What Chinese Censors Don’t Want You to Know

[Robb]

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/22/world/asia/22banned.html">What Chinese Censors Don’t Want You to Know (NYT)

A set of Chinese government censorship guidelines recently leaked to the Internet provides a rare and intimate window into the thinking of propaganda officials. The list of prohibitions issued to editors ranges from the extremely broad, such as the injunction against “negative news,” to the bizarrely specific, such as the ban on the blooming of a particular flower in southern China.

Following are excerpts from media guidelines that the Communist Party propaganda department and the government Bureau of Internet Affairs, conveyed to top editors before this month’s annual sessions of the National People’s Congress and the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference.

The sessions are often referred to here as “the two meetings.” Such internal guidelines are typically circulated weekly, and the list issued before this year’s sessions was described as considerably lengthier than the norm.

A portion was http://www.minzhuzhongguo.org/Article/ShowArticle.asp?ArticleID=13731">posted on the Internet, and independently confirmed and translated by the Beijing bureau of The New York Times. Annotations by The Times are in brackets.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/22/world/asia/22banned.html">(Read More...)

In case you were wondering if our state of journalism is the worst in the world, rest easy, China's got our back. My favorite is #9:

9. Do not feature news reports on major incidents in Beijing during the two meetings, including “staffer at Xidan Books Building hacks manager to death” or “accident at Shunyi car showroom, one man dies.” Do not highlight the timing of these events.

[HeresyLives]

1. Ahhh well, if the NYT says so, then it must be true.

They were so accurate on Iraq after all. :rofl:

[Bluebear]

4. So your contention is the Chinese have a free press?

[HeresyLives]

5. I said the NYT hasn't been a credible source

in the past.

[Elwood P Dowd]

10. You are dealing with DU's resident Communist Chinese worshiper.

:crazy: :crazy: :crazy: :crazy: :crazy: :crazy: :crazy: :crazy: :crazy: :crazy: :crazy: :crazy: :crazy:

[HeresyLives]

11. LOL says the guy who talks to invisible rabbits.

[Name removed]

9. Deleted sub-thread

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[MicaelS]

65. So how's that "Citizen of the World" passport working out?

Is that accepted everywhere? :sarcasm:

[HeresyLives]

69. Great! You should try it!

[CreekDog]

165. And we should trust your accuracy in suggesting that the presence of Chinese censorship is disputed

:eyes:

[GodlessBiker]

2. One of these days, that regime is going to end up like Nicolae Ceausescu.

[HeresyLives]

3. Unlikely.

[smiley_glad_hands]

Support totalitarianism much? eom

[HeresyLives]

15. Nope. Support free speech much?

I guess not eh?

[smiley_glad_hands]

18. The chinese certainly don't.

But you are free to spout your nonsense all you want here. I encourage it actually. It only reinforces my positions on china.

[HeresyLives]

20. LOL if you are creating a 'position on China'

because of what a poster says on DU...the Chinese have nothing to worry about. :rofl:

[smiley_glad_hands]

23. Incorrect, my positions are based on facts.

Which include the fact that china is governed by a totalitarian regime.

[HeresyLives]

25. No, just opinion and propaganda.

[smiley_glad_hands]

27. So china's unelected government doesnt control the media?

They don't oppress dissenters with violence and imprisonment?

Let me guess, tienamen square was just ny times western media propaganda?

[HeresyLives]

31. So your elected one doesn't?

Let me guess, Abu Ghraib was just anti-US propaganda?

[smiley_glad_hands]

33. No our govt doesnt control the media.

If that were the case glen beck would be in jail and rush limpnuts would have disappeared under clinton. Nice try though.

[HeresyLives]

39. People say so every day on here.

Which time are you lying then?

[smiley_glad_hands]

49. Incorrect, again. If you ever chose to post on a different shift....

Then you'd know that the biggest complaint about the media here is corporate influence. But then again you probably know that already.

[HeresyLives]

52. Yes, corporate influence on the media.

And govt promotion of that.

And I'm here most any hour.

