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China Blocks 'Egypt' On Twitter-Like Site

Suki I writes with this excerpt from news.com.au: "China has blocked the word 'Egypt' from the country's wildly popular Twitter-like service, while coverage of the political turmoil has been tightly restricted in state media. China's ruling Communist Party is sensitive to any potential source of social unrest. A search for 'Egypt'' on the Sina microblogging service brings up a message saying, 'According to relevant laws, regulations and policies, the search results are not shown.' The service has more than 50 million users. News on the Egypt protests has been limited to a few paragraphs and photos buried inside major news websites, but China Central Television had a report on its midday broadcast. China's Foreign Ministry did not respond to a request for comment on the events in Egypt."

140 comments

  1. So does Cuba by mangu · · Score: 1, Informative

    Egypt isn't mentioned at all in the official Cuban website

    1. Re:So does Cuba by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      What are you talking about? Actively censoring the word "Egypt" on twitter-copy posted by users is different than not reporting on events via some news website... Fox News does not report what E! reports. It does not mean they are actively censoring something.

      So no, Cuba is not doing the same thing.

    2. Re:So does Cuba by icebraining · · Score: 2

      Exactly. There are hundreds of Cuban websites from past week talking about the rallies in Egypt, including in "Juventud Rebelde", a newspaper from the Union of Young Communists.

      http://www.google.com/search?tbs=qdr%3Aw&q=site%3Acu+egipto+manifestantes&btnG=Search&aq=f

    3. Re:So does Cuba by thelexx · · Score: 1

      That was a monumentally stupid comment from someone with such a low id.

      --
      "Gold still represents the ultimate form of payment in the world." - Alan Greenspan, 1999
    4. Re:So does Cuba by Suki+I · · Score: 0

      You call #35044590 low? I bow to your #35045980 superiority ;)

    5. Re:So does Cuba by Johann+Lau · · Score: 1

      that's not the user id, that's the comment id ^^

    6. Re:So does Cuba by Suki+I · · Score: 0

      that's not the user id, that's the comment id ^^

      So you call #126918 low? Okay, a few digits lower than mine, but still.

    7. Re:So does Cuba by Johann+Lau · · Score: 1

      No, I just call 126918 the user id, and 35044590 the comment id =P But yes, if you must know, any UID below a million seems weird to me in combination with such a stupid comment. (would you call that comment "not stupid", by the way? ^^)... which means *I* would be fine to make it, but all you guys should be held up to higher standards. (haha)

    8. Re:So does Cuba by Suki+I · · Score: 0

      No, I just call 126918 the user id, and 35044590 the comment id =P But yes, if you must know, any UID below a million seems weird to me in combination with such a stupid comment. (would you call that comment "not stupid", by the way? ^^)... which means *I* would be fine to make it, but all you guys should be held up to higher standards. (haha)

      No, I found it stupid but did not need a qualifier ;)

    9. Re:So does Cuba by mangu · · Score: 1

      It's not "some" website, it's the official website of the Cuban government, the one that hosts Fidel's personal blog.

      That comment was an observation of an obvious corollary of the main story, that China censors news about popular uprisings. What's good for one dictatorship is good for the other.

    10. Re:So does Cuba by Johann+Lau · · Score: 1

      But surely only someone with an UID above, say, 1.5 million would take this whole UID thing seriously? Oh, wait...

  2. Get over it by conscarcdr · · Score: 5, Interesting

    To us Chinese, this is hardly news, considering that they block all kinds of stuff like "carrot"(contains a character which also occurs in the president's name) and "empty chair".

    1. Re:Get over it by bishop32x · · Score: 4, Interesting

      Last I heard people are using the term 'pharaoh' to refer to Egypt as a dodge around this restriction.

    2. Re:Get over it by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Sorry, not all of us are chinese, so it is news for us!

    3. Re:Get over it by Urkki · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Get over it? As in, forget it, ignore it, accept it as fact of life? Sorry, no can do. At least some of the rest of us have a thing for this "freedom" fad. A world power restricting freedom in any particular way is and should be newsworthy.

    4. Re:Get over it by hackingbear · · Score: 3, Interesting
      Well... that's nothing. The actual name of the president Hu Jintao is blocked and the word Communist Party is also blocked. (of course, these names are not illegal but it would be a lot of trouble for the operators to filter them, so the site just block as many as possible thinking nobody would say anything good about them any way.)

      On the other hand, I just opened up sina microblog and see the word Egypt in Chinese and news of protest

    5. Re:Get over it by vadim_t · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Getting over it is exactly the wrong thing to do. Where's your pride? You're going to let a bunch of bureacrats decide what you can and can't read?

    6. Re:Get over it by conscarcdr · · Score: 2

      Exactly, rephrasing is how people are using to circumvent the censorship, but the euphemism are also taboo'd soon. The Chinese vocabulary is being decimated faster than it's being developed. Soon we'll all be speaking Newspeak in China.

    7. Re:Get over it by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Get over it? That kind of complacency means it will be even longer until you are free. I'm not saying you should rush out into the street and burn down the party headquarters, and I'm not saying that western countries are "free" in every possible sense of the word (we get manipulated too), but at least care that you are being oppressed or it will never end.

      "Getting over it" is exactly what the people in power want common people to do, because then the powerful can go about their business of taking advantage of their situation, uninterrupted by concerns about the common people getting tired of the status quo.

      If you care about this and future generations, no, don't "get over it".

    8. Re:Get over it by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Getting over it is exactly the wrong thing to do. Where's your pride? You're going to let a bunch of bureacrats decide what you can and can't read?

      Isn't that already the case ?

    9. Re:Get over it by drolli · · Score: 1

      Censorship is an annoyance, but the great firewall (and the attached bureaucracy) has enough lag so that Chinese people are not that uninformed as the government would like them to be.

      It reminds me a little about music albums, which where not allowed to advertise for in Germany, or sell to people below 18.
      In my youth it was a recommendation to buy the tape if it got that status.

      If events in a country are important enough to be blocked, Chinese people will be more curious instead of less. Modern propaganda works differently.

    10. Re:Get over it by Suki+I · · Score: 0

      Sorry, not all of us are chinese, so it is news for us!

      I am not Chinese either, but non-Asians confuse me as being Chinese all of the time! Some Asians too, but not many.

