Richard,

Don’t hold back man. Tell us how you really feel!

March 20, 2007 @ 10:50 pm | Comment

This is no time for niceties. These bastards suck ass and I am pissssssed.

March 20, 2007 @ 10:59 pm | Comment

I guess they were reading the commenters who wondered why the Firewall blocked off LJ but didn’t touch Blogspot.

Coming soon: Spaces gets blocked!

March 20, 2007 @ 11:09 pm | Comment

heh

March 20, 2007 @ 11:12 pm | Comment

As the writer of a blogspot blog…let’s just say I am less than thrilled. I take comfort in the fact that our random musings on the Qing dynasty and the quality of Beijing taxis seem to be such a threat to the precious legitimacy of the CCP.

Every time something like this happens, it makes me realize how insecure China’s leaders must really feel. Fix the pollution. Stop the corruption. This country has REAL problems. The navel gazing of a few bloggers shouldn’t even crack the top 20.

Jesus.

March 20, 2007 @ 11:27 pm | Comment

Thank you Jeremiah. It’s at moments like this when the bold visionaries behind the next great superpower look like frightened, paranoid schoolgirls. At least they have their priorities straight.

March 20, 2007 @ 11:39 pm | Comment

Oooh, can’t wait for CCT’s rebuttal (scroll down to the Firewall post for a sample).

This. Sucks.

March 21, 2007 @ 3:46 am | Comment

Let me attempt a rebuttal:
Come on, you guys aren’t being very harmonious! You see, Blogspot had to be blocked to ensure China’s continued stability and economic growth. Every time that a website is blocked, a Chinese economic angel gets its wings! End of harmonious discussion!

March 21, 2007 @ 4:11 am | Comment

If China wants to solve ist problems it has to reach higher levels of efficiency in, to name a few things, usage of natural resources, energy comsuption, economy management and (ahem..) improvement o its legal and political system.
Blocking free flow of information is…. just a waste of time… and of useful resources too, which could be better applied elsewhere to solve real problems.
Camon boys! If you continue this way you are going to lose the next INFORMATION revolution 😉

March 21, 2007 @ 4:12 am | Comment

Just when I start to think that you guys understand China……..

March 21, 2007 @ 4:17 am | Comment

It’s ironic that the easiest way for people to write on their blogs about China is to be outside of it.

Richard, you have my sympathy. Don’t let the bastards grind you down.

March 21, 2007 @ 5:50 am | Comment

Guys, guys, please:

Since reform and opening up, and in step with China’s rapid economic growth, a number of undesirable social elements have sprung up. In keeping with the need for social stability and harmonious development under the Eleventh Five-Year plan, and with the party’s responsibility to represent the majority of progressive social interests, it is inevitable that serious measures will be taken to totally eff y’all.

(I have been translating this stuff for over a year. I have had dreams which begin, “Following reform and opening up…”)

March 21, 2007 @ 6:14 am | Comment

Random expat: Sure is polluted around here.

CCP: Quiet, you.

Forward thinking Chinese dude: I bet if they cleaned up the economy would run smoother.

CCP: Shut up, shut up.

Some professor: Do you think they’re even listening?

CCP [fingers in ears, doing a little dance and humming]: I can’t hear you. You’re not really saying anything.

Everybody without their head up their ass: Y’know, if they just listened and stopped acting like seventh graders, maybe they’d get some shit done.

CCP: Fine. Now your blog is blocked and you can no longer insult Chinese history and culture with your talk of spitting and sloppy noodle eating. Meh. [Sticks out tongue and gives a wet raspberry].

Me: ffffuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuccccckkkkkkkkkk!

OK, had to get that out. Sorry.

March 21, 2007 @ 8:50 am | Comment

Chris, just Substitute Democrat and Republican and you’ve got a one way ticket to nowhere. We’re all doomed.

March 21, 2007 @ 8:55 am | Comment

Ting

You don’t mean Democrat and Republican – you mean “intelligent American” and “Fox News”.

March 21, 2007 @ 9:14 am | Comment

Yeah…that’s what I meant…. Raj, I would have agreed with you..but..things aren’t looking so good over here . Seriously, We need to change something too.

