China's iron interweb grip reappraised

Oh yah...Guantanamo Bay...the home of waterboarding...now determined to not be torture by defenders of democracy everywhere. 

Congress lets telecos in the States off the hook for spying...as long as it's for the good of society.

Uk...with millions of cctv cameras, (just for crime, you understand...), the most monitored society on the planet.

I wonder how much Tibet news would be in the western media if the Olympics weren't being held in China? Well, lets check out other places of questionable moral virtue: Myanmar, Darfur, Zimbabwe, Saudi Arabia, Israel, Russia...I'm sure I could come up with a few more that the the non-chinese world could surely do something about but, somehow, hardly a mention because of the Chinese Olympics. 

Nope...nothing. All I seem to read about is Tibet and global warming. In a month, Tibet will no longer be news and global warming is taking so damned long that it will get lost by some other almost-science project. 

If China is such a nasty, evil empire, why aren't people protesting the folks feeding the meat machine; the consumers of Chinese goods. Ban Chinese goods in the west and stop putting cash into the paws of the evil doers. 

Hands up everybody who hasn't purchased or used something made in China.

Let the hypocrisy continue...



What really happens to the child, to her and to you? Is there still a 1 child per family rule? Is it enforced, what are the penalities (if any)?

I'm not trying to trip you up, this is one of the harder images we are told about of China. That families are limited to 1 child and this is enforced harshly. How is it in reality?

...brought to you by the propaganda department of the Communist Party of China.

I am a EU citizen and have been to China on a business trip recently. I cannot but must agree with all the points mentioned.

I have not experienced any kind of problems nor authoritarian ways. While web access felt slower at times, this was most probably caused by the overload of the wireless network at the hotel where I was staying (many conference delegates were there).

On the other hand, it felt somewhat safer and *free* compared to e.g. the UK with all the 'security' and anti-terrorist, etc. issues...

A fine article!

Borderline rant, but maybe I am misreading passion!

Forget china, terrorism etc... check out money, its got the largest criminal record

I totally agree with Dr John, none of those so called democratic governments have the slightest idea how difficult it could be to manage a nation of more than a billion people. The huge majority of the chinese nation approves their government decisions and I never met any brain washed chinese, they're rather cool and open minded and curious. And all have the right to complain to their local representation and they are indeed heard. Things change much faster in China than in any other nation. The World Watch institute made such a statement regarding sustainable development in China (and India) in its State of the World 2006 report. It takes an expat to put things back in order, thanks Dr John. (Sorry for my poor english, I'm just a frenchie)

There's so much preconception isn't there. Glad you aired your views. The paradox is that it's the very media groups themselvesf that create these preconceptions for the average joe, who, as with with vicious cycles, will encourage the media with feedback that supports their absurdity.

Much the same idea with Vista, it's now a decent product (not mind blowing, sure), but the preconception has been created by the media and the average Joe rejects it. 

Anyway - great article!

I agree with your article.

"The West" needs to take a good look at the mirror. I live in the EU and I see so many discrepancies...

In Iraq, the "Western Alliance" imprisons innocent people in concentration camps (Guantanamo Bay is just one of them), tortures them all, kills some of them, and then issues a worldwide report about Human Rights, pointing out how China, Russia and Iran "are Evil" because they do exactly the same thing;

Just recently, Boeing planes are falling apart due to faulty manufacturing... but once again, silence around the subject is in order;

In "The West" we're so arrogant, because we have "elections", and that, somehow, makes us free... regardless of the fact that it's always the same people pulling the strings behind the curtain;

"The West" will "spread freedom" IMPOSING "Democracy"... How stupid and silly is that? How can a democracy be imposed? It's stupid... makes no sense...

I could give many more examples...
The World, as it is, is not democratic. In "The West" we have that perception, because we're always bombarded with it through manipulated media. 
When the russians say "this country [Russia] is not democratic, but we're getting there", they, at least, are being honest, something that seems to be out of the knowledge of many western politicians.

Yes, China, Russia, Iran are responsible for many Human Rights abuses... but "The West" also has its share, and it doesn't owe nothing to those countries in that regard... The only difference is that our manipulated media says it does, because "we're superior".
Yes... maybe the torture victims in Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo can verify that.



It's hard to tell. One the one hand, there's that whole tu quoque fallacy going on - sure, China's government is brutally oppressive, but hey, sometimes media companies in Europe and America put their own slant on news reporting, and that's just as bad!