    11. Re:Get over it by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Interestingly enough, at least to me, CCTV9 (CCTV News/English Language) HAS been reporting a bit on the goings on in Egypt, though certainly not with the fervor a countrywide shakeup with police joining the protesters and the military killing unarmed civilians deserves. I have to wonder if they think that no laowai speak putonghua well enough to wonder about that.

      Of course, the blocks on carrot and empty chair are only on the putonghua renditions of those words, so apparently they think no one in China speaks English as well?

    12. Re:Get over it by Opportunist · · Score: 1

      And since it went so well they developed an official ad sticker for it.

      --
      We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
    13. Re:Get over it by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Censorship is an annoyance, but the great firewall (and the attached bureaucracy) has enough lag so that Chinese people are not that uninformed as the government would like them to be.

      It reminds me a little about music albums, which where not allowed to advertise for in Germany, or sell to people below 18.
      In my youth it was a recommendation to buy the tape if it got that status.

      If events in a country are important enough to be blocked, Chinese people will be more curious instead of less. Modern propaganda works differently.

      So then, want to explain why it took around two weeks before anybody I asked (while in China) knew what happened with the Xinjiang bombing last year?
      Or how when any big negative incident in China seems to be basically unnoticed by the general populace in China (from personal experience)?

    14. Re:Get over it by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Some of us consider this important -- you get over that.

    15. Re:Get over it by drinkypoo · · Score: 1

      Were you paid to say this thing? You're dumb enough to be deluded by their red herrings and you want us to ignore Chinese censorship? Sorry, we still love freedom... like, everywhere else.

      --
      "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
    16. Re:Get over it by ElSergio · · Score: 1

      So then, want to explain why it took around two weeks before anybody I asked (while in China) knew what happened with the Xinjiang bombing last year? Or how when any big negative incident in China seems to be basically unnoticed by the general populace in China (from personal experience)?

      Not that surprising, considering you can walk around the US, and half the population has no idea what is going on in the world, or their own country for that matter. Regardless of censorship, most people just don't care to care.

    17. Re:Get over it by conscarcdr · · Score: 1

      No, it wasn't meant to be a cynical comment. I said get over it, as in, save your time and strength for the real struggle. Media exposure alone means nothing to the shameless.

    18. Re:Get over it by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      so apparently they think no one in China speaks English as well?

      I don't think they're stupid. I think it's more a numbers game.

      If there was a massive peasant uprising (say 10%), the leaders would probably have to make a run for it.

      Whereas if 10% of the english speaking ones started a protest, I think the soldiers, tanks and gov media wouldn't have as many problems with the bodies ;).

      From what I gather a fair number of the poor in China are actually OK with the way things are going - the Gov has built railways and done other stuff, so while many are still poor they are _richer_ than before. Whether these make up the majority I don't know.

      It's not easy improving the lot of 1 billion people. But the Chinese Gov actually does seem to be trying somewhat - for example they're building very many nuclear power plants (coal mine accidents and pollution from burning coal kill lots every year).

    19. Re:Get over it by Thing+1 · · Score: 1

      Frakking censors.

      --
      I feel fantastic, and I'm still alive.
    20. Re:Get over it by jace_d · · Score: 1

      That's not something I want to hear from you, American. (Assuming you are american )

    21. Re:Get over it by Dogtanian · · Score: 1

      To us Chinese, this is hardly news, considering that they block all kinds of stuff like "carrot"(contains a character which also occurs in the president's name)

      Your president is Carrot Top??!!!

      --
      "Slashdot - News and Chat Sites Deviant". (Click "homepage" link above for details).
    22. Re:Get over it by Dogtanian · · Score: 1

      Sorry, not all of us are chinese, so it is news for us!

      I am not Chinese either, but non-Asians confuse me as being Chinese all of the time! Some Asians too, but not many.

      Well, since you mention that, you don't say where you're *actually* from. I'm guessing that you're probably Japanese or Korean, but for all we know you *could* be a dark-skinned guy from Nigeria, which would make your being mistaken for a Chinese person somewhat surprising. ;-)

      --
      "Slashdot - News and Chat Sites Deviant". (Click "homepage" link above for details).
    23. Re:Get over it by conscarcdr · · Score: 1

      Of course we are not letting it pass. But we need to make constructive actions or prepare for making actions instead of buzzing over something obvious. Pride alone doesn't win a fight, it's dangerous sometimes.

    24. Re:Get over it by Suki+I · · Score: 0

      I am from Richmond, VA.

    25. Re:Get over it by Suki+I · · Score: 0

      And I am not a guy.

    26. Re:Get over it by Askmum · · Score: 1

      You mean "that country north of Sudan"?

    27. Re:Get over it by Dogtanian · · Score: 1

      I am from Richmond, VA.

      Hmm, I had kind of read into your post that you were in (or born in) Asia, originally in the country associated with your ethnic group, whatever that is..

      Either way, "Richmond, VA" doesn't really explain that... :-/

      [from other post] And I am not a guy.

      Perhaps not, but that's ultimately irrelevant as we weren't discussing you being mistaken for a guy! For all the rest of us still know, you might be ethnically Korean, a dark-skinned black person, a blonde of Swedish descent, or whatever. Each of which would put a somewhat different spin on your story.

      In all honesty, that wouldn't be a matter of great relevance here either, except that your original comment is somewhat pointless without it(!) Anyway, whatever.

      --
      "Slashdot - News and Chat Sites Deviant". (Click "homepage" link above for details).
  3. Quick - get them some dialup by commodore64_love · · Score: 0

    Maybe we can give the Chinese the French ISP phone number: +33 1 72 89 01 50 (login: toto, password: toto).
        - Or a free account on NetZero (limit ten hours per month).

    --
    "I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it." - historian Evelyn Beatrice Hall
    1. Re:Quick - get them some dialup by theaveng · · Score: 2

      Maybe we can give the Chinese the French ISP phone number

      Are the Chinese even allowed to dial outside their own country? Also I imagine the 15,000 mile distance would really create a lot of noise on the line. They'd be lucky if they got even 9600 bits per second. (Which means pages would take 5 times longer to load versus a full 50 kbit/s connection.)

      Trivia:

      China's average internet speed is 3900 kbit/s. For comparison the EU and US average ~10,000 kbit/s.

      --
      FOX NEWS.com should be BANNED from television and internet. Have the Congress take it over and give us Truespeak.
    2. Re:Quick - get them some dialup by MichaelSmith · · Score: 2

      Maybe we can give the Chinese the French ISP phone number

      Are the Chinese even allowed to dial outside their own country?

