Sunday, February 20, 2011
Threat of Protests in China
Since the revolution in Egypt there have been many problems with protests in other countries. In particular, China has recently been reporting mini public gatherings of protesters put together through social media and microblogging outlets. The police have been able to keep the protests under control and the Chinese government has been focusing on changing the negative public opinion on the government through these same social media and microblogging outlets. It seems to me that instead of attempting to change the opinion that the public has about the government, the government should be focusing on actually catering to the needs of the public and making them feel more comfortable in their home country of China.
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3 comments:
We are seeing how social networking sites are leveling the playing field when it comes to vocalizing complaints and amassing support for a cause. China is the most poignant example of the way social networking transcends heavy-handed government control. The fact that protesters have come out AT ALL in China is substantial.
The Chinese are unhappy with their economic conditions; from a lack of work, to a basic lack of food. They see the government as the direct reason for their hardships, and they are taking action against a repressive regime.
The rapid growth that China has been experiencing comes with a price. Growth in GDP does not necessarily mean improved quality of life by any means. While the economy is growing, inequality and poverty will not necessarily disappear. Social Networks provide the unhappy Chinese people with a way to communicate and unite and this should concern the government.
I entirely agree with Scott - that protesters were even seen is a feat.
An interesting comment : a couple years ago the Chinese government tried to create what they called "The Great Green Wall". It would require that all new computers installed/bought in China have software installed that would send ALL information (passwords, web history, documents) to a government agency that would document and monitor this. Also, it would enable authorities to hack into your computer, delete things, turn off or even plant a virus to crash your computer and hard drive. I was actually working at the Beijing embassy in the Dept. of Commerce then and got to witness the international efforts to kill this law. Although the foreign embassies were able to prevent this law from actually happening, the Beijing office cynically told me that this was only a postponing of the law.
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