[smiley_glad_hands]

55. Big difference from chinese government mandated censorship. eom

[HeresyLives]

59. It doesn't matter what they do.

China exists.

It isn't going away.

Deal with it.

[smiley_glad_hands]

63. We are by declaring them a currency manipulater.....

An intellectual propery thief, a totalitarian regime, and initiating trade sanctions against them.

[HeresyLives]

68. ....wasting your time.

:boring:

[Name removed]

73. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Name removed]

75. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[smiley_glad_hands]

80. Is english even your first language?

How about chinese?

[HeresyLives]

83. Yes, but it's obviously not yours.

[smiley_glad_hands]

89. What part of chinese propaganda shill do you not understand?

[HeresyLives]

91. What part of 'fantasy' do you not understand?

[smiley_glad_hands]

100. What your pro china anti America fantasy?

Yeah you're right I don't understand it.

[HeresyLives]

104. I'm aware you understand little of anything.

It's why you're boring.

[smiley_glad_hands]

110. I know propaganda when i see it.

[HeresyLives]

112. Obama is trying to wean you off hate.

I know the Bush years of conditioning run deep but try, eh?

[smiley_glad_hands]

115. Thats funny, bush cowtowed to the chinese, obama is quite the opposite.

[HeresyLives]

118. Obama is even-handed.

Bush was scared.

[smiley_glad_hands]

120. Thats right he is.

And that's why he will declare china a currency manipulater and levy trade sanctions against them. The bush family has strong ties to communist china, he would never consider it.

[HeresyLives]

121. Only if he's crazy.

[smiley_glad_hands]

125. Which is he, even handed or crazy? Get your talking points straight.

[HeresyLives]

129. He's BEEN even-handed. You're MAKING him crazy.

[smiley_glad_hands]

132. You are delusional.

[HeresyLives]

134. .

:boring:

[Zoeisright]

126. Gee. Do you understand what hypocrisy is?

The Chinese government is repressive and suppresses free speech. If you don't understand that you're beyond help. And reason.

[HeresyLives]

135. Yes I see it here every day.

[ShamelessHussy]

6. they ain't got nutt'n on Rupert Murdoch & Roger Ailes

:evilgrin:

[Robb]

7. I can think of no one they'd less like to be compared to

:D

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

8. See for yourselves.

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn /

http://english.peopledaily.com.cn /

http://www.xinhuanet.com/english2010 /

http://www.creadersnet.com/

[smiley_glad_hands]

12. I see the china apologist has already arrived.

Cue the links to wikipedia about how the chinese invented the spoon 2000 yearas ago.

[Robb]

13. Yeah, well

...the http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spork">spork is cooler anyhow. :D

[HeresyLives]

14. Where? Where?

[smiley_glad_hands]

16. Look in the mirror. eom

[HeresyLives]

17. You're the one talking about China.

If you'd care to discuss India, Belgium or Peru instead, fine.

[smiley_glad_hands]

19. Um, the OP is about china, what did you miss? eom

[HeresyLives]

21. Bingo! And I'm commenting.

As I would if you'd posted about India, Bulgaria or Macedonia.

What did YOU miss?

[smiley_glad_hands]

22. Yes, correct you are commenting in support of totalitarianism.

Would you like to try to change the subject again?

[HeresyLives]

24. Noop, never said that either. Sorry.

[smiley_glad_hands]

26. Your comments in this thread and countless others say otherwise.

Are you paid to be this daft?

[HeresyLives]

30. No, they don't.

Do you get extra for imagination?

[smiley_glad_hands]

32. Your posts are self evident. eom

[HeresyLives]

34. Only to the blinkered.

[smiley_glad_hands]

45. Actually its really quite apparent. eom

[HeresyLives]

47. Only to the blinkered.

[smiley_glad_hands]

50. Your posts and your positions are quite evident.

Your cover has been blown.

