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China blocks the internet (again)

invisible_al

13:56 / 21.07.01

China shuts down 6000 internet cafes

Well they're trying to shut the internet down again in China. All those young people going on line to surf for porn has the government cracking down.

They're against "superstition, pornography, violence and pernicious information on the internet." Does that include us?

Why do I think this is just going to radicalise people more, they've let people get onto the internet and realise what's out there and now they're taking it away.

I can see it now, Chinese leadership toppled by angry 14 year olds damanding access to Quake on-line, better Pornography and chatrooms.

Hmmm I wonder how the internet will change once the Chinese get on it in force, theres a lot of them.

ynh

17:42 / 21.07.01

From a cultural perspective, it's got to be a kick in the arse that it took until, what, last year for the Web to allow non-english-character addresses, innit?

Templar

20:37 / 22.07.01

I sometimes wonder if the onward march of Westernised society is as pre-destined as we seem to be told.

There's every possibility, after all, that in a few hundred years' time, "we" will have lost.

Not quite sure how that would happen, exactly, but it's certainly possible.

Anybody read Fukoyama book (The End of History) on this? He seems to think history is over...

invisible_al

22:16 / 22.07.01

Is this the one that was ever so popular about the time of the end of the cold war, Bush Snr.'s NWO speech and all that.

Western Democracy is perfect and is what all societies are moving towards?

Well it hasn't happened that way, America is definately on the downward slide as far as empires go, no enemies left.

China is definately the next big thing IMHO, but I think its going to be very messy indeed.

Its why the government cracked down so hard on the Falung Gong movement, they remember the boxer rebellion which was inspired by various religious sects. Rebellion and China have a long history.

Its all to play for over there really.

The Mr E suprise

07:35 / 24.07.01

Hmm, I wonder how valid calling the Falung Gong "taoist" and the current regime "confuscist" is.

Definetly looks like history repeating itself.

Falung Gong itself is interesting, a weird mix of Tai Chi/taoism and 20th century life management techniques

The internet in China just means that information is harder to control. We need to make palm pilots cheap and hideable people!

grant

13:43 / 24.07.01

quote:Originally posted by The Mr E suprise:
Hmm, I wonder how valid calling the Falung Gong "taoist" and the current regime "confuscist" is.

Not terribly, except in a sort of "vibe" sense.

Confucianism definitely has more room for totalitarianism than Taoism does, but then again, Taoism kind of shuts up and takes it.
In a general sort of way.

quote:
Falung Gong itself is interesting, a weird mix of Tai Chi/taoism and 20th century life management techniques

Don't forget the UFOs.
It's more a form of qi gong than tai chi -- meditative postures and simple stretches.
And it's got breathing exercises, like in Ch'an Buddhism.

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