grelmar - 3:42 pm on Aug 30, 2007 (gmt 0)

Those subtle reminders are enough to keep most people in line when you live it every day.

I haven't been to mainland China since the late 80's, but I know people who've been there recently. Even with all the economic reforms, certain things haven't changed, namely:

The "police" (actually, just units of the People's Liberation Army), still wander the streets in packs of 4 or more carrying AK-47s.

Arrests for political crimes tend to happen quietly, in the middle of the night, when the neighbours aren't watching.

Just about any crime can carry the death penalty, and the death penalty is frequently applied to crimes with the word "corruption" attached to them.

As a result, the population has become adept at figuring out where the line in the sand is, and staying on the right side of it. The little cop animation will remind people where the line in the sand is.