[HeresyLives]

54. Oh do stop with the silliness.

It's bloody boring.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=7990554&mesg_id=7991667

[smiley_glad_hands]

58. Your pro china propaganda was silly a month ago. So yes please stop.

[HeresyLives]

60. Hey attack India. Get the same.

[smiley_glad_hands]

64. India? Do tell. eom

[HeresyLives]

74. Oh, are you attacking them too?

Is there a villain-of-the-week award, or what?

[smiley_glad_hands]

81. No china has the lifetime achievement award for that category. nt

[HeresyLives]

84. Until next week. When the 2 minute hate will be directed

at somebody else.

Whoever the govt picks out of hat...you will do your duty.

[smiley_glad_hands]

93. Your kidding right?

You really are a propagandist. Lol. This isn't china dear.

[HeresyLives]

96. You'll hate anybody on command.

So far it's been 4 times in the last ten years.

[smiley_glad_hands]

101. If i hate its on my own terms, i don't get paid to or ordered to by my chinese overlords.

[HeresyLives]

105. No, you hate on your govt terms.

[smiley_glad_hands]

113. You are beyond showing your true colors.

[HeresyLives]

114. Never mix the red ones with the blue ones.

[smiley_glad_hands]

116. Your gig is up, you dont make any sense.

[HeresyLives]

117. Take the earmuffs off.

[smiley_glad_hands]

122. Earmuffs? lol

[HeresyLives]

124. Earmuffs, headphones, ear plugs whatever

[smiley_glad_hands]

149. Is that what the chinese to english dictionary says?

[HeresyLives]

151. .

:boring:

[unkachuck]

28. hey NYT....

....why don't we leave China to the Chinese and concentrate on our own corporate-owned propaganda machines and a government that likes listening and recording everyone everywhere....

....our government doesn't need to hand you a 'list of prohibitions' or restrict internet access because our government and the majority of our media corporations are all on the same political page....it has been determined that lone dissenting voices are of no significant threat and should be manageable....

....or if you're suggesting the difference in access to information between us and the 'censored' Chinese would/could ever lead to real systemic change, here or in China, then you're an idiot or you think that I am....

....methods of control may vary, but control is control....and you can distinguish the fruit of real freedom by determining where the bulk of societys' wealth resides and how well the peoples needs are being met....

....no one in the majority in a truly free society is going to voluntarily disadvantage themselves or their family so a few may prosper disproportionately....sound familiar?

[HeresyLives]

29. Look, can you guys move past the silliness?

Why do you always need a boogeyman on here?

Just in this century alone it's been Afghanistan...boo the bad guys, whoops the bad guys can fight.

Okay, let's move on to Iraq where they have special 'rape rooms'. How they differ from any other room isn't clear, but apparently Iraq is full of them. Nukes, 45 minutes, mushroom clouds...that's the ticket.

Whoops, no nukes...no nothing in fact.

Well let's move on to Iran, and that evil dude Amenhadjihootenannay eh? Nukes, mushroom clouds...oh wait, they haven't any either.

So ....let's attack China. They send us cheap goods that we...er...um...buy.

Well hey, what about their media...even tho our media is known to cover things up.

And what about Tienanmen square? We'll ignore our own failings in the torture-and-killing field.

Next week it'll be India no doubt. Or maybe Kazakhstan. I'm sure they're trying to take over the world. Or possibly it's the Gypsies.

Hey...all countries have problems you can rip up on. Including my own.

But at least try to be reasonable.

None of these countries are going away, you'll have to deal with them.

Vilifying and demonizing them with propaganda isn't going to solve the problems you may have with them.

How about a rational discussion...a factual one...without the comic book accompaniment?

And without attacking every poster who speaks out for reason and common sense...or is that too much to ask?

[smiley_glad_hands]

37. Promoting them endlessly with propaganda doesnt help either.

[HeresyLives]

40. Hey, attack India then.

Draw back a stump.

[smiley_glad_hands]

62. India is the worlds largest democracy not the worlds largest totalitarian regime.

Draw back a stump? Are you saying that India holds a military advantage over the USA?

I think I figured it out, you just hate america.