And then there's this: <i>Rumours that religious nutters have had their sites blocked? Seems like blocking the sites of more religious nutters might be a good thing. Could use a dose of that in the US and UK.</i> Yes, you've made quite clear where you stand: Solidly with the oppressors. Sure, they jail peaceful dissidents, but at least they're <i>honest</i> brutal totalitarian oppressors!

At first I was taken by your argument, as you've raised many good points that are 100% true.

So it took sometime to figure out the flaw in your argument. The key difference that Blighty allows that you are free to criticise the government and the people in power without fear of physical persecution.

When the government gets something wrong (which at the moment is all the time) your free to say it as you see it. The same can't be said (based on media reports) of China.

Personally, I couldn't careless about the web access during the games. What does concern me (based on more media reports) is the Chinese government succombing to the Olympics commercial craze and knocking down entire apartment blocks to build Olympic faclities or supporting developments. Especially given that people living there didn't want to move.

Having said all of that, a place with little knife crime does look attractive.

The US and China both have the death penalty for certain crimes. Forget for a moment that in the US that penalty is reserved for the most heinous crimes like murder, whilst the death penalty in China is used for things like being tibetan whilst in tibet...

Lets compare simply how long it takes to go from conviction to execution.

According to a quick google search it takes an average of five years, and up to 20 years, for death row inmates to get from conviction to execution - if they even get there. Appeals are often successful.

In China it takes as little as seven minutes. They execute people in a van outside the court. A freaking van.

I think I'd rather take the risk of being mugged and live in a society that didn't execute people who just want a little freedom.

Very well said, mate.

maybe we will see people flocking to the great evil china in the near future.

securing freedom. plenty of business.

at least they have more chicks *errr* bikes than UK.

"Government big enough to provide everything you need is big enough to take everything you have. The course of history shows that as government grows, liberty decreases."

Never forget that, whether you're in China, the EU, US, UK, or anywhere else in the world.

Why care if it doesn't affect you right? Sure, some "radical" website is blocked, but you didn't visit that website, why would it be important for others to visit it as well? It might even conflict with your values, or be dangerous for your kids' minds. Even the mere suggestion that such social dysfunctions exist might be harmful; just hide it away entirely. 

Well that's great for you, but what about people who do care about the things you don't? It's great you feel safe. You can feel safe in a prison too. You can have every facet of your life under surveillance to make sure you don't stray from the path. All in the name of public safety. But what happens when this power is abused? What happens when you try to report it and your authorities "losing face" is more detrimental than whatever petty abuse you suffered? Take one for the team I guess.

I also love this quote:

"In fact, since they lifted that ban, I can't name a single site that I have tried to access in the past year that has been blocked."

Wow, that's great. It must have sucked before that huh? A mere FIVE MONTHS ago too. How sad you find that an impressive measure of progress. Good thing China is trying to save face in response to the Olympics. It also means that the claims of censorship were not, and are not, hollow.

"They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety." -- Benjamin Franklin

Sure, it's no secret that the media is controlled in the US and UK, but the difference is in what's being covered up. Not that the US government (and the corporations that control it) isn't killing or imprisioning many of its 'free' citizens in order to further an agenda, but not anywhere near the scale of China. China may have more people, but that doesn't make their lives any less valuble or their murder by the government any less wrong. 

Noone's ever said China itself is bad, the Chinese people are just like any other people anywhere else on earth. It's the guy who's put hisself in charge that's the problem. As for any comparisons with the US or UK that way, try going to the middle of the city and screaming every insult you can think of about the leader as loud as you can. Think you'll live to write about it? In the US or UK, you would. In China? No.

if you can see my email, obviously then the whole idea of an 'anonymous' name is spolied lol.

with the whole, hear about murders, rape and pillaging in the uk, how can u be sure that the 'government' (can't use italics) of china isnt telling the papers to hush up about all the bad stuff in the leadup to the games? how long have you been in china for? im sure that china has just recently realised it needs to play nice if it wants global domination in the crap plastic toys department, or if it wants to buy cheap steel/iron ore off of australia through the free trade deals... this article would not have happened 5 years ago, no way. if they werent able to buy steel off of us, they would be almost crippled in the building/ship building department, and we would lose many 1000's of jobs in WA. ironic that a fake smile is needed to maintain stability.

/my 2c

straight to the point... I like it.

Nice to hear a different tune from time to time... never been to China, but it can't be easy managing a country of over a billion people... the only thing that's keeping me from adding it to my wishlist of places to visit is pollution... I'm used to living far away from large/crowded cities...

