“China’s Internet is the most efficiently censored in the world” - and it’s about to get a whole lot worse. As Beijing gears up to deploy one of the most technologically advanced communications networks in the world, know as CN2, fears are growing that by making it effectively incompatible with the rest of the Internet that censorship will be taken to new levels of depravity.
Already companies like Microsoft have bowed to pressure and censor words such as ‘freedom’ and ‘democracy’ from its online journal services and this is only the tip of the iceberg. By creating a massive internal Internet China is basically cutting itself off from the rest of the world without the majority of its people realising it. Connectivity maps (see below) already highlight this. In comparison to neighbors such as South Korea or Japan (with far smaller populations) it’s connections to the US backbone are minute and already demand far outweighs supply. If this isn’t metaphorically throttling freedom of information and knowledge then nothing else is.
Where this brave new world will go is anyones guess right now. The biggest question on everyones mind is can China have capitalism without democracy? I doubt it can continue indefinitely but then again ignorance is bliss - as long as people have food on their plate, a house and all its accrutrements then will they care?
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To find out exactly how it works read ‘The Net Effect‘.
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Take a look at the blog of a supporter of democratic reform in Hong Kong (banned in mainland China).
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Read an article on China’s bid to divide the Internet here.
Watch this space…
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I’ve been back up in Durham for the past few days. The weather here has been very hot this weekend and yesterday saw the annual Miners Festival come to the cricket ground right next to where I’m staying. To call it loud would be an understatement - this was serious noise pollution! Seeing as there wasn’t much else to do with this level of disruption we thought we’d go and take a look. There was the usual blend of fun-fair tack, socialist renegades and anti-everything groups all basically making a mess of the pitch. Obviously though my views were in the minority on this occasion as there were literally thousands of people in Durham clogging the place up.
There was one particularly fearsome (and dangerous!) looking ride there appropriately named “Oblivion” which you could describe as being a human food blender! I took a few pics:
In the evening I cooked lasagna for a few friends which turned out pretty well after which we went for a walk along the river only to be met by a sea of litter stretching up to the bank with only one poor man in attendance to clear it up.
How people think it’s acceptable to make this sort of mess is beyond me.
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“The Chinese Revolution Army is the School of Chairman Mao’s Thought”
After his highly successful and critically acclaimed fact-finding mission to Japan last November Red Ted is off on his travels again, this time to Shanghai in China. Few know that amongst his many abilities he speaks fluent Mandarin and was present during the Cultural Revolution of 1966-76 (depicted above in the propaganda poster), although his role in this is still unclear. Even less know that the title of Chairman Mao’s “Little Red Book” is in fact a direct reference to the great RT himself.
It is hoped that his visit will act as a bridge for Chinese-Japanese relations and we wish him every sucess for his mission and safe return!!
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As you probably already know there has been a major terrorist attack in London on the transport infrastructure which has led to many fatalities. At the time I was on a train North bound from London Kings Cross station (where one of the explosions occurred) when it was announced that a “major incident” had happened and that no trains would not be running back to London. Mobile phones were instantly buzzing with people calling friends and family and obviously there were some worried faces.
Binary Bonsai has a good run-down of the relevant links for up-to-date information. Wikipedia also has a page being constantly updated.
After the jubilation of yesterday it’s a dark day for London.
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Congratulations to London for winning the bit to host the 2012 Olympics after Beijing in 2008. Like so many I was expecting Paris to win so it came as a bit of a surprise! Hopefully if I’m still living in the capitol in seven years time I’ll be able to go to see some of the events!
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