[HeresyLives]

70. And you're still 'losing jobs' to them.

No, I don't hate America.

I just don't hate China or India either.

[smiley_glad_hands]

79. Well the big difference is that most indians come here for work.

Those that take our jobs anyway. The call center jobs that they took are starting to come back because of the poor customer experience.

Further, quality and Indian software development aren't exactly synonomous either.

[HeresyLives]

86. LOL much of your work is 'outsourced' to India.

And India isn't big on call centers. They do legal and medical and technical work.

[smiley_glad_hands]

99. If you knew half as much as you thought you did....

you might be dangerous. Lol

[HeresyLives]

108. If you were awake....

[Jkid]

35. Actual responses from 4chan's /new/ imageboard

Anonymous 03/22/10(Mon)22:43 No.415719

>>415692
>Chinese officials are concerned about the spread of superstition.
i lol'd

is that the right translation?

Anonymous 03/22/10(Mon)22:44 No.415724

>ban on the blooming of a particular flower in southern China

Are they just doing this to mess with peoples' heads?

Anonymous 03/22/10(Mon)22:44 No.415736

>>415719
Well, they ought to be. Those stupid fuckers still think they'll get a longer penis if they eat tiger dick.

Which, by the way, is contributing to the extinction of the tiger. HEY CHINA, STOP BEING BACKWARDS PEASANTS AND SAVE THE FUCKING TIGER!

Anonymous 03/22/10(Mon)22:45 No.415746

>>415724
I really wish so, but knowing China?
They'll come up with SOME batshit crazy reason for it.

[HughMoran]

36. China is manipulating their currency

...& stealing our jobs in the process. They censor their people and treat their citizens like shit.

[smiley_glad_hands]

43. They have increasingly made it more difficult for our companies to enter their market as well.

And they complain that we won't sell them our satellite and super computer technology......so they can use it against us.

[HeresyLives]

48. Well Google broke their contract.

Perhaps the Chinese have reason?

And you have no basis for the second remark, whatever.

[smiley_glad_hands]

53. Your getting desperate now lol.

Kudos to google for refusing to censor info for a totalitarian regime.

[HeresyLives]

57. You don't support legal contracts now?

[smiley_glad_hands]

66. Google is not contractually obligated to remain in china or provide censored search results.

Try again.

[HeresyLives]

71. Hey, they agreed to the terms....in writing.

[smiley_glad_hands]

82. Google is not contractually obligated to china. Propagandize much?

[HughMoran]

87. That's a rhetorical question

:D

[HeresyLives]

88. They signed a contract. Read much?

[smiley_glad_hands]

97. Get your chinese overlords to produce one then lol.

You are beyond transparent at this point.

[HeresyLives]

102. You are beyond silly at this point.

And apparently don't keep up with the news.

:boring:

[smiley_glad_hands]

106. Prove me wrong then and show me the contract that google signed. nt

[HeresyLives]

111. Check a headline.

[smiley_glad_hands]

119. I know exactly whats in the headlines, now provide proof that google signed a contract....

With the chinese govt to censor search results.

[HeresyLives]

123. Obviously you don't.

[smiley_glad_hands]

128. Do tell and show me googles written contract to censor search results.

[HeresyLives]

130. Another one who argues to hear the sound of

your own voice. Ho hum.

[smiley_glad_hands]

136. Better than your nonsensical statements.

[HeresyLives]

44. No, really? You'd never do that, right?

And what is this 'our' jobs.

Do you own them?

[HughMoran]

61. you don't say...

I spent 15 years working for a Hong Kong based company - I know all about the technology stealing, the $1 for any software you want (illegal, of course), any movie you want (illegal copy of course), the sleazy H1B market where companies lie to get cheap Asian engineers over here, the price fixing of components to 'corner' a market, patent stealing and ignoring our patents (they patented the exact same circuit I patented a year earlier), the Universities that set up pipelines to get students and have literal sweat-shops filled with Chinese graduate students (go to the University of Central Florida if you don't believe me), the sleazy crap you have to go through to get a visa into China, yet they get all crazy if they can't get one in a minute. No, China is a sleazy country that only cares about stealing our technology, jobs & entertainment/software. Anybody who can defend this works for the government as a spy IMO.