      Of course. My wife's mother was on holiday in China a few months ago and she was calling back here all the bloody time.

    3. Re:Quick - get them some dialup by melikamp · · Score: 2

      Great Firewall is a joke. Anyone who wants to, uses proxies. I set up Apache+https+CGIProxy on my residential connection while my friend was touring in China, and I just left it up. It is undetectable (sans the fact that an https connection is established), impossible to filter, and completely transparent to a client. Piece of cake.

  4. These are our generation's defining moments by Zeroblitzt · · Score: 1, Funny

    If 9/11 was my generation's Pearl Harbor, and Afghanistan/Iraq are our Vietnam, then what is this equatable to?

    --
    Mr. America walk on by your schools that do not teach Mr. America walk on by the minds that won't be reached
    1. Re:These are our generation's defining moments by iammani · · Score: 4, Insightful

      None of these are equatable! They are all different events in different situations.

    2. Re:These are our generation's defining moments by chill · · Score: 1

      Your generation's Suez Crisis.

      The good thing about the Arab world is this shit happens every few decades like clockwork. You don't have to compare it to anywhere outside, just wait for them to do it again.

      --
      Learning HOW to think is more important than learning WHAT to think.
    3. Re:These are our generation's defining moments by artor3 · · Score: 2

      I wouldn't say that. Both 9/11 and Pearl Harbor were attacks that shocked the US out of notion that attacks never come to our soil, and led to cruel treatment of particular ethnic groups. Both the Iraq and Vietnam wars were messy, ill-conceived, protracted fights intended to keep the bogeyman of the day out of the region. There are differences, of course, but there are also similarities.

      It's a bit early to tell what the happenings in Egypt will ultimately bear resemblance to, but it shouldn't be so surprising that current events can resemble historical ones. People don't change that much, we just do the same old things with new tools.

    4. Re:These are our generation's defining moments by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      In fact "equatable" is not even a word!

    5. Re:These are our generation's defining moments by GrumblyStuff · · Score: 1

      9/11 was by a non-state, loosely associated group that had some help getting started when we needed someone else to get their hands dirty fighting out enemies for the purpose of stirring us up.

      Pearl Harbor was a preemptive strike by a national military force against our military force in the hopes that it would cripple our capacity to fight in the Pacific.

      Iraq was an ill planned (if at all) war of choice sold to the American public as a necessary step to prevent further terrorist attacks.

      Vietnam was an ill planned yada yada prevent communist- ok, I'll give you Iraq and Vietnam but I maintain that 9/11 and Pearl Harbor are far more different.

    6. Re:These are our generation's defining moments by couchslug · · Score: 1

      "None of these are equatable! They are all different events in different situations."

      That's not an acceptable answer.

      Resubmit in a manner that let's me play even name-matching games instead of thinking.

      --
      "This post is an artistic work of fiction and falsehood. Only a fool would take anything posted here as fact."
    7. Re:These are our generation's defining moments by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

      None of these are equatable!

      In fact "equatable" is not even a word!

      Maybe he meant to say "equatorial". Pearl Harbor, Afghanistan, Iraq and Vietnam. None of these are equatorial.

    8. Re:These are our generation's defining moments by Shihar · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Pearl Harbor was a real threat. A nation that had already taken out a handful of allies and were on their way to occupying a large portion of the world attacked. It shocked us into standing up and helping our allies beat the snot out of the Axis powers which were a true existential threat to US and certainly its allies.

      9/11 was when a handful of sheep herders armed with box cutters killed fewer people than we lose to accidental drowning each year and did property damage that is pittance next to one of the many minor hurricanes that hit the US each year. This shocked us into the most cowardly display Americans have ever managed. We ratcheting back liberties we had defended for a few hundred years in the face of much scarier opponents, and then precoded to spend money as fast as humanly possibly, build new worthless bureaucracies, and implement countless asinine 'security' measures against a threat that ranks right up there with being struck by lightening. We did this, all the while ignoring real threats that actually kill millions of Americans... like cancer, heart disease, and eating too much fucking food.

      Pearl Harbor was a tragic catalyst that moved the US to action that it should have taken earlier. 9/11 was when we pissed ourself in the face of sheep herders armed with box cutters and ratcheted back our civil liberties and threw money in the air in terror of something that IS NOT GOING TO FUCKING KILL YOU. If you are an American, you are going to die a very boring death due to eating too much. If you are very lucky, you might die in a car accident. The fucking terrorist are not going to get you. Pearl Harbor was tragic a moment that brought us to action. 9/11 was the day we pissed ourselves and surrendered to sheep herders. Please don't try and draw parallels between the two.

    9. Re:These are our generation's defining moments by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I wouldn't say that. Both 9/11 and Pearl Harbor were attacks that shocked the US out of notion that attacks never come to our soil, and led to cruel treatment of particular ethnic groups.

      Which ethnic groups have been cruelly treated?

    10. Re:These are our generation's defining moments by __aajfby9338 · · Score: 2

      I entirely agree. I wish that I had a mod point to spend here. 9/11 was startling, frightening and tragic but our reaction to it has been absurdly counter-productive.

    11. Re:These are our generation's defining moments by phantomfive · · Score: 1

      This is our generation's French Revolution. Seriously, can you see how all those things you listed are weak sauce compared to what went before? Mubarak has maintained support of the military, so he's probably ok for now.

      --
      "First they came for the slanderers and i said nothing."
    12. Re:These are our generation's defining moments by tycoex · · Score: 1

      Arabs?

    13. Re:These are our generation's defining moments by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Arabs are the most protected group in the US.

    14. Re:These are our generation's defining moments by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Vietnam was an actual war against an organised if irregular military, fighting for control of territory and having proper battles. The North Vietnamese had an air force, for god's sake. Iraq was comparable to Vietnam for about a month. After that it was just an occupation.

    15. Re:These are our generation's defining moments by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You'll have to go back a little farther to the Revolutionary War.

    16. Re:These are our generation's defining moments by GrumblyStuff · · Score: 1

      Yeah! What he said! I knew I was getting somewhere but then Entertainment Tonight came on and well....

    17. Re:These are our generation's defining moments by skegg · · Score: 2

      Your comment led me to this Wikipedia article on drowning.
      About twice as many Americans drown each year as died on 9/11.

