General News Regarding China & Hong Kong

[Crezth]

I am not sure what you are referring to, but it does not sound like what happened here

Amnesty International: Activist Li Qiaochu unjustly convicted ‘for speaking out about torture’

Responding to the conviction and sentencing to three years and eight months in jail of Chinese workers’ rights and women’s rights activist Li Qiaochu for “inciting subversion of state power”, Amnesty International’s China director Sarah Brooks said:​

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“The unjust conviction of Li Qiaochu is the culmination of the Chinese government’s cruel campaign to silence her.​

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“She has been harassed and held by police for four years for running a blog that shared articles written by her jailed partner, the prominent legal scholar Xu Zhiyong. But it also appears the authorities have punished Li because she dared to publicly share details of the torture inflicted on Xu and the ill-treatment she herself faced in detention.​

Grundiad: Outcry over lengthy jail terms handed to China human rights lawyers

The UN human rights chief, Volker Türk, has said he is “very concerned” after China sentenced two prominent human rights lawyers to more than a decade each in jail.​

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Xu Zhiyong and Ding Jiaxi were convicted of subversion of state power after closed-door trials and sentenced to 14 and 12 years respectively.​

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Both were leading figures in the New Citizens’ Movement, a loose network of activists who met regularly in person and online to discuss civil rights and current affairs, and had called for constitutional reform and criticised government corruption.​

Yeah, I mean, this all seems fairly normal to me. Whether you’re stomping down on perverts or people informing on your government to your enemies, people do sort of expect you to shut that down. Who weeps for Snowden, Assange, or Boeing whistleblowers who suicide themselves by gunshot to the back of the head? The point is that even if the government gets a few of us there are many more who happily and readily disagree, the only reason they don’t say anything is they live in fear. Which again, is normal I think no matter what country you’re in; and maybe the people who don’t think it’s normal are the outer party members, neh?

This is a response to "it is racist to think that people are not free to disagree with government policy in China". I also do not know if China is as bad as depicted, but I think most countries are much worse than depicted so China would be quite exceptional if it was not.

Yeah, fair enough.

Most people should be more concerned with their own government than others, and I think that is more true for you than for many others.

On the other hand, true patriots and real enemies of communism will realize they need to buy more Iraqi dinars today.

 

[Samson]

Who weeps for Snowden, Assange, or Boeing whistleblowers who suicide themselves by gunshot to the back of the head?

Quite a lot of people I think.

 

[Crezth]

Oh yes, but we shouldn’t care what those people think.

 

[Gorbles]

Oh yes, but we shouldn’t care what those people think.

Why shouldn't we? Others don't, sure, but is the performative not-caring routine going to achieve anything when discussing it with folks who are actually going to care? Wouldn't a different tack help?

 

[Farm Boy]

Performance caring does nothing, however. The only truly useful people to make a point to think "doing things" is a language of the hands.

We give some softball exceptions to the few people who actually specialize in being heard, which is dangerous, because aside from being loud, they're rarely particularly skilled.

 

[Gorbles]

I'd generally take care over a lack of it. It's good to have empathy, even if you're not in a position to help

 

[Crezth]

Why shouldn't we? Others don't, sure, but is the performative not-caring routine going to achieve anything when discussing it with folks who are actually going to care? Wouldn't a different tack help?

Well maybe you can fake caring, but it wouldn’t seem to matter either way. The only thing that’s really necessary is that you make people think you care, and that you’re making an effort, and in fact you’re the only one who can make that effort and your political opponents would screw it up even worse. No kind of actual progress is ever going to be necessary on this since “consensus” is not actually capable of driving policy.

 

[Gorbles]

Well maybe you can fake caring, but it wouldn’t seem to matter either way. The only thing that’s really necessary is that you make people think you care, and that you’re making an effort, and in fact you’re the only one who can make that effort and your political opponents would screw it up even worse. No kind of actual progress is ever going to be necessary on this since “consensus” is not actually capable of driving policy.