[smiley_glad_hands]

67. +1 nt

[HeresyLives]

72. Ahhh personal anecdotes.

And based on your opinion the world is supposed to hate 1.5B people eh?

[HughMoran]

78. Everything I experienced is well documented

Personal anecdote would be to add that my job was shipped to China.

[HeresyLives]

90. Yeah riiiiiight.

No wonder 'your job' was shipped to China.

[HughMoran]

94. Thanks for conceding the argument

name-calling - niiice

[HeresyLives]

95. Old wheeze. Never worked. Still doesn't.

[HughMoran]

164. This thread looks so much better

after putting you on ignore...

[Odin2005]

38. I see the regular defender of a brutal totalitarian state is spewing nonsense as usual.

[HeresyLives]

41. So attack the Gypsies then.

I'll do the same thing.

Reason, man..reason.

[smiley_glad_hands]

85. You mean propaganda man propaganda.

[HeresyLives]

92. Yes, yours.

[Elwood P Dowd]

42. For the life of me, I don't know why the mods give this one a pass week after week.

:eyes: :eyes: :eyes: :eyes: :eyes: :eyes: :eyes: :eyes: :eyes: :eyes:

[HeresyLives]

46. Perhaps they prefer reason to propaganda?

Purely a guess on my part.

[Elwood P Dowd]

51. Just for you......

http://www.chinahush.com/2009/10/21/amazing-pictures-pollution-in-china/

[HeresyLives]

56. Seen em. You have the same.

Go talk to Harvey. He's a Chinese rabbit ya know.

[proteus_lives]

76. I've had that thought too.

Maybe they keep her around for laughs?

[HeresyLives]

77. Many of you have very strange thots indeed.

I put it down to paranoia.

Lefties suffer from it just as much as righties do.

[smiley_glad_hands]

103. So your just an America hating pro china citizen of the world then?

[HeresyLives]

107. Please...don't mix medicines.

[smiley_glad_hands]

139. Your posts speak for themselves.

[bridgit]

98. The Forbidden Cities of Middle Kingdoms

[HeresyLives]

109. You can see that in America.

And pretty much any place in the world unfortunately.

[smiley_glad_hands]

131. Its a way of life in oppressive china....

Its the exception here.

[bridgit]

133. Other places clearly, clearly more so

To rather less than recognize that, here as we key, is imo to hand a free pass to forces in China that advantage not just China's environment and the resources within her, but the Chinese people to the benefit of an industrial base willing to defile the health & hygiene of 100's of thousands of people at a time just to smelt the metals back out of the motherboards of the world with soldering iron, but I hear you,

Some people swim in the Love Canal, some people swim in the ocean it dumps into

[Blue_Tires]

142. there was a national geographic story a few years back

they showed these huge mountains of old computers, monitors, TVs and radios in the middle of nowhere in China...

[HeresyLives]

153. Yeah, lots of countries have those.

The west dumps them in a lot of places.

[HeresyLives]

127. CAN YOU GET PAST THE SILLINESS NOW?

Why do you always need a boogeyman on here?

Just in this century alone it's been Afghanistan...boo the bad guys, whoops the bad guys can fight.

Okay, let's move on to Iraq where they have special 'rape rooms'. How they differ from any other room isn't clear, but apparently Iraq is full of them. Nukes, 45 minutes, mushroom clouds...that's the ticket.

Whoops, no nukes...no nothing in fact.

Well let's move on to Iran, and that evil dude Amenhadjihootenannay eh? Nukes, mushroom clouds...oh wait, they haven't any either.

So ....let's attack China. They send us cheap goods that we...er...um...buy.

Well hey, what about their media...even tho our media is known to cover things up.

And what about Tienanmen square? We'll ignore our own failings in the torture-and-killing field.