      We all agree that 9/11 was horrible; a waste of life.

      Yet just how many trillions has the U.S. spent on the War on Terror since then?

    18. Re:These are our generation's defining moments by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Vietnam was ill executed by the politicians and actively lambasted in the media by people who didn't understand or care what was actually going on. The Tet offensive was a huge loss for the NVA and should have led to their demise, a fact known by the U.S. military but communicated quite differently by Walter Cronkite.

      Think about this the next time you suggest what happened in Vietnam was a waste of time: If the NVA had been defeated in Vietnam, chances are very good the killing fields of Cambodia and Laos wouldn't have happened (the domino effect was real in that respect). Without having to use a search engine, can you begin to fathom how many people died because the U.S. politicians gave up? It is perfectly valid to argue we shouldn't have been there in the first place (Thanks to R.F.K.) if you are an isolationist, but the planning and execution by the military left far less to be desired then the planning and execution by the politicians of the day (Kennedy/Johnson/Nixon on down).

      Iraq is a subject for another day.

    19. Re:These are our generation's defining moments by Opportunist · · Score: 2

      Vietnam and Iraq are prime examples what happens when you let politicians wage a war. If you want to go, go to war. But be serious about it. Don't try to be "humane" about it. There is only one humane war: A short one. If you try to wage a "limited" war, all you accomplish is a drawn out pitched battle which is about the worst you can do onto the civilian population. Go there, strike hard, reach the goal, establish peace. It is about as humane as the whole mess can possibly get.

      The whole "limited warfare" bull leads to nothing but a drawn out, costy, messy and deadly treadmill. Deadly for all sides.

      Don't let politicians lead in a war. Let them define goals, let them establish the baseline, then hand the whole thing to the military and keep the 'tics out of the rest 'til the dust settles. Diplomatic support of the generals should be all a politician adds to warfare. That's where he can shine. That's his place. But let the people do their work, dammit!

      I don't want to live in a country run by the military. But likewise, I do not want to fight in a war led by politicians. Both is very dangerous.

      --
      We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
    20. Re:These are our generation's defining moments by ardle · · Score: 1

      If 9/11 was my generation's Pearl Harbor, and Afghanistan/Iraq are our Vietnam, then what is this equatable to?

      Avatar?

    21. Re:These are our generation's defining moments by M1FCJ · · Score: 1
      Don'g underestimate the greed of Military-Industrial Complex. We were all warned by the great pacifist(!) president of USA, Eisenhower and no one took him seriously.

      UK has just scrapped their new Nimrod project. Each plane has cost us more than a space shuttle and only was air-worthy. A whole pile of money that could have fixed a significant chunk of budget hole was thrown away to our own Complex here. What a waste of time and money.

    22. Re:These are our generation's defining moments by M1FCJ · · Score: 1

      [Citation-needed]

    23. Re:These are our generation's defining moments by Raenex · · Score: 1

      9/11 was when a handful of sheep herders armed with box cutters

      That's quite racist and seriously underestimates the enemy. For example, Mohamed Atta was well-educated and studied architecture. al-Qaeda was well-funded and headed up by a son of an extremely wealthy businessman with ties to royalty.

      killed fewer people than we lose to accidental drowning each year and did property damage that is pittance next to one of the many minor hurricanes that hit the US each year

      They completely wiped out internationally recognized office buildings that were part of the crown jewels of New York City -- they changed the fucking skyline. They flew a plane into the Pentagon. These were high-valued targets, not just some random Joe getting into his accident on his way home from work.

      As for actual property damage, your analogy is way off. This paper estimates the World Trade Center losses at around $20 billion. For hurricanes, this paper shows a mean loss of $7 billion for a Category 3 hurricane -- not exactly minor. Categories 2 and 1 show mean losses of $2 billion and $1 billion.

      Furthermore, 9/11 is not the kind of event you want to see if they can repeat or top. Hurricanes are going to happen no matter what, and they're not scheming against us trying to outdo themselves.

      We ratcheting back liberties we had defended for a few hundred years in the face of much scarier opponents

      You mean like the concentration camps that we rounded up American citizens of Japanese descent into? Or how about the Sedition Act of 1918?

      Too recent? Surely the Founders wouldn't tread on us? How about the Alien and Sedition Acts from 1798? Thank you, John Adams.

      We did this, all the while ignoring real threats that actually kill millions of Americans... like cancer, heart disease, and eating too much fucking food.

      Those threats haven't been ignored. They've been getting press and funding all along.

      Pearl Harbor was tragic a moment that brought us to action. 9/11 was the day we pissed ourselves and surrendered to sheep herders. Please don't try and draw parallels between the two.

      They both involved large-scale attacks on American soil that shocked the nation. If we really had surrendered to al-Qaeda, we would have pulled all our troops out of the Middle East, not invaded Afghanistan or Iraq, and not have captured or killed many of their members.

      Contrary to the propaganda, al-Qaeda doesn't give a crap if we have less freedom or not. What they care about is our foreign policy.

    24. Re:These are our generation's defining moments by Shihar · · Score: 1

      That's quite racist and seriously underestimates the enemy. For example, Mohamed Atta was well-educated and studied architecture. al-Qaeda was well-funded and headed up by a son of an extremely wealthy businessman with ties to royalty.

      No, at worst it is culturalist. Yes, I am very happily judging Afghan sheep herders as not worthy opponents. That "scary culture" in question managed that managed to sink Afghanistan's per capita GDP to one of the absolute lowest in the world. Compare them to the Soviet-fucking-empire that had a few hundred million well educated people, the resources of a sizable chunk of the world, and enough technological merit to launch a few thousand nuclear tipped missiles at the drop of the hat, and Al-Qaeda is scary only to pampered cowards. It is like facing down a tank, and then pissing yourself when a small infant with a nerf bat shows up.

      They completely wiped out internationally recognized office buildings that were part of the crown jewels of New York City -- they changed the fucking skyline. They flew a plane into the Pentagon. These were high-valued targets, not just some random Joe getting into his accident on his way home from work.

      As for actual property damage, your analogy is way off. This paper [rms.com] estimates the World Trade Center losses at around $20 billion. For hurricanes, this paper [noaa.gov] shows a mean loss of $7 billion for a Category 3 hurricane -- not exactly minor. Categories 2 and 1 show mean losses of $2 billion and $1 billion.

