Quote:
Originally Posted by Sora Kasugano
China is often programmed their free will and given illusions of freedom, while being told that they shouldn't desire what other countries have because it's not "Harmonious." The economy is interesting too as you can have people pursuing riches, but you have others who simply do not do well. Yet the poor or mistreated can't really complain, rally or gather, without the authorities already knowing and shutting it down.
Protests can quickly be labeled as rebellion and lead to extremely brutal responses. Sites that seemingly critizise or degrade can be easily taken down by the government. Things are censored a lot and others are even believed to be hacked in an attempt to eliminate opposition. The systems placed and proposed in COIC and ACTA is the same kind of control that China has over it's people. The only difference is the extent in which they will use it- or so they say.
I'd also be interested in your research project, please by all means post it I wouldn't mind reading it at all~
|
China has over a billion people and an economy that is comparable to Japan's:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of...y_GDP_(nominal)
That said, the Chinese are not the wealthiest on average rather the opposit considering those numbers. So there is a potential risk that a large number of them becomes very unhappy. This is counteracted with a moderate propaganda and patriotism machine. Still, the chinese economy and state business is driven by the same capitalist forces that are lobbying/driving (state) business in the west. In contrast to the west they are just more blunt and direct at it.
Imagine a China with unhappy people. People who never lived in a democracy, who are used to theocracy suddenly developping their own source of power driven by the growing economy - overthrowing their current system. What likely follows then threatening in my oppinion in contrast to the status quo now. What kind of system could emerge then is something like the Weimarer Republik - the Germany before it became the 3rd Reich. There will be people who are not too convinced about the new system, they grew up in a theocratic system. And chances are that things will not develop quite as expected with the new freedoms. And many wishing the old system back... and people who use the new free speech to feed on the fears and sorrows making propaganda far worse than what is currently going on.... (that is enough hypothetical stuff for now, but my point is I rather want to see the chinese system eveolve into democracy not revolt into it, and their current status quo is the best they can do considering their past and current economic strength.)