Censors should read the copy the editors have finalized and remove certain parts or ask for changes. Everything could well be done in an orderly way, i.e. the newspaper delivers the copy on Thursday for instance and the censors can return by Saturday.

But look at how this went down. The censors just show up at your office at the last second, and personally make whatever changes they want. That’s not mere censorship.

Certainly the government can and does require Southern Weekend to print government approved articles from time to time, but that’s not what happened here. Here, this one guy just gets to do whatever he wants. He inserts an article written by his dense minions, and then, when they complain, he orders them to turn over their weibo account password. Just censorship?

The best part of it to me is the fake weibo he made saying, oh, nothing was unusual about the new year’s edition, all those rumors online are fake. Haha what a bald-faced lie, and of course quickly shown to be a lie.

One day, all the lunk-headed and venial propaganda departments across this country will be baleted, and that will be a great day.

Nothing will change. I’m more excited about the next Downton Abbey season.