      Woohp-di-fucking-do. 20 billion against a 14 trillion dollar economy? We literally lose vastly more money than that each year by accident. Those "crown jewels" of the New York skyline could have been rebuilt in a couple of years if we were not busy multiplying 20 billlion dollars worth of lost assets into a few TRILLION dollars worth of lost assets. In terms of financial damage, the terrorist inflicted a pin brick (20 billion), and we turned around and chopped our arm off (many trillions). We could have a 9/11 every single fucking month from 9/11 to now and the property damage will still be a drop in the bucket compared to our own cowardly self inflicted wounds.

      You mean like the concentration camps that we rounded up American citizens of Japanese descent into? Or how about the Sedition Act of 1918?

      Too recent? Surely the Founders wouldn't tread on us? How about the Alien and Sedition Acts from 1798? Thank you, John Adams.

      First, we were actually facing REAL threats so you can almost give them a pass on acting like cowards in those cases. Second, and far more importantly, we pulled back from our cowardly ways in all of those cases within three years, recognized we had acted like cowards, and swore to never do it again. We are going on 10 years and still pissing our selves. It has been 10 years and instead of backing off as we come to our senses, we continue to beg, plead, and mew for the government to take our liberty and save us from the horrible scary terrorist. Americans can't get on an airplane without pissing themselves in terror and demanding that the government strip search everyone.

      Those threats haven't been ignored. They've been getting press and funding all along.

      Fuck that.

      NCIs entire research budget for 2009? 4.97 billion plus another 1.26 billion from the stimulus. The budget for defense? $1.01 and $1.35 TRILLION in fiscal year 2010. Hrm, cancer kills basically every single fucking American who isn't killed by heart disease and we spend fuck all on it. Terrorist kill fewer people than suicides or accidental drownings and we spend a trillion dollars each year. Americans are litterally more likely to kill themselves because they hate their own life than to be killed by a terrorist, and yet we piss away billions running around in circles and crying like little girls because we are so struck stupid with fear of terrorist. Fucking awesome.

    25. Re:These are our generation's defining moments by Raenex · · Score: 1

      Yes, I am very happily judging Afghan sheep herders as not worthy opponents.

      Except al-Qaeda isn't a bunch of sheep herders. You're just full of shit.

      Woohp-di-fucking-do. 20 billion against a 14 trillion dollar economy?

      First off, the point stands. Your analogy was completely wrong and trivialized what was a severe blow. Losing the World Trade Center and having a plane fly into the Pentagon isn't just something you shrug your shoulders about, and that $20 billion only covers the property damage. What the hell are you going to do, just sit around and wait for them to repeat or top the performance?

      Do you think any populace of a first-world nation would stand for that?

      First, we were actually facing REAL threats so you can almost give them a pass on acting like cowards in those cases.

      The United States was relatively isolated and was not going to be invaded by Japan or Germany any time soon. We had plenty of time to build up, and the American Japanese living in our country were not a credible threat. The whole thing was a racist attack. Why didn't we round up all the people of German descent?

      Second, and far more importantly, we pulled back from our cowardly ways in all of those cases within three years, recognized we had acted like cowards, and swore to never do it again.

      That's easy to do once the war is over, isn't it? It was also a war we finished by vaporizing two cities with atomic bombs, after the Germans had been defeated and Japan had no capacity to hurt us at all.

      NCIs entire research budget for 2009? 4.97 billion plus another 1.26 billion from the stimulus. The budget for defense? $1.01 and $1.35 TRILLION in fiscal year 2010. Hrm, cancer kills basically every single fucking American who isn't killed by heart disease and we spend fuck all on it.

      You're really good at manipulating numbers in ridiculous fashion. You're comparing the entire defense budget with the research dollars for one cancer institute. Perhaps you should compare it against the budget for health care instead.

      Furthermore, there are already private funds being used for issues like cancer research. We don't have private companies funding military operations.

  5. Commies at it again by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I guess they don't want their subjects getting any ideas.

  6. Re:This is news? by sjames · · Score: 2

    Only when they try to blame it on the dog.

  7. Re:Really? by sanman2 · · Score: 5, Interesting

    The Chinese govt gets nervous anytime any dictatorship is under attack.

    Guilty conscience pricks the mind.

  8. China Censorship Is Not News For Nerds!!!!!! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Can slashdot just give it a rest with the "China Blocks XXX" stories??
    Its not new or noteworthy, everybody in the world knows China engages in active censorship.

  9. US Media self-censors by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    The corporate-owned US media doesn't need the corporate-owned US government to tell it explicitly to censor news.

    1. Re:US Media self-censors by TapeCutter · · Score: 1

      Or as Vidal Gore put it; A farmer has no reason to muzzle his sheep.

      --
      And did you exchange a walk on part in the war for a lead role in a cage? - Pink Floyd.
  10. TianAnMen by mdsolar · · Score: 3, Insightful

    This looks a lot like what I remember from the protests in TianAnMen in Beijing. Then is was for democratic reform rather than an entirely new government but if Egypt is successful, things might change quickly in China too. I remember the horror people in Taiwan felt when the army attached the protesters. Probably made reunification impossible for decades to come unless the communists go. People with Peace Prizes under arrest seems pretty similar in both Egypt and China.

    1. Re:TianAnMen by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Yeah I really dislike when armies attach to protesters too, gets rather messy. :(

    2. Re:TianAnMen by clarkkent09 · · Score: 1

      There are similarities in the regimes but the demonstrators are different. Tienanmen protest were genuine calls for more democracy. It is still an open question who is really behind the Egypt protests. I hope someone more familiar with politics in Egypt can correct me if I'm wrong, but as far as I know the Muslim Brotherhood is by far and away the largest political force after the ruling party. In the last election that they were allowed to participate in, the Mubarak's leftist party was first (can't remember the numbers but say 200 seats), Muslim Brotherhood was second with about 80, and the first party that had some resemblance to a western style liberal democratic party had something like 5.