Well, insofar as politicians themselves go, sure. Often the case. But when it comes to us and our relationship to politicians, or us and our relation to problems in general, which is what I thought you and Samson were talking about, we should always at least try? Or not? Regardless of the outcome.

 

[Farm Boy]

A religious point without a religious practice to recommend it?

I mean, sure. Outward facing enlightenment is the way to go. But my purity moral foundation censors are issuing readings of "diseased/betrayal" as it applies to performative caring in general, not just from politicians. Same crap, different professions, not as good a sell.

 

[Comrade Ceasefire]

Shocking News: CIA spied on China.
Two years into office, President Donald Trump authorized the Central Intelligence Agency to launch a clandestine campaign on Chinese social media aimed at turning public opinion in China against its government, according to former U.S. officials with direct knowledge of the highly classified operation. Three former officials told Reuters that the CIA created a small team of operatives who used bogus internet identities to spread negative narratives about Xi Jinping's government while leaking disparaging intelligence to overseas news outlets. The effort, which began in 2019, has not been previously reported.

The CIA team promoted allegations that members of the ruling Communist Party were hiding ill-gotten money overseas and slammed as corrupt and wasteful China's Belt and Road Initiative, which provides financing for infrastructure projects in the developing world, the sources told Reuters. Although the U.S. officials declined to provide specific details of these operations, they said the disparaging narratives were based in fact despite being secretly released
by intelligence operatives under false cover. The efforts within China were intended to foment paranoia among top leaders there, forcing its government to expend resources chasing intrusions into Beijing's tightly controlled internet, two former officials said. "We wanted them chasing ghosts," one of these former officials said.

https://www.reuters.com/world/us/trump-launched-cia-covert-influence-operation-against-china-2024-03-14/

 

[Comrade Ceasefire]

Bloody commies. This could never happen in a democratic country!
Hong Kong: Actor Gregory Wong among 12 jailed over 2019 riot

Hong Kong actor Gregory Wong and 11 other people have been jailed for their role in the storming of the city's legislature during protests in 2019.
Wong was jailed for just over six years - one of the longer sentences handed down by the district court on Saturday.
Activists Ventus Lau and Owen Chow were also among those given prison terms linked to the pro-democracy protest.
Meanwhile, two journalists were fined for illegally entering the Legislative Council chamber at the time.
Most of the defendants were found guilty of rioting.

Hong Kong: Actor Gregory Wong among 12 jailed over 2019 riot

Pro-democracy demonstrators broke into Hong Kong's legislature in 2019 during months-long protests.

www.bbc.com

Footloose 2 Taking Place Entirely Online
40 years later and Footloose 2 is finally here although lovers of traditional movies may be disappointed.

Instead of a young Kevin Bacon moving to a town where dancing and rock music are banned, every youth in America are facing the prospect of a TikTok ban after US congress issues the Chinese app with a sell or get out ultimatum.

Thanks to Netflix, young people understand just how bad an ultimatum is and are surely preparing some debate winning Bible verses to protect TikTok, even if they have to do it in-person like a caveman.

Although the global superpower (who is our best friend even then we’re not their best friend) openly brags about their world wide surveillance efforts, they’d really prefer if others would not do unto them what they do others.

At the time of writing, the only thing that suggests that China is using TikTok as a surveillance tool is the guilty conscience of the USA who are probably aware of which app you are using to read this right now.

This, as well as the growing acceptance that China might be better than America at all the things America used to be the best at.

“I hate TikTok more than TikTok hates America!” stated US congressman/sheriff Teddy Gabblehorn, holding the traditional revolver that states it is his turn to talk.

“Already TikTok has led to the humiliation of many Americans, as users have made decades worth of videos featuring the systemic failings of our education system! They’re making us look like idiots! Now pass me the app so I can shoot it!”

If made a law in Congress, the proposed TikTok ban will be presented in the USA Senate which if successful will be hand delivered by the traditional birthday boy to the Supreme Court who will then pass it through on pigeon back to the hall of the Winged Men of Justice who are obliged to wake the Founding Fathers from their slumber and eat the bill with ketchup to make it law, following which, Australia will promptly do the same.