Next week it'll be India no doubt. Or maybe Kazakhstan. I'm sure they're trying to take over the world. Or possibly it's the Gypsies.

Hey...all countries have problems you can rip up on. Including my own.

But at least try to be reasonable.

None of these countries are going away, you'll have to deal with them.

Vilifying and demonizing them with propaganda isn't going to solve the problems you may have with them.

How about a rational discussion...a factual one...without the comic book accompaniment?

And without attacking every poster who speaks out for reason and common sense...or is that too much to ask?

[smiley_glad_hands]

137. I wouldnt use reason or commonsense to describe your comments.

[HeresyLives]

138. You COULD have had a discussion.

Instead you just wasted everyone's time.

PS...Keep looking for a hobby. Debate isn't it.

[smiley_glad_hands]

143. No just wasted some anti American pro china propagandists time.

I did my fellow DUers a favor and took one for the team. You are not going to find anyone who holds a totalitarian regime in such high regards as you do.

[HeresyLives]

146. You've talked nonsense.

But hey, it's your life to waste.

[smiley_glad_hands]

152. Only when i speak your words out loud.

[HeresyLives]

154. .

:boring:

[Elwood P Dowd]

140. After denigrating longtime DU posters, now you want to lecture to them. Why don't you just leave.

Go somewhere else with this bullshit.

[HeresyLives]

145. Now you've lost everything. Even your dignity.

[smiley_glad_hands]

148. Says who? The anti American chinese propagandist?

[HeresyLives]

150. .

:boring:

[Cali_Democrat]

141. The sad part is that many Chinese don't even question the high level of censhorship

Don't Chinese people ever look at Democracies around the world and yearn for elections and freedom from pervasive censorship?

That country will never last in its current state. 1.2 Billion people cannot be held down indefinitely. When the time comes, China will explode and it will be led by the rural workers.

[HeresyLives]

147. Neither do many Americans. Freepers for example

The Chinese civilization is 5000 years old. The longest running civilization on earth. They are not Americans, and don't have the same values as you do.

You are slightly over 200 years old.

You are a kid to them

PS...Communism was led by rural workers. See how well that worked out?

[Cali_Democrat]

155. So you think the Chinese don't want elections?

Wouldn't they want to choose their leadership? :shrug:

This has nothing to do with how old the US is. The Chinese people have been around for a long time, but this government hasn't. Don't get it twisted. :hi:

[HeresyLives]

157. The Chinese have had an emperor for 5000 years.

Whether he is called 'emperor' or 'chairman' or 'president'...it's all the same. One man with supreme power.

There is nothing in their system or history that involves elections.

It's a meaningless concept to them.

[smiley_glad_hands]

159. Hence, they are an oppressive totalitarian regime....

That couldn't defend themselves from the island nation of Japan.

[HeresyLives]

160. .

:boring:

[Cali_Democrat]

161. The concept of one man with supreme power is insane

The sooner that's brought to an end, the better. Leaders need to be held accountable via elections, other branches of government and/or term limits. Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely.

The human spirit is too great to hold down for long.

[HeresyLives]

163. Works as well as any other system.

Worked for them for over 5000 years in fact.

[smiley_glad_hands]

156. Cue the links to wikipedia.

Freepers don't understand what, government censorship? You really don't know what you are talking about.

We are a kid to them? The same country that defeated the nation that occupied china in wwii?

You make no sense.

[HeresyLives]

158. .

:boring:

[Bluebear]

166. You are a kid to them!!!

:silly:

[Major Hogwash]

144. Does China have webcams of nekkid girls typing on their keyboards?

Because I see a lot of ads like that here, and I gotta tell ya, I think China should let nekkid girls type on their keyboards in front of webcams as long as they are old enough.

China is a huge country and we have to come together on some issue with them at some time and I think the nekkid girls typing on keyboards in front of their webcams just might be the trick to world peace.

I might be wrong, though. But, it's worth a shot.

[Elwood P Dowd]

162. Well, they have some nekkid girls from the funny farm doing that. Look at her posts above yours.

:evilgrin: