msnbc.msn.com — From the great high of the Beijing Olympics opening ceremony to the extreme low of the Sichuan earthquake - 2008 was a turbulent year for China. And 2009 looks poised for more extremes from the economic crisis.
Dec 21, 2008 View in Crawl 4
ricelee22Dec 22, 2008
Firstly, the photoshopping was done by the independent photographer himself (because he did not want to cause the blade-wielding rioter's arrest by capturing his face/identity in a photo). This is then twisted through rumours and spread throughout the internet, faciliated along by anti-CCP media sources (falun gong news etc). Of course, as many believed the Chinese government of being capable AND likely to have done something like this, they believe this without question. In truth, in THIS particular incident, the Chinese government is innocent.The shoddy quality of products are not the result of sinister plots by CCP to harm foreigner consumers overseas, but the combination of unregulated quality laws (and the bribed local offical) and independent greedy factory owners. To generalise the people of China OR the entire government/party based on this minority would be hardly fair.On what started the Tibet riots pre-Olympics, I would say both the Dalai Lama and the CCP officals there have at least some involvement in its escalation, although of course the CCP is in a vastly superior position. There is not enough information, same as what happened back in 1989, to correctly determine what exactly occured.The Dalai Lama does not seem to have a few years, but he remains too stubborn to pick his battles reasonably despite his time limit. He continues to try for offical recognition of Tibetan 'meaningful autonomy' (religious, social, everyday affairs handed back to his band of monks, but foreign affairs/military protection for the CCP) which of course the CCP will never officially accept (as that will ruin our claims on Taiwan and control over other separatist ethnicities), where instead he could have achieved by now with underhand deals with local officals had he decide to come back into our fold.
ricelee22Dec 22, 2008
That's not very nice. My family's just came out of starvation (with three dead aunts from malnutrition), and you want my generation to go back to those conditions? Thank you for your kindness, foreigner.
skeptictankDec 22, 2008
If you haven't spent time living there then stfu.
tmt64Dec 22, 2008
so how should China be governed? Like America? No thanks.
mythicfluxDec 22, 2008
It has been said that democracy is the worst form of government except all the others that have been tried.- Sir Winston Churchill
printscrn12Dec 22, 2008
Protest occur all the time in China, despite risking livelihood and life unlike in free-er countries. People are still detained, imprisoned, tortured and killed for dissenting. (source:<a class="user" href="http://www.hrw.org/en/reports/2005/12/07/we-could-disappear-any-time%29">http://www.hrw.org/en/reports/2005/12/07/we-could- ...</a>It isn't big news in China because the Communist Party ensures it doesn't make big news. Only protests against France or Japan make big news as it helps rile up the people in jingoism against an external entity distracting from problems with the home government. That said even the official line on protest numbers is huge, consider it is an underestimate:"The Ministry of Public Security says last year there were more than 58,000 "mass incidents" - the term they use to describe public protests - involving three million people..." (source:<a class="user" href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/3786541.stm%29">http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/3786541.st ...</a> )That said we aren't talking about communism in general. We are talking about the communist party of China which is a tyranny.
banderwockyDec 23, 2008
HAHAHA sucka yo self. Backing the dying party and candidate.
morningmattersDec 23, 2008
Ohplease wrote: "When 25 percent of your people are illiterate, you are doing something wrong. Especially when you claim to be a socialist style state."Yes, except that CIA factbook reports China has a 90.9% literacy, which is a lot higher than India (60%) governed in Democracy style. There goes your argument. Digging down others who point out your ignorance isn't exactly classy either. If you are going to bash China, at least get your facts right. Being petty and stupid, and accusing those who point out your ignorance of being China propagandists won't help your cause either.