But if there was one lesson that America’s conservative policymakers didn’t learn 40 years ago, you simply cannot stop young people from taking part in 60-180 second dancing trends.

Footloose 2 Taking Place Entirely Online

LOUIS BOURKE | Culture | Contact 40 years later and Footloose 2 is finally here although lovers of traditional movies may be disappointed. Instead of a young Kevin Bacon moving to a town where dancing and rock music are banned, every youth in America are facing the prospect of a TikTok ban after...

www.betootaadvocate.com

 

[Birdjaguar]

TikToc raises two distinct questions: One is the value and fun of dance videos for 170 million Americans. The second is whether the CCP is or will use its information about the 170 million Americans for political benefit against the US. Can we trust that the CCP won't? WeChat is current private social media app that is widespread in China and used by many outside of China to communicate with friends in China. WeChat is fully compromised by the CCP as a tool for surveillance. I find it difficult to believe that the CCP will not find a way to use access to 170 million young Americans an try to bend them towards some political end.

The fact that Tik Toc has gone more commercial is too bad. We certainly do not need more advertising. BTW, I do not engage in with Tik Toc but have seen a few of what is posted.

 

[Crezth]

right but who honestly cares about that so-called surveillance? Like you’re really making a stink about China watching fudging videos of Americans twerking and saying that’s a national security problem that merits banning a medium of communication entirely. Like actual authoritarian government horsehocky, not even fake news stories or propaganda. We are literally watching the government whip a panicked population of idiot pigs into a frenzy about China spying on us through TikTok while for the last 22 years we have all lived in “the US government can wiretap surveill anyone in its own country or any others with unlimited discretionary authority to declare terrorist activity & which regularly swaps said spy data with Britain, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand so that all five governments are keeping tabs on each other’s citizens.”

But tiktok is a problem because China can like idk see what browsers people are using

 

[Birdjaguar]

But tiktok is a problem because China can like idk see what browsers people are using

So I assume you are a regular WeChat user even if you are not in China. And I guess you do not approve of the CCP blocking US apps in China.

 

[Crezth]

In fact I don’t use WeChat, that’s hilarious, and what are you getting at? I lived in China and accessed whatever I wanted. The whole net was available to me. And it was less the CCP and more you know the legitimate government there but I guess I remember people around me growing up blaming traffic on democrats.

 

[Gorbles]

I lived in China and accessed whatever I wanted. The whole net was available to me.

Sorry this is more needless curiousity from me, but . . . without a VPN?

 

[Lexicus]

So I assume you are a regular WeChat user even if you are not in China. And I guess you do not approve of the CCP blocking US apps in China.

What does it matter whether I "approve" of it or not? I don't live in China, and the whole point of "democracy" according to y'all is that the US government actually cares what I, a US citizen, think - unlike the Chinese government which (allegedly) only cares what Xi and perhaps a few of his inner circle think. "But China bans Tiktok" is an argument I've seen presented as some kind of ultimate QED on this topic and it might be if the same people who make it weren't also constantly at pains to explain why China is evil and the US is good. But this is a common feature of China discourse in liberal countries - China bans social media apps because it is EVIL while the US bans social media apps because we are GOOD.

 

[Klaus Hergersheimer]

We've had individuals volunteering information online since Facebook, I fail to see what more Tick Tock is supposed to be spying on. It sounds like folks are jealous because the younger crowd seems to be using a piece of tech (or, software, anyway) owned by a Chinese company and so they don't like that. But I don't claim to know very much about the platform.

 

[Birdjaguar]

What does it matter whether I "approve" of it or not?

It doesn't. My post was direct at Crezth.

 

[Crezth]

Sorry this is more needless curiousity from me, but . . . without a VPN?

Nope, cuz of the firewall. But to say VPNs are common there is like saying tap water filters are common here in the US. You can drink as much unfluoridated water as you want - for a price.