March 21, 2007 @ 9:24 am | Comment

Okay…I’m tired of messing around with blogger. Can anyone give me a recommendation for a hosting service that the CCP does not feel is a threat to its precious (and apparently more fragile than we thought) legitimacy?

Option 1: Is use my own domain name to point to blogger, but I think the Nanny is (a little bit) smarter than that. Does anyone know if this will work?

Option 2: Typepad.

Option 3?

March 21, 2007 @ 9:28 am | Comment

@All: Just a reminded about http://www.pkblogs.com to access Blogspot blogs (at least for reading).

@Jeremiah – expect an e-mail.

March 21, 2007 @ 9:53 am | Comment

All of you need to find ways to piggy back on corporate VPNs, Beijing won’t block those.

March 21, 2007 @ 10:19 am | Comment

AAAAAAAAAAARRGGHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!

March 21, 2007 @ 2:31 pm | Comment

Dammit! three blogs blocked in as many weeks, including one I opened just two days ago!

Jeremiah, I’m looking for options myself, preferably free ones cos everytime I look at my computer the Scots half of my ancestry rears it’s ugly head. Anyway, this search for other, more accessible options is taking me a hell of a long time.

March 21, 2007 @ 4:11 pm | Comment

Let me just echo the sentiments of most posters here: I hope the mother fucker shit for brains imbeciles suffer slow painful deaths and that they are not able to reproduce.

This blanket blocking affects harmless blogs and other sites such as Wikipedia which are just plain helpful tools for anyone to look up and LEARN stuff that is denied to Chinese residents. Nice going morons, you’re denying education to your people so they’ll remain behind the rest of the world.

I changed from http://www.squarespace.com (BLOCKED) to Typepad. If they block Typepad, I am buggered well and truly.

March 21, 2007 @ 6:20 pm | Comment

Thanks to all of you for cursing on my behalf so I don’t have to. It’s good to feel the solidarity.

I highly recommend programs like Analyzer or Tor. If all the expats are using them (and encourage like-minded native Chinese to use), then the effect of the blocks will be mitigated.

March 21, 2007 @ 9:53 pm | Comment

I just wish I were saying something on my pitiful site worthy of censorship. Maybe I can free Tibet. Anybody in Dalian and bored tomorrow? It’s revolution time.

March 22, 2007 @ 1:08 am | Comment

Have any of you read 1984? It’s a classic American novel about life in a place that was totally washed with propaganda to the point where the inhabitants of the country had no idea of there history and they just thought that the totalitarian surveillance thought controlled way was the normal way.

This is what the CCP wants for China. Some people dont understand that because they dont understand why the CCP is so afraid of information. The CCP cannot survive the truth, they have to employ these censorship tactics or people will stand up and speak out for justice. Do you think if the CCP let go of some of its terrorist threats on peoples freedom then people would be more happy with the CCP? You would think yes, but there is a generation of Chinese people who lived through hell under the CCP. The CCP has committed unpardonable evils and the minute that people speak up and the truth is known, the CCP with be prosecuted and burned. The CCP knows that better than anyone, they really cannot survive the burning light of truth.

So yes they are genuinely SCARED TO DEATH of people like us bloggers and of people with any sense of courage.

There is a book calld the n in e c omm entaries on the communist party. It documents all the spychotic murderous rampages that the party has waged and continues to carry out behind closed doors. If you want to know the truth you should probly read it cause if the older generation dies and if all the Flaun Gong people are murdered then who will be able to tell that the CCP needs to die? If the CCP manages to murder all the witnesses and the truth is effectively elliminated then what? Will we eventually be fooled to love them and then what we would all be in some other different kind of hell, oh my thats the worste thought ever!! But unfortuately there are a lot of people who are cut from the truth and do love those ass scoundrels.

here is an exerpt of an exerpt which i put on my blog about August red terror and the guanxi cannibalism (yeah some mistake eh.