      --
      Negative moral value of force outweighs the positive value of good intentions.
    3. Re:TianAnMen by MasaMuneCyrus · · Score: 4, Interesting

      According to Al Jazeera and everyone they've interviewed for days on their live stream, CNN, BBC, Twitter, and in general the whole of the internet, this is a genuinely popular revolution in Egypt, and everyone from children to seniors are participating in it. Of course the protests are mostly dominated by young adults, but that's because they have the worst unemplyoment and most zeal, energy, and strength. Nevertheless, those police that aren't apparently ransacking the city in plain clothes are either hiding or have joined with the protesters, and the army seems to have also sided with the protesters. During Tiananmen, too, the army sided with the people. The Communist Party of China's ace in the hole was that they were able to bring in military units from far away from Beijing that weren't as empathetic to Beijing-ers. I'm no expert in the Middle-East, but I doubt Egypt has that kind of massiveness, and also, unlike Beijing, the Egypt protests are country-wide.

    4. Re:TianAnMen by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Grievances of Chinese are not grievances of the Egyptians.

      Solutions are not the same either. Tienanmen protests were completely different purpose than Egyptian protects. For example, Tienanmen protesters didn't want to kick out the government. They wanted an elected communist government.

    5. Re:TianAnMen by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Care to explain?

    6. Re:TianAnMen by skegg · · Score: 1

      I remember the horror people in Taiwan felt when the army attached the protesters

      Screw that ... I'd also be horrified if I saw that

    7. Re:TianAnMen by mdsolar · · Score: 1

      Yes, but in Taiwan it was on TV non-stop. Kind of like 9/11 here but for much longer.

    8. Re:TianAnMen by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      http://e-mergebs.blogspot.com/

    9. Re:TianAnMen by Raenex · · Score: 1

      also, unlike Beijing, the Egypt protests are country-wide.

      Tiananmen was the flashpoint and main protest, but the protests had spread country-wide in 1989, too.

  11. Re:This is news? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Only when they come in this general direction.

  12. Re:This is news? by PolygamousRanchKid+ · · Score: 4, Funny

    Are we going to hear about every time China farts?

    Well, if they can get their entire 1 billion+ population to do it in unison, in a coordinated nation-wide "pull my finger" action, you might actually hear it. The US Geological Survey would probably release a Tsunami warning.

    --
    Schroedinger's Brexit: The UK is both in and out of the EU at the same time!
  13. Ha, ha! Seriously? What's the connection? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Well isn't that cute. Apparently the old nellies in the communist party of China are somehow feeling a bit threatened by protests happening in an entirely different country, involving an entirely different culture, and involving an entirely different type of government. What could they possibly think is the connection between communist China and the Mubarak/NDP party rule in Egypt? The politics is completely different. It doesn't make any sense.

    Oh, wait, I know what the connection is -- the longing of the people to be free of autocratic rule, which transcends borders and the peculiarities of political parties. I can see why the people in power might be a little frightened by that. It's something that autocratic regimes always worry about -- that the people might finally rise up and say "enough".

    I wonder if they'll block "Tahrir Square" next? (It means "Liberation Square" in Egyptian)

  14. Re:Really? by yidele · · Score: 2

    no, no, no - it's the guilty pricks that mind your conscience

  15. It's not what they say in public ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    ... rather what they (Obama) do behind your back that counts.

    No doubt that Dept. of Homeland Security is training on the day they get the order to disrupt the US power-grid, telecommunications, transportation infrastructure and financial institutions to pre-sage the slaughter of US citizens and Obama's "teary-eyed" command.

    -308

    In Other News

    The Associated Press reports that Sec. of State Clinton and CIA Director Pineta held a meeding, Saturday morning with Obama about the "Diplomat" being held for murder in Islamabad.

    D-CIA would not be there if the person of interest was a consular employee.

    The name given of the person of interest is wrong as given by news reports, and his Visa (the one he was holding onto at the time of arrest and not the others in his appartment) ... confirmed by Obam'a Press Secretary.

    QED. Pakastan has a real CIA employee (direct or on loan from Xe) and Obama will be in for several weeks of WTF moments to savor ... that is until the CIA's next assin is in place and ready to eliminate the person of interest in Islamabad.

    Its such a wonderful world dearest Obama.

  16. Bullshit by trendzetter · · Score: 1

    China is not censoring the events in Egypt. If this word is blocked on one site it is certainly not representative for the media at large. It's all over the news on all news outlets in China. And no, this will not give the Chinese people idea's. In general the Chinese population is supportive of there government.

    1. Re:Bullshit by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      And no, this will not give the Chinese people idea's. In general the Chinese population is supportive of there government.

      If you're Chinese yourself then I mean no disrespect in pointing out a couple of spelling and punctuation errors in your otherwise fluent and coherent statement. I mean this purely to help you communicate effectively in English.

      You don't need to add apostrophes into words merely becase they are plurals so it should be "ideas" not "idea's". Also, it should be "their government" not "there government".

      On the other hand, if you're actually a native English speaker then for goodness sake please take some remedial English lessons. Your post made my eyes bleed.

    2. Re:Bullshit by dissy · · Score: 1, Interesting

      China is not censoring the events in Egypt.

      So you feel the block on this word is for technical reasons then?

    3. Re:Bullshit by TapeCutter · · Score: 1

      +1 informative.

      --
      And did you exchange a walk on part in the war for a lead role in a cage? - Pink Floyd.
    4. Re:Bullshit by ausrob · · Score: 1

      Plus, frankly, the people here are far more concerned with Chinese New Year/Spring Festival which is only a few days away. I suspect that few inside China are paying much attention to anything else. If you've ever BEEN to China, then you'd know exactly what I'm talking about. Chinese New Year is like Christmas and New Years Eve all thrown into a two or three week long massive holiday. If a protest breaks out in the next two weeks, I'll happily eat my hat, but the odds are it won't.

  17. Perhaps They're More Worried Than They Let On by Greyfox · · Score: 2

    Tunisia's government dropped like a rock and it seems that people around the world took notice that a populist movement could actually overthrow an unwelcome regime. Of course, if the regime didn't care about its image in the world, it could just kill a few tens of thousands of people until the troublemakers either stop revolting or are dead...

    --

    I'm trying to teach myself to set people on fire with my mind... Is it hot in here?

    1. Re:Perhaps They're More Worried Than They Let On by phantomfive · · Score: 1

      Of course, if the regime didn't care about its image in the world, it could just kill a few tens of thousands of people until the troublemakers either stop revolting or are dead...

      It's a risk (note: as of my latest knowledge, 24 people in Egypt have died, and over 1000 are injured). Despite appearances, a dictatorship is not a single person with all the power, it is one person who must maintain the following of the army at a very minimum. If he tells the army to kill the people, at some point the army will defect. This is what happened to the government in Tunisia, the army defected.

