Olympics

[M.Dancer]

I'm guessing kids use the internet in China too.

Keep Guessing....

Critics warn the new version could restrict access to thousands of sensitive terms and web sites. Such topics are likely to include independence for Taiwan and the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre.

The Chinese government keeps a tight rein on the internet and what users can access. The BBC news site is inaccessible, while a search on Google.cn for the banned Falun Gong spiritual movement directs users to a string of condemnatory articles.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/4645596.stm

[Guest American Woman]

The autocrats would never have staged the olympics at all if they really thought it would lead to more openess and the ultimate loss of power for the communist party.

I have to agree with you there, but just because they don't think it doesn't mean it couldn't happen. But there's a big difference between 'being responsible for some change' and "the loss of power of the communist party." I think maybe sometimes things have to be done in baby steps, and I see change in China happening that way.

[Riverwind]

I have to agree with you there, but just because they don't think it doesn't mean it couldn't happen.

It could happen but I personally think it was a huge propoganda win for the communist party and has set back reforms for quite awhile. The communists believed this would happen too which is why they invested so much in making sure the olympics was perceived to be a success. The party would be in worse shape today if all that happened in 2008 was the earthquake and the lingering questions over dead children and shoddy school construction. Utimately, that is why I am so negative about the olympics - I simply do not want to be a participant in the communist propoganda machine. Edited August 29, 2008 by Riverwind

[xul]

Ever been to China?

I think there always are some people in the world who would never like to be China or anywhere they dislike but merely gether information from newspapers or refugee lawyers' advertisements which fitting their tastes, just as those old-time clergies of Inquisition burnt astronomers never so much as bothering themself to look into astronomers' telescopes.

If I was a Canadian army officer in Afghanistan and have a invisibility coat, I would rather like to put on my coat to visit some neighbour villages. Not for showing respect to anyone or spitting on anyone's face, but for understanding what have happened in vicinity and anticipating what will happen.

Edited August 29, 2008 by xul

[xul]

Keep Guessing....

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/4645596.stm

The newsletter you quote from BBC were correct.

Nowaday I can visit BBC's website, I just clicked the link you offered and it works. I have also just visted BBC's and VOA's chinese launguage webpages http://news.bbc.co.uk/chinese/simp/hi/default.stm http://www.voanews.com/chinese/index.cfm and its english webpage, all of them works.

I still can not visit chinese.dalailama.com. and some Chinese language separatists or dissidents website.

I believe that host of Olympic Games has done positive effect on Chinese people to access western media via internet. I think some westerner's "political-correctness" also did positive function for CPC maybe feel very funny to let Chinese people to see by which words these political-correct guys used to comment China and Chinese.

And please allow me to add some my new idea about the BBC's article:

Google argued it would be more damaging to pull out of China altogether.

Critics warn the new version could restrict access to thousands of sensitive terms and web sites. Such topics are likely to include independence for Taiwan and the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre.

Obviously Google is right. If everyone accept the thoughtway the political-correct "writer" showed in this article, I guarantee everyone would see more "spectacular" things than any Olympic Games, such as:

1. some members of this forum would not be here, because American/British/Canadian immigration officers would refuse to issue their parents or greatparents visa for their countries failed to give all Jews visas in 1930s so they would issue no visa to any Jew.

2. police would stop to catch thieves because they failed to catch all thieves.

3. doctors would expel some their patients who have sickness such as asthma or Cancer from hospital, for they can not cure them so they would better stop to treat them.

4. we would stop to have any meal becasue there still are someones in somewhere are starving.

5. ....

Edited August 29, 2008 by xul