Beating a person to death was a common scene. On Shatan Street, a group of male Red Guards tortured an old woman with metal chains and leather belts until she could not move any more, and still a female Red Guard jumped on her body and stomped on her stomach. The old woman died at the scene. � Near Chongwenmeng, when the Red Guards searched the home of a “landlord’s wife” (a lonely widow), they forced each neighbor to bring a pot of boiling water to the scene and they poured the boiling water down the old lady’s collar until her body was cooked. Several days later, the old lady was found dead in the room, her body covered with maggots. � There were many different ways of killing, including beating to death with batons, cutting with sickles and strangling to death with ropes. � The way to kill babies was the most brutal: the killer stepped on one leg of a baby and pulled the other leg, tearing the baby in half. ( Investigation of Daxing Massacre by Yu Luowen)

The third stage was crazed. Cannibalism became a massive widespread movement. In Wuxuan County, like wild dogs eating corpses during an epidemic, people were madly eating other people. Often victims were first “publicly criticized,” which was always followed by killing, and then cannibalism. As soon as a victim fell to the ground, dead or alive, people took out the knives they had prepared and surrounded the victim, cutting any body part they could get hold of. At this stage, ordinary citizens were all involved in the cannibalism. The hurricane of “class struggle” blew away any sense of sin and human nature from people’s minds.

March 22, 2007 @ 1:24 am | Comment

i just don’t understand, if you guys are so painful, why not leave and go back to your own countries.

talking about free Tibet and issues like that, i have something to say, when i was in UK and Europe continent, people there keep asking me Taiwan and Tibet, to be honest, i am not interested in these at all, i don’t mind if they get independant or not, especially Tibet, i never agree with our government Tibet has been part of china, i think the possessive and controling stupid govern just hold that poor land for no benefit for chinese, spent so much money from tax payer for nothing just keeping their face, there is no resources, not many skilled labour there, so hard to transport goods for business, what the hell of the meaning to hold that poor land, i agree if it got independant like Mongolia, it would be soon forgot by western countries, and people there would earn 20 dallors a month like mongolian, 50% of the young people that would be jobless. please, CCP, let it get independant. i don’t want to waste the tax i paid for this kind of stupid face thing.

but i really get pissed when there is a english keep telling me chinese don’t have good track to treat ethnic people, i just reminded him, why irish hates english so much, and english is not popular with scottish and welsh either, and english invaded their countries, forced them to give up their own language.

i forgot to mention to him as well, china did not have a history to trade black slave, opium, and definitely did not invade any other countries in other continent, and exploited these colonies only made the british empire rich, and look at how the european in south africa treat the local black people.

oh, also, when british invaded ameria and austrlia, how many aborigine they killed? i wonder how many these aborigine still speak their own languages? still wear their own clothes?? at least every tibatan still speak their own language, and many of them still wear their own language, if not, at least wear t shirt or suit from western culture.

and china did not start any world war, not invaded so many countries and try to change their languages and culture or religion or politics not even bordered with china.

i am not happy with CCP government, they think they are clever than its citizen, but i don’t like people blaming, critisizing chinese are cruel or bad to other eithic people, if a country has a long history, there is always many conflicts there, i am sure mongolian are still very proud when Genghis Khan invaded and ruled china today, not happy on the other hand.

March 22, 2007 @ 2:51 am | Comment

Don’t you all think this is just a little bit of an overreaction? The block might be daft, and the daftness is annoying, but it’s not exactly hard to get through. The simplest, weakest and best-known proxies beat the blog firewall. An eight-year-old could learn how to do that with the most minimal of effort and anyone who hasn’t heard of a proxy obviously can’t really be bothered about having their information sources blocked. OK, so no blogspot reading for the seven and unders.

March 22, 2007 @ 3:21 am | Comment

What about a proxy/tunnel?
You only need access to a host on the other side of the great firewall of China. Tunnel to it. You may consider encrypting the tunnel just in case…. 😉 And presto, you have access again to the whole net.
There are some public and commercial proxy/tunnels available. I used them more than once to get through silly firewalls

March 22, 2007 @ 5:36 am | Comment

Sorry, my last comment was a bit heavy on the sarcasm. In penance, here’s a tip for anyone having trouble. Install Google toolbar so you can access google.com instead of the /intl/zh-CN version. Then search for the obvious word.

