China blocks Blogs.

[Woz]

In the continuing saga about just how much the Chinese people are allow to see, according to an MSNBC report [msnbc.com], the Chinese Government seems to have blocked acces to Blogsopt.com and associated Blogs. Without getting too much into the politics, this is a real shame and very unfortunate for Chinese Netizens.

What is of interest in the article though is an indication of just how much manpower the Chinese Government is putting into controlling access to the internet, as it seems there are "nearly 40,000" Internet Police in Beijing alone. Unfortunately though these efforts may themselves fail as "blockage only causes more dissent. However, as the Chinese People are by necessity very resourceful, in their own words, "We’ll find other ways."

Onya
Woz

[jeremy goodrich]

They are also running an article on CNN [cnn.com]
about the blocking of the blog site as well.

Strange, that they would block that...hm. Hopefully it will be remedied. :)

[chiyo]

I dont see it as strange at all. Google bans knife ads and smoking ads. Germany bans Mein Kampf, Malaysia bans Brad Pitt commercials. It all makes sense when you see "why" powers that be do it, though their values may not be similar to yours. Everybody has beliefs and though we may not agree with the creeping trendy popular-leftish values that seem to affect Google for example, thats their beliefs, and they are in a position of power to implement them.

Not a political comment here.. but China, like several other countries, sees media and publishing as a vehicle for reinforcing government policy to the locals. They feel it should be controlled by the "intellectual elite" as per Confucian philosophy.

Blogspot provides an effective and easy way for even peasants like us to publish, avoiding having to do deals with the elite and owe/pay back favours/merits.

If they are doing this, its is absolutely consistent with their beliefs on what will make a stronger and more successful china. Regardless of our own beliefs on what is "right" or the best strategy for educating and progress, thats their belief and their power as a soveriegn state to control it.

The media and mass communications is an arm of the state in ALL countries of the world, though in some cases its more blatant and obvious. Let's not forget how another world power is just now using their mass media to justify controversial actions, though much less blatantly.

[Watch out Woz, maybe they wont let you back in!]

[edited by: chiyo at 7:44 am (utc) on Jan. 16, 2003]

[jeremy goodrich]

Hmmm...interesting points, Chiyo. In my wife's country, it is similar to China. That is to say, the government has such control that it is generally 1 unified voice through which all press / publicity channels send their message...in line with the governmental views.

Whilst not saying that is right or wrong, it is interesting to see that as you say, 'all countries....just more obvious in some' in the United States (as an example) there are very conflicting messages put out by the media.

However, these conflicting messages generally do not come from the most widely read / known publications.

In that regard, what you say has much truth -> the biggest outlets of any countries media tend to air what one could judge to be a line of thought consistent with the governmental aim. :)

As with the tweaking of the firewall which later restored access to the Google search engine, I can only hope that the ability to air what may be said through blogging is restored, even be it in some limited fashion.

Far better, to have limited blogging, than no blogging at all? Sort of like now they have limited Google, which surely is better for the Chinese people than no Google at all.

[chiyo]

jeremy. thanks for the response. I have to agree with you. I live and work in countries similar to your wife i would guess. I beleive that access to personal publishing and channels of communication has many more pluses than minuses. But that's my belief, not China's! Agree with you, blogs and google in China is a good thing, but im not the chinese cheif honchos, of one of their confucian intellectural elite who are defined as those by their scholarly training and lineage know much better than the peasants or proletariat! Nor am i a Chinese living in mainland China.

They have bent I think, and accomodated local and international views before, even if just a bit in say the Google blocking episode before, and even the Y! secret deal. Nothing is absolute in reality, not even the power of the state in China any more.

So i agree with you 100%, but am still not surprised!

[Visit Thailand]

Not a political comment here.. but China, like several other countries, sees media and publishing as a vehicle for reinforcing government policy to the locals. They feel it should be controlled by the "intellectual elite" as per Confucian philosophy.

And their own elite at that.

Very well put Chiyo.

[chiyo]

agreed VT, the "intellectual elite" is close to synonymous with "government" in confucian philosophy. Power is gained through patronage, connections, and breeding. Education comes as a result of how you are connected at birth. They are not "intellectuals" as we may define it now - as in "academics" or the like, but are in or are close advisors to the Chinese leadership.

Anyway i better shut up now before being deleted!