Nice article... thanks!

China's free as long as you keep your crayon between the lines and live your life according to the wishes of the secretariat.

"Those who would give up Essential Liberty to purchase a little Temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety." - Ben Franklin.

Last time I checked Amnesty International was fairly scathing of Human Rights abuses of western countries too. China is however blocking all access to their site. Our mainstream news channels may have skewed/biased perspectives but at least I get to read around subjects that China doesnt seem to want you to know about.....

spot on.The mass media in Western Europe are so left wing, it feels like we're living in hippie heaven (or should I say "nirvana"?) and all journalists are potheads.

isn't conducive to effective thinking.

Tu quoque (you too) isn't considered good argumentation. Try harder.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tu_quoque

I will agree that people talk about this topic like it was global warming, with nothing but misinformed half truths, though your augment reeks just as bad.

Main stream media in the "western states" is govern by appeasing the 75% of the population that does care how the world works... We've all witnessed what happens when that ignorant group actually gets to make a decision. You can still find out anything you want about any one of our politicians... The Spanish tabloids attest to that.

In China you wont get mugger... because every mugger is killed. In China you wont be called a nigger... but how many black people has a Chinese person met? You can gather and voice you opinion against injustice... whether your heard or not you can be sure you wont be slaughtered or arrested. 

In the end it's your country and if your happy your government is doing something right. As far as the Olympics go assuming no one watches them is a mistake, or has your government wasted billions? My country and I will be watching every minute.

~Spain for the Gold

I just found this great news about China and IOC ideals:
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/infotech/view/20080801-152119/Amnesty-pushes-China-for-unfettered-Internet-access

I forget what I came in here for... 
I seem to remember that there was a Barney Rubble on the wibble.
Is that a Euphemism? 
I may never know. 
But then, I tergiversate lexical ambiguity as one who is
anti-contextualisationistic.
I sure there are millions out there who suffer just as I do. What's to be done?
Only time will tell.

Great article, thanks. It is funny how much up in arms the Western press is about this issue. It is so much easier to admonish a foreign press than it is your own. 

The press is just as controlled -- if not more so -- in North America as it is in China. Sad how many people don't realize it. 

The most obvious example: if a massacre is being committed or supported by the other guys, it will get reported (Darfur for example). The press will get self-righteous about how horrible the other side is. If the massacre is committed by our government's side, or supported by our side, it will hardly be reported on (East Timor for example.) 

The general population is just as indoctrinated and brainwashed in the East as in the West.

I fully agree with this. 

It's all too common to see uneducated "journalists" bad mouth China about things they have no experience with. Same with a lot of people. 

I'm especially sick seeing yanks do it. Maybe they see China as a threat to them as a future super power. But then they see almost anything as a threat to them and badmoyth loads of countries they have no understanding of whatsoever. Just sick of the bastards in general.

Oh things really are so great in China right now huh? "Fringe religious groups" such as Falun Gong, Jews, Muslims and Christians being censored aren't really a big deal eh? What about Organs being harvested from the living to be sold to the rich on the blackmarket? http://organharvestinvestigation.net/

Are you allowed to view that website in your "almost as free as the west" China? Have you tried typing in Tiananmen into google.cn ?? Try it! You will get nothing about the June Massacre!! No photo of a brave student standing in front of a line of Tanks!!

What about the 41 million people who have withdrawn from the Communist Party? http://ninecommentaries.com/ Can you view that website in China? How about Communist officials admitting to instigating violence against U.S. citizens on the streets of New York and Vancouver B.C.? What a wonderful place you live in! I'm so glad everything is as free there as it is here. 

What about the bloggers that Yahoo broke contract with and turned over to the Communist Party and are still in Jail? What about the Human Rights Lawyer Gao Zhisheng who was arrested for trying to defend Tibetans, Christians, Falun Gong Practitioners, and democracy advocates?

Can you read his book?? Its called "A China More Just" check that out on the internet if you can. Don't forget to leave a thumbprint at the internet cafe'. http://www.amazon.com/China-More-Just-Gao-Zhisheng/dp/1932674365

Forced abortions and sterilizations under one-child policy, world No.1 in executions - ranked in top 10 per capita, forced occupation of Tibet, the arrest and imprisonment of rival political groups, organ harvesting of prisoners, quotas on the number of monks to keep religion down, members of Communist Party required to be atheist, total non-transparency of governmental affairs, high levels of corruption at all levels of government, lack of due process, breaking arms embargoes - supplying arms to Darfur, aiding genocide. 