March 22, 2007 @ 8:28 am | Comment

I think you don’t even need to do that. I think when you go to the Google page, you have a choice about what search you want to use, the Chinese or International version. You pick the international one and it always loads when you go to http://www.google.com. Of course, that’s means your searches are little slower. Damm, this modern world for making me wait 5 nanoseconds longer for information all around the world.

March 22, 2007 @ 9:37 am | Comment

@chris

“i just don’t understand, if you guys are so painful, why not leave and go back to your own countries.”

I swear sometimes I live for this kind of comment.

Well, chris, if you don’t like when British people talk about Taiwan and Tibet, why don’t you just stop talking to British people? If you really get pissed when English people talk to you about China’s treatment of minorities, why don’t you just stop talking to English people? In fact, if you go to America, you’d probably find that Americans would say the same things, so why don’t you just never go to America? In fact, if you go to any country in the world or talk to any person in the world who is not Chinese, you might find that they say something about China that is wrong or that you don’t like or that is hypocritical, so why don’t you just never leave China again and never talk to foreigners? And if you don’t like what people say on Peking Duck, why don’t you just stop reading it? How does that sound? I’ll tell you how it sounds, it sounds stupid. Suggesting that people who don’t like something about China should go home sounds just as stupid.

March 22, 2007 @ 10:08 am | Comment

Chris,

Seriously…you’re not exactly giving us new info here. In fact, you are probably the 10,000th Chinese person to come on this board and whine the same whine.

I know it irks some people in China when non-Chinese think critically about China rather than just keeping our mouths shut and buying a zillion yuan worth of “Friendlies” and “Great Wall” t-shirts.

But if you think we’re bad…wait till you get a load of the Olympic press corps.

March 22, 2007 @ 10:27 am | Comment

seriously, you did not get my point, obviously, you are not smart enough to be entitled to be a PHD, and both Kevin S and Jeremiah, don’t you think you can keep criticising chinese, while you can not accept just bit of truth that chinese speaking of your countries lovely history? your words just prove you are racist, only you can criticize other ethic people, and no one allowed to criticise you!!!! BTW, you are not that open-minded and acceptive, definitely you guys are not decent people.

March 22, 2007 @ 10:46 am | Comment

no matter what, the american indian and australian aborigines lost their language and culture, shame on you!!!! racist!!!! criminal!!!!

March 22, 2007 @ 10:47 am | Comment

We have ourselves a new crazed and dazed fen qing, his mind a skillfully molded set of hard-wired talking points, totally free of rational thought, perspective, world history, Chinese history, depth or debating skills. Criticize him and you’re a racist. Should we take him on and argue with him as though he were a real person? Your call. But know in advance, there won’t be any epiphanous moment when he suddenly says, “Wow, now I get it – you guys were right all along.”

March 22, 2007 @ 10:58 am | Comment

Actually Richard,

I’m not sure he’s even reading the comments. I find with this sort of troll, English reading comprehension is not a strong point. They’ll pick out one or two sentences and try (key word: try) and focus on that. But let me give it a shot:

Chris:

Sure, we listen to criticism of our country all the time. And I very much agree with you. The treatment of blacks and native Americans in US history is absolutely abhorrent (if you don’t know this word, look it up). In fact, people in my department write books and articles about it all the time, strongly condemning the actions of the US government, commercial interests, and the common people for these, and many other, horrific events in our country’s history. (Strangely, they are not arrested or get 1000 comments calling them “Mei Jian” on BBSs for doing this…I wonder why?)

Also, I think you forget: we live in China. We hear and read criticism of the US and other foreign countries all the time–on CCTV, in the newspapers and journals, and in even the most casual conversations. Frankly, I agree with some of the criticisms. (For example, you would be hard-pressed to find a supporter of the Iraq War among the regular commenters or writers here.) Other criticisms I disagree with, but I don’t immediately invalidate the criticism because the speaker/writer is Chinese.

The “You’re not X, therefore you will never understand X-Country” is the last resort of the anti-intellectual.

Frankly, I think so far you have demonstrated little understanding of non-Chinese academic culture. If you wish to keep commenting here, please observe some basic rules:

1) Read the posts and comments through. Don’t skim.

2) Address specific issues in the comments and posts. Don’t just post hysterical comments with lots of exclamation points. It makes you look like a ninny.

3) There are many, many people on this board and in our lives who criticize what we write and are very engaging in doing so. They make articulate, pointed critiques of our posts and our perspectives. I may not agree with them all the time, but I welcome their comments as part of a larger conversation. They’ve even changed my mind on some issues. (A definition of intellectual discourse, by the way, not beloved in certain parts of Zhongnanhai) You’re welcome to join this conversation. Just don’t be a troll.

March 22, 2007 @ 11:15 am | Comment

@chris,

Jeremiah encourages you to work on your reading comprehension. I agree. Where in my comment did I state that I cannot accept what Chinese people say about America? Where in my comment did I say that other people cannot criticize me? Where in my comment was I racist? All I said was that it is stupid to tell someone to leave China just because they don’t like something about China.

March 22, 2007 @ 11:21 am | Comment

yes, Chris , i think you learnt something, better now, i know there are a lot of media criticize american government, but not many people here keep talking to you american are cruel people like that, treated other nation and ethic group so badly blah blah, and it is so easy to blame and criticise other people, i don’t mind criticise the government, yes, CCP did and do a lot of unbelievable bad thing, but i don’t like it when people keep say chinese are cruel to ethnic people, it sounds very personal, not to mention, almost all countries have war history with other nation.

there was a poll a few months ago in UK, most british voted america is the most dangerous country in the world for the world peace, they think america are very possessive to change other countries culture, religion etc.

funny,. isn’t it???

and btw, don’t be so defensive yourself when other people criticise you at the same time, i thought you guys are all open minded and acceptive, otherwise you guys are just like narrow-minded stupid CCP, not so confident

March 22, 2007 @ 11:31 am | Comment

@Chris,

Which point was your main point, anyway? It’s not very clear to dumb people like me.

March 22, 2007 @ 11:37 am | Comment

chris is off his meds, and is literally foaming at the mouth. Didn’t get a word Jeremiah or Kevin said. If he knew this blog, he’d know I rip the US government all the time, even worse than the CCP. But he’s found his comfort zone where he feels safe and secure, blasting us for hating China and not understanding its 5 trillion years of glorious culture.

March 22, 2007 @ 11:46 am | Comment

Chris,

Now I’m convinced that you are either unwilling or unable to read the comments left by others. Compare these two statements:

Me: “Sure, we listen to criticism of our country all the time. And I very much agree with you. The treatment of blacks and native Americans in US history is absolutely abhorrent. In fact, people in my department write books and articles about it all the time, strongly condemning the actions of the US government, commercial interests, and the common people for these, and many other, horrific events in our country’s history.”

Chris: but not many people here keep talking to you american are cruel people like that, treated other nation and ethic group so badly blah blah blah

Me: “Other criticisms I disagree with, but I don’t immediately invalidate the criticism because the speaker/writer is Chinese.”

Chris: don’t be so defensive yourself when other people criticise you at the same time…

You need to READ before you comment, dude. I get it: you don’t like people to criticize China. It hurts your feelings. Fine. But people are still free to do research on these subjects, they are still able to write books about them, and they don’t need your permission or that of the CCP. Just as many Chinese write, often very good, books about America and Europe.

But here’s the rub: I’ll bet all the money in my pocket, against all the money in your pocket that you’ve never read an English-language monograph on either Tibet or Xinjiang all the way through.

March 22, 2007 @ 11:48 am | Comment

Goddammit, why does the new troll have to have my name. I feel like I’m getting slammed here. Can we just call this guy “Other Chris” or something?

This is what I get for making dumb jokes. No more laughing at thin-skinned China, I guess.

March 22, 2007 @ 1:17 pm | Comment

Guys you’re wasting your time with this guy although it is highly entertaining and kind of reminiscent of similar “discussions” that woul pop up from time to time on Talk Talk China. How I miss those!

March 22, 2007 @ 1:22 pm | Comment

Chris, I add an S. after my name to avoid this kind of confusion, though I don’t really mind if I am mistaken for kevininpudong. He’s funny and not a troll.

March 22, 2007 @ 1:39 pm | Comment

Jeez, TrollChris is a madly effective threadjacker, isn’t he?

Back to the topic at hand: Does anyone know if there’s increased censorship on the Chinese-language blogging services to go with the blocks coming down on the English side of things?

March 22, 2007 @ 3:31 pm | Comment

chris, more importantly people here rarely refer or mean to refer to Chinese people – they normally mean to refer to the Chinese State, which is different. Most of the members of this blog live in China – they wouldn’t do that if they hated the people.

So why do you carry on as if they hate Chinese people/are criticising Chinese people and see nothing good in them?

March 22, 2007 @ 8:12 pm | Comment

I’m angry the Chinese government is denying the Chinese people (and myself) access to information in the form of blogs but also Wikipedia for example. So it’s quite the opposite of criticising Chinese people.

But isn’t that just typical of trolls – they don’t really READ the comments they take the odd sentence out of context and then just go off the deep end making irrational statements and arguments.

March 22, 2007 @ 8:39 pm | Comment

Despite being over eight years old, I still am annoyed at having to use a proxy. I find proxy connections to be extremely slow, and when the sites finally load, they’re often in a language other than English! It’s also frustrating not being able to edit Wikipedia or remain logged in to sites in between visits.

What I mean to say is that I think the anger at being forced to use a proxy is at least somewhat justified.

March 22, 2007 @ 8:49 pm | Comment

Ha! Ha! Ha!

Chris you will soon be banished from this blog like I was.

These god’s-gift-to-China believe they have the right to insult China but they behave like perfect little cowards when there own little country is attacked.

Chris, don’t waste your time. This blog is for like minded American whites. Let them rant and rave. Chinese only need to work and study harder. We will beat them in the end.

March 22, 2007 @ 10:35 pm | Comment

Mingtian,

It’s hard to imagine somebody with worse English reading comprehension skills than “chris”, but you seem to pull it of with aplomb.

You will note…over and over again…that we DO criticize our own country. We have both a right and a responsibility to do so. This is something that you still have trouble understanding.

For example:

I very much agree with you. The treatment of blacks and native Americans in US history is absolutely abhorrent. In fact, people in my department write books and articles about it all the time, strongly condemning the actions of the US government, commercial interests, and the common people for these, and many other, horrific events in our country’s history.

You know why you didn’t see that even though I posted it TWICE? Because you didn’t actually read anything. You just commented without thought or comprehension.

Mingtian, you were banned for using gratuitous racist and homophobic language in your comments and for not addressing the issues but instead just spewing forth bile and vitriol without making an argument.

If you would/could read through the comments and posts, you would see that 1) the majority of commenters are not American 2) many are from China or of Chinese cultural background and 3) quite a few vehemently disagree with us on a regular basis but do so in a thoughtful and articulate way.

You will also note that we didn’t delete anything Chris said. We took the time to respond in a careful and reasoned manner. I know you don’t quite get this yet. That’s okay. Maybe you’ll learn. (But somehow, I doubt it…)

I’m leaving your last comment up because it shows the kind of “contribution” you choose to make to this larger conversation. But remember you are still in the bin for past transgressions. Future comments will be zapped until you 1) demonstrate the ability and willingness to actually read posts and comments and 2) learn how to play well with others.

March 22, 2007 @ 10:47 pm | Comment

Jeremiah, brilliant! Just brilliant.

No one threatened to ban chris, tempting though that may be. You have to really work at getting banned, Mingtian. It took many months before you pushed to far. The homophobic/racist rant Jeremiah alludes to was the last straw. Chris has a long way to go, but I’m sure you’ll be an exceptional mentor

March 22, 2007 @ 11:10 pm | Comment

I’d just like to point out the obvious irony that in a post about the great firewall and censorship, chris and mingtian want to censor foreigners.

March 23, 2007 @ 9:53 am | Comment

Wow. I believe, truly truly believe, ‘chris’ and ‘mingtian’ are paid employees to find blogs and post these inflammatory comments. I read chinadaily.com.cn forums a lot. The moderators there have come out and said they want to rile up their readers. Many posts there are in English and sound exactly what ‘chris’ and ‘mingtian’ are spouting.

March 26, 2007 @ 4:19 pm | Comment