| apologies, but can I call b.s. on that? "No Twitter? Facebook? Livejournal? Guess what? The locals weren't using it anyway (not in appreciable numbers)" appreciable numbers or not - how important are they in interaction with the outside world without mediation of the state. (eg: sichuan earthquake - twitter/youtube played an important role in revealing to the 'outside world' the live events rather than orchestrated statements that usually come from the govt. after a week.) More about the dark gulag or not: It is well known how people in prisons make many of the items that land up on a 'westerner's desk' (eg: promotion items like key chains for coke) - and yes the prisoner is paid for what he works - an apple a week.
More examples to cite - the Iphone prototype kid who killed himself? Let's speculate this iphone prototype being developed in another country - say US or even India. That kid did no harakiri. I will rest the case for the conspiracy theorists. Do you know of the efforts the govt. takes to "erase" the memories of the 1989. The only chinese youth that have 'heard' of this event are the ones that live abroad. Here's what I would like to hear about - "real" entrepreneurs from China. real -> first generation with no connections to the military or the govt. Everyone we know and hear about are the from the govt. or sons of govt. officials (like the rich russians) We have few Canadian Chinese here - why don't they speak? "Indeed, by not coming here to visit and or spend a bit of time, you're denying yourself experiencing one of the more vibrant and fascinating places on earth." - Agree with you. PS: for context - I am writing this from a chinese special area zone,not china. I am not a citizen. |