...the list goes on.

Well at least they can rest safe in the knowledge their propaganda and censorship is actually working. They have you converted! Well the Nazi party wouldn't have been elected any other way, there certainly weren't 'gangs of yobs' in Nazi Germany either.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_rights_in_the_People's_Republic_of_China 

You can doubt the credibility of Wikipedia and western news sources but at least they cite sources or show credible footage, where's your evidence of this benevolent regime you talk of?

So you're saying that China is cute and awesome like a bowl full of kittens. But how are we supposed to know you don't work for the evil CHINESE GOVERNMENT. What if they brain washed you? How are we supposed to know? 

I mean right now I could be like "I don't know what you guys are talking about...I'm right now in North Korea hanging out with Kim Jong Il and he's a nice guy, he hooked me up with his blonde sister and shes hot! You guys say he's such a bad guy but you've never come to North Korea to meet him, you're being unfair to him." I mean we all know the internet is full of lying virgins who insist they are gods gift to women. How are we supposed to know that you're not really some baby eating communist disguised as a honest fun loving guy?

But your take on USA news is totally off. You think that we're even fooled that we get the whole story. Dude, the world is full of idiots guiding idiots. No news is all fair and balanced and the expectation that anyone anywhere will give you that is totally naive. Your country is no better than mine, altho mine might be better than yours because I'm here kicking ass... 

Just kidding, I'll leave you with this fact about your nice squishy lovable country... Two-thirds of the world's executions occur in China. So either there is a lot of crime there or your govt is unusually harsh. Personally I'd rather be able to walk the streets with a gun ready to defend myself from said "Knife wielding crazy" vs trying to keep my head on my body arguing against an all powerful govt which doesn't care about what your defense is. 

Good luck keeping your head attached, and I hope you get my reply. Hopefully they don't filter it cus I gave you a fact that they don't like.

Love you! Your kind gun toting american fellow human being.
H8R

Thank you for speaking the truth.

The Propaganda around China has amazed me. 
How criminal of them to send riot police when Tibetan villages start rioting and burning down villages... as if western country's would have reacted any different.

Americas Media is totally controlled by the counsel on foreign relations (Dick chaney was President of the CFR) an organisation set up by rich bankers years ago to control and make the news agenda with representatives in nearly all major American publishing houses.

Reuters the company making the news for the rest of the planet is controlled by the same people bringing the same biased, agenda based articles on websites, newspapers and televisions around the planet.

People living in western country's have become too interested in what other country's do wrong ...not noticing their own mess.

I'm all for freedom of speech, but do we have to have this kind of juvenile writing here on the Inquirer?

It's neither well written nor relevant nor in the least bit informative about China as it is now
- it's the kind of rant you can find on any old blog on the web
- is this what passes for journalism at the Inquirer?



freedom of speech isn't free here. It costs money, unless you say something suitable. Who controls 'the great beast'?

Really, it's impossible to do interesting stuff on the net in China. The following services are blocked (either part-time or all the time):
Facebook
Blogspot
Wordpress
Typepad
Feedburner
Googlepages
& tons of other websites that I have no idea why they would even be blocked. Please don't tell me to use local alternatives to these services, because pure Chinese-websites are not English-friendly and not internationally used. Also, without FeedBurner, reading feeds is a pain.

Of course the nearly all governments around the world block websites with evil stuff etc. etc. But blocking basic web AMENITIES like the ones listed above is way too much.

How you feel about this article is dependent on whether you have lived as an expatriate in any other country for a number of years and have an international outlook, or whether you have only seen one way of life and really have no way to determine whether you are really free or not. Our teaching always over simplifies, which leads to stereotyping,
misconceptions and ultimately paranoia.
Governments usually play on their citizen's fears of the otherness of strangers. If you want to observe a repressive system check out the historic dynasties of China.

How you feel about this article is dependent on whether you have lived as an expatriate in any other country for a number of years and have an international outlook, or whether you have only seen one way of life and really have no way to determine whether you are really free or not.You have to try on the shoe to see of it fits. Our teaching always over simplifies, which leads to stereotyping,
misconceptions and ultimately xenophobia.
Governments usually play on their citizen's fears of the otherness of strangers. If you want to observe a repressive system check out the historic dynasties of China.


my editorial commend...

All though I agree with most of your opinions about the issues you raise, I do think that it is entirely obvious that western media and governments are hypocritical, and as such you bring nothing new to the table. Please check out this website for proof of US government censorship of websites:

http://w2.eff.org/Censorship/Terrorism_militias/antiterrorism_chill.html#websiteshutdownusgov

I also want to ask you? Do you think that China's actions are justified simply because the west is just as bad? Do 2 wrongs ever make a right?

Finally, your arguments made me think you have never read Goerge Orwell - and many others. The "safety" you perceive is surely just a smoke screen, a little like the CCTV installations in Britain are. You can find many examples of how it is very easy to not be "safe" in China if you do not agree with the authorities. At least, you can find them if your internet is not censored. Try Googling Tiananmen Square.

I once met a man from Ukraine. He said, that Stalin was a good man. As long as you just lived your normal life and did what you should, you never ever had a problem with the system and felt very protected and looked after. Everything was there. Everything was supplied and there was order and peace everywhere and also in the streets.

There is something wrong here. Can't you see?

I agree 101% with the author.

I would like to comment on some of the comments though:

"The key difference that Blighty allows that you are free to criticise the government and the people in power without fear of physical persecution."

When everyone can speak words become worthless.

Words in "democratic" regimes have no weight (unless backed up by a big pile of money) -- that is the only reason why you can say whatever you want and get away with it.

To all those poor souls citing Benjamin Franklin -- USA has the most totalitarian regime on the planet at the moment. You gave up all your freedom for the false sense of security. Too bad you can't see that from the inside. Stop watching Fox News for a few days and rent the moviee by John Carpenter called "They Live!" (1988) -- its a mind opener.

I've been in China for the past 4 and a half years, had some good travel here, never felt at all unsafe, even walking around late at night, even the people in Urumqi gave us friendly warnings that some of the local youths were out attempting to steal stuff, my wife had her handback slashed on a bus, unsuccessfully since the bag had two layers of lining, and not much in it worth money anyway. I've had a friend threatened with a pocket knife, but he just walked on, without being followed. Just two small incidents I've had here in China. Oh yes, during my wedding in a small town here, a thief came into our house and stole a few small items, electronics that were easy to pocket, we were targetted because it's a small town and there were a number of foreigners easily visible to the township, and it's underbelly, and we left a relatively high window open. I must admit, the only thing I was pissed about, was losing the photo's I'd taken that day during our travels. We're pretty careful now about our security, but no more than anyone say back home in Australia.

About the only problem I've come up with recently concerning the government has been the change in policy concerning travellers VISA's, as I wanted to extend my stay for a while until we were ready to leave, had to do some fast talking and go through a bit of paperwork BS which wouldn't have been necessary except for the PSB wanting as many lao wai out of the country before the Games.

Oh, as per the 1 Child Policy, some people use connections to transfer their second child to a married (children without marriage here is exceptionally frowned upon, in fact you can't get a Chinese ID without having two parents listed on the birth certificate) relative who is childless. Some children are in essence kept, but live life outside the law, without access to schooling, hospitals or any other government services, or able to get jobs etc because they can't get an ID. Mind you, the amount of advertising I see on local TV for hospitals offering abortion facilities is rather sickening, but is somewhat necessary since they have virtually no sex ed in schools, let alone know much about "protection" since they think that the best way to deal with sexuality is to ignore it until they've finished school, at which time, they sort of hope that the kids will work it out, preferably with a wedding ceremony first.

Anyway, my two cents on the matter.

if you have a second or third child and the first one was a boy you have to pay a fee and higher taxes.

But - come on, you really compare the small violations in UK or Western Europe with stuff like this?

http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/news/story.html?id=20d0fa3c-f0a4-4767-ab09-25456c176c4b

and Chinas concentration camps?

Is the author nuts? Completly delusional? Or was he afraid to say something bad about China in case the big brother reads his correspondence and makes him disappear?

...has there been an equivalent in the West to the case of Shi Tao?

I was born in China, and spent my childhood there. I'll be the first to say that China's not the most "free" country in the world, but the amount of propaganda to demonize China is crazy.

1 Child Policy? I haven't heard of any "forced sterilization" thing happening, I know lots of ppl do exceed the limit and if you're caught you're fined (but most ppl can afford and lots exceed the limit).

And the Tibet thing, what the HECK? "Forced Occupation"? If you call this forced occupation the US is forcibly occupying Native Indian's land for ages, not counting the present day human rights abuse against them.

What's even funnier is how they refer to the Tibetan fringe groups as "freedom fights" when they are rioting and killing and looting.

So the Iraqis and Afganis do it they are not freedom fighters but terrorists; but when it comes to Tibetan fringe groups they are not terrorists but freedom fighters?