      Now, Mubarak has been moving slowly.....the protests were going on for a while before he called the army in to take control of the situation. It appears Mubarak spent the time strengthening his relationships with people around him who had power. He raised his intelligence chief up to Vice President, for example.

      In times of crisis like this, a wise dictator will spend some time to take stock of loyalties of those around him to make sure it is possible for him to maintain power.

      --
      "First they came for the slanderers and i said nothing."
    2. Re:Perhaps They're More Worried Than They Let On by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Of course, if the regime didn't care about its image in the world, it could just kill a few tens of thousands of people until the troublemakers either stop revolting or are dead...

      If he tells the army to kill the people, at some point the army will defect. This is what happened to the government in Tunisia, the army defected.

      Here in Argentina, the army was much trigger-happier, I guess, since they didn't stop until after 30,000 people had died ("disappeared"). Some 10,000 people gone in neighbouring Chile, back in the 70's. So, kudos to the Tunisian army for actually having some decency. Did you see the pictures of protestors kissing the soldiers/policemen? Sent shivers down my spine.

    3. Re:Perhaps They're More Worried Than They Let On by phantomfive · · Score: 1

      Here in Argentina, the army was much trigger-happier, I guess, since they didn't stop until after 30,000 people had died ("disappeared"). Some 10,000 people gone in neighbouring Chile, back in the 70's

      It's fine to do that (speaking from the perspective of a dictator), as long as you make sure the army is still loyal. You need to keep on top of it, and make sure things are still going your way. Different situations allow different power pushes.

      --
      "First they came for the slanderers and i said nothing."
  18. Re:This is news? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Idiot. Don't you realise that the world is a small place these days? What happens in China affects you DIRECTLY. Or will, soon enough.

  19. this site is next you will be sent to reeducation by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    this site is next you will be sent to reeducation camp!

  20. Nothing to see here... by SETIGuy · · Score: 0

    Move along...

  21. Re:One word by TaoPhoenix · · Score: 2

    That's an odd tone in your post. Censorship is an event. Trying to smush it away by saying "it's only one word" is some kind of red herring.

    After all, if they are going to pick one word, it is an odd choice to pick "Egypt". I'd think "Freedom" would be more dangerous.

    --
    My first Journal Entry ever, in 8 years! http://slashdot.org/journal/365947/aphelion-scifi-fantasy-horror-poetry-webzine
  22. Chicoms uneasy rule by amightywind · · Score: 2

    Not surprising. The Chicoms see their future. Unless citizens can petition fairly government with their grievances, this scene is inevitable.

    --
    an ill wind that blows no good
  23. I wonder what would happen in the US... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    ...if the same thing happened on Wall Street

  24. This generation's Berlin Wall moment? by Troll-Under-D'Bridge · · Score: 3, Interesting

    It's too early to tell if the events in Tunisia will produce a wave of liberation. But it does call to mind the events surrounding the fall of the Berlin Wall. This could turn out to be the Arab world's Berlin Wall, then if it spreads to non-Arab countries like Pakistan, the Muslim world's as well.

    There are a number of parallels. For example, pop historians like to point to the Berlin Wall as the event that triggered the end of communism in Eastern Europe. But there were lots of false starts that go back further, at least, say, to the protest movement spearhead by Solidarity in Poland, or maybe even further back to the Prague Spring in Czechoslovakia, in the late 1960s. The latter was brutally suppressed by the Soviets and their allies.

    Could the present events have been inspired by the earlier events in Iran after the hotly contested elections in that theocratic country? Expect any event remotely similar to the Fall of the Wall to usher in a period of instability in the Arab world, something that extremists could exploit to install psychotic regimes worse than the despots they replaced/displaced.

    Who knows, maybe Obama could be this generation's Reagan when the late Republican president issued his famous challenge to his Soviet counterpart: Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall.

  25. Re:Ha, ha! Seriously? What's the connection? by MasaMuneCyrus · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I've heard a lot that the people of Egypt were a little bit embarrassed that a small country like Tunisia could topple a dictator when they couldn't. Egypt has more than 5000 years of history, and Egyptians have some pride and exceptionalism regarding their long history and power in the Arab world. Chinese people also have a lot of pride and exceptionalism in their long history, and feel that they should be the center of the world in Asia. In that regard, the two countries aren't so different, and this revolution could be very threatening to the communist regime.

    In reality, I think as long as China continues to concretely improve, at a snails pace though it may be, there will not be sufficient appetite for a revolution in China. To say that the CPC is a little bit paranoid about revolutions and stability, though, would be an understatement.

  26. Re:Ha, ha! Seriously? What's the connection? by phantomfive · · Score: 1

    Apparently the old nellies in the communist party of China are somehow feeling a bit threatened by protests happening in an entirely different country, involving an entirely different culture, and involving an entirely different type of government

    Yes. They really started clamping down right after the Iranian riots. There is no doubt the ruling class in China feels pressure and the need to keep the people happy.

    --
    "First they came for the slanderers and i said nothing."
  27. Sounds like.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    "Hey I really think we should stage a revolution just like they are doing in he jipped"

  28. Not a thousand, just oneied Than They Let On by SmallFurryCreature · · Score: 1, Insightful

    Yesterday Iran executed a dutch woman, supposedly for smuggling drugs and selling it. Her arrest however came during Iran's own riots and some people believe the charges were fabricated. Curious she would be executed in such a hurry at this moment. Sending a message perhaps?

    But don't worry, the dutch government froze, not cut, all ties with the Iran government an. That will teach them.

    China has little to worry about, these revolts have been about high unemployment levels. China is not suffering from that. The people got their bread and circusseses. It is the Islamic nations that are worried. They are corrupt, inept and overflowing with ever larger generations of yoing people with no future. China escaped that with the one child policy.

    --

    MMO Quests are like orgasms:

    You may solo them, I prefer them in a group.

    1. Re:Not a thousand, just oneied Than They Let On by quacking+duck · · Score: 1

      China has little to worry about, these revolts have been about high unemployment levels. China is not suffering from that. The people got their bread and circusseses. It is the Islamic nations that are worried. They are corrupt, inept and overflowing with ever larger generations of yoing people with no future. China escaped that with the one child policy.

