people who know his China scholarship are surprised by this article, and take it seriously, though many disagree.

http://onpoint.wbur.org/2015/03/10/china-corruption-xi-jinping-economy-growth-communist-party

Recent podcast from Tom Ashcroft starts with David Shambaugh's article and continues to a discussion of Xi's anti-corruption campaign and China's future. Interesting mix of comments and predictions from a distinguished trio of guests. More positive than negative, I think.  But, I'm confused about this supposed return to populism, (Mao-era style), that they say has come back into vogue.

But, I'm confused about this supposed return to populism, (Mao-era style), that they say has come back into vogue.

Confused as in whether or not it exists?

'Xi Dada Loves Peng Mama'

More as to why.  Never got the idea that Mao is greatly missed/respected except by some of the very old and poor.  On the contrary. Didn't think a politician could make hay here with that. Nostalgia?  For a more egalitarian and noble time?

I have no idea what Chinese people do with the political imagery they receive, but is the idea that he's putting them consciously in mind of Mao era pageantry or just that he, and however many hundreds of people manage these things, is himself using the same style. High up in the Party, where it would seem they "draw lessons of history" all day long, they'd know what he's recalling, and maybe people old enough to have lived it would be getting shudders, but who else has sufficient political and media savvy? Everyone, perhaps? I have no idea.