The Western media twist information and feed it down ppl's throat and most of them just ate it up without any research and understanding.

Also you have to think about China's history of being an Empire with basically totalarian rules, it is hard to get away from millenia of history and tradition of being totally controlled by the government (emperor). So it takes time to change to a more open government.

But China is headlong on the path to more freedom, no one can doubt that China is making great progress compare to the past.

But people just keep pointing fingers, do you expect everyone in China just change overnight?

"Those who would give up Essential Liberty to purchase a little Temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety." - Ben Franklin.

You guys keep quoting this line, but which country is becoming more open and more free, and which countries becoming more restrictive and controlling? Ask yourself that before shooting out lines without thinking.

The difference between safety in China and in the west is the following:

1. The west loves to report on murders, rapes, etc.
2. The Chinese government doesn't allow much reporting on those because it will upset the people.

I live in a good area of Shanghai and in the past year 3 girls were killed trying to take money from the ATM in a one block area. 

Shanghai is considered one of the safest if not the safest areas in China (I would assume that Beijing is more safe now that the Olympics are coming).

In other rural areas of China, there are gangs that scour the land to kidnap children to sell their organs to the highest bidder. I know because my girlfriend was captured by them but escaped when she was younger.

Many ATMs have had cyber thieves install cameras above the keypad so they can get your bank card number and the pin as you type it in. In China the banks provide no protection for this. 

Counterfeiting is so prominant that everyone and I mean absolutely everyone checks the 50 and 100 rmb bill notes. Some are even checking the 10s and 20s (I've had a number of fake bills given to me as change).

Scams are left and right. i bought a ticket for a bus trip. My friend and I were taken to the "bus station" which turned out to be away from town. When we arrived, a group of 20 thugs demanded that we hand over all our money. After reported this to the police, they just laughed hung up.

My apartment was broken into and over $20,000 worth of stuff was stolen. After reporting it to the Police, they said "how do I know you had that stuff?" I told them I had picture and receipts and they just said "How do we know you didn't give it to your friend"? The sad thing is I even know who did it but that didn't make them want to even take my statement.

The system is so corrupt that you can get away with nearly anything for pennies on the dollar. Unfair, business dealings are made in night clubs, prostitution clubs, and massage parlors. 

To a foreign national that spends some time in the local Ritz Carlton, takes a company driver or a taxi to and from work and goes to a few of the tourist trap restaurants and bars, it may seem like a nice safe place, but your exposure to the real China is severely limited.

It is unfair (to use a kind word) to accuse China for global warming. 

- chine is producing vast majority of products consumed in US and EU. They are getting pollution and miserable salaries. Western countries are getting products and profit 

- All "unclean" industries were moved from EU and US to China. 

- US is no.1 in pollution / person; and they produce nothing. just consume 

I think that there will be less than 10yrs until Chinese will say: the price for our work is 4x from now; and we will have to pay because we will have no alternative: all factories are moved in china



The fact is that China is one of the worst countries in terms of Human Rights. Of course you can't read the Amnesty International reports showing widespread torture, suppression, unfair trials, killings and ridiculously harsh prison sentences for voicing your opinion.

Unfortunately the crackdown has become much worse due to the Olympics - exactly the opposite of what was promised. Read for example one out of thousands of cases - a guy who protested against the land being cleared for the Olympics (if not already blocked): http://www.thechinadebate.org/en/?p=448

I can write this in the UK without any concern about my safety. However if I were in China, I would be at great risk of being tortured and imprisoned for many years without receiving a fair trial like so many others. They allow you to write an article about the good things about China, but not the bad things. 

When you're watching the Games think about the many people who have been silenced, imprisoned or killed by the Chinese government because of the Olympics.

What the heck is this? I've read more cogent arguments on Myspace.

Take this scintillating slice of logic, for example:

"I live in China. The Interweb that is controlled with an "iron fist" seems pretty free to me. Every day. I can get every news source that you can. Since the Central Government lifted the BBC ban, I can even get that sort of reporting if I want to."

'Dr. John', take a look out of your window some time. Do you see those people? Chinese people. Maybe you haven't really noticed them yet? They live in China.

THEY are the target of government censorship, not you, you egocentric moron.

Maybe if you could read Chinese, you would appreciate how much information is blocked or deleted. 

Here's just one out of thousands of examples. Try this page:

http://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E5%85%AD%E5%9B%9B%E4%BA%8B%E4%BB%B6