      Not quite. China's one-child policy has resulted in a serious gender imbalance where young men greatly outnumber young women. One report predicts there will be 30 million more men than women in China by 2020. With little prospect of finding a wife and raising a child to continue the family name, this could result in higher emigration, internal social unrest, or millions in the military with no reason to return home (won't that be comforting to neighbouring countries...)

    2. Re:Not a thousand, just oneied Than They Let On by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0


      China has little to worry about, these revolts have been about high unemployment levels. China is not suffering from that.

      There are about 100,000 protests per year in China (not protesters... protests).

      Social situation is similar to the one in Europe in the 19th century. Yes, the one which spawned "socialism" and "communism", which were proposed as alternatives and solutions to the exploitation of the workers by capital owners (for instance, the legal work duration was 84hours/week in 1850, and that was after 'social' laws were voted).

      China is witnessing a dramatic growth in social inequality.

  29. LOL, so their news... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    LOL, so there news is not only not informing them on Egypt; it's trying to make them forget the entire country exists. I thought US MSM was bad; but I guess we still can't hold a candle to these guys.

    BTW, does anybody know what the Iraqi minister of information is up to these days?

  30. Re:Really? by Sparx139 · · Score: 3, Interesting
    --
    Our culture doesn't get smarter, it just finds new ways of being retarded.
  31. Not Quite True by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

    I am living/working in China and the Egypt situation has been the lead story on CCTV English news for the last 2 days... complete with clips of the Egyptian protests and the mandatory "Talking Head" analysts (both Chinese and foreign). It's getting 6~10 minutes worth of air-time at the top of each hour... Even the CCTV web site at http://english.cntv.cn/01/index.shtml has many clips available. The Chinese channel newscasts tend to be leading with stories of arduous treks back home for Spring Festival [EG: Riding 600Km on a motorcycle, in winter)... but there are still items, with footage of the riots, running on those news shows.

    1. Re:Not Quite True by AxeTheMax · · Score: 1

      The English language website http://english.cntv.cn/01/index.shtml has it on the front page, second item. The headline is, interestingly, "Chinese citizens not injured in Egypt", which suggests that they are as willing as anyone to see and report things from their own perspective.

    2. Re:Not Quite True by mk_is_here · · Score: 1

      Allowing you to read the news does not necessary equal to discuss it freely on the Internet

    3. Re:Not Quite True by yuna49 · · Score: 1

      What about the Chinese-language channels?

  32. Twitter-like site? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Are we talking about Baidu here?

    Seems like it's a Baidu word

  33. Re:Really? by Suki+I · · Score: 0

    The Chinese govt gets nervous anytime any dictatorship is under attack.

    Guilty conscience pricks the mind.

    I think they are only fussy about the ones they are involved with. In this case, the Muslim Brotherhood waiting for the current unpleasantness to blow over.

  34. Block Egypt ... Don't Block New Secret Jet by fygment · · Score: 1

    Egypt - Fact

    New Secret Jet - Hoax

    --
    "Consensus" in science is _always_ a political construct.
    1. Re:Block Egypt ... Don't Block New Secret Jet by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      What is New Secret Jet?

  35. ..and? by ausrob · · Score: 1

    Frankly, this isn't news. The whole country blocks facebook, twitter and god only knows what else. The netizens in China have figured out terms they can use to work around the filtering (they're not dumb) which goes to show how stupid the government sanctioned "great firewall" is (please take note Australia and other countries which are democracies who are entertaining mandatory filters!). Blocking a single word on a single site is hardly the biggest outrage I can think of. Think about it.

  36. tiffany by money888 · · Score: 0, Troll

    As we all know that tiffany co is always creating new styles in different collection. That's why, all tiffany rings customers are happy to see the new arrival of tiffany and co outlet in many different styles and designs.If you are on the enthusiasm for Tiffany Coupon ergo considering to worth the discount, hence you fault finish palpable in that contrasted methods. http://www.tiffanycooutlet.com/

  37. Re:Really? by tqk · · Score: 1

    I think they are only fussy about the ones they are involved with.

    Really? Any totalitarian regime must worry about regime change. Tunisia, Egypt, ...

    Who's next, Iran, Libya, Israel, Lebanon, N. Korea, China, ...

    --
    "Tongue tied and twisted, just an Earth bound misfit ..." -- Pink Floyd.
  38. just tested on SINA and QQ WeiBo, both are ok. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    just tested on SINA and QQ WeiBo, both are ok.

  39. Re:Doesn't mention any major country except the US by AxeTheMax · · Score: 1

    From a quick look, it it does not mention Russia or India either. It does mention the USA. That's just three of the world's four most populous countries. You have found an official state journal, for a state that is not commenting on something that does not concern it or its citizens. Possibly only because it does not have the resources, but nevertheless a commendable attitude.

  40. Bubbles * 2 by FreakyGreenLeaky · · Score: 1

    I remember predicting the .com bubble poppage to my wife in the nineties (we own an ISP which was actually generating revenue, as opposed to so many .com's which were receiving funding based on future predicted/possible income).

    I see two bubbles in China: economic and social.

    The only question is: *when* they're going to pop, and whether they'll pop *together*.

  41. search results are not shown.. by nurb432 · · Score: 1

    But your attempted search is reported to the government.

    --
    ---- Booth was a patriot ----
  42. i beg to differ by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    um, i can do it on tudou

  43. "Not Quite True" is Not Quite True by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Mobilizing critical mass was the critical factor in the Tunisia/Egyptian etc situation. The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and its Department of Propaganda together with every media outlet throughout China under its control fully understand this. That's why they boldly report all these unrests in fully coverage - all in English channel in the nation whose only 0.77% population can speak English (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_English-speaking_population).

    This is also complicated by the fact that the current Egypt government is an ally of U.S., which are "jackals" to China (http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/washington/2011/01/lang-lang-china-my-motherland-hu-obama.html).

  44. Re:Really? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Guilty conscience pricks the mind.

    "Guilty conscience" nothing.

    They're purely worried that this might give people ideas and encouragement that would threaten the stability of their regime.

  45. Give me freedom or give me death! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I just hope that in the Land of the Free, and Home of the Brave, we will continue to enjoy the Freedom that
    Its Founding Fathers and many generations of activists have fought for.
    Worrysome this cozy, strange, corporate-driven relationship with chinese regime, oh well...

  46. don't got there by erdraug · · Score: 1

    Whereas Carthage has *only* 3 000 years under its belt.