The Global Times has written the response to Thomas Friedman’s “Dear President of China” that none of us needed, asked for, or wants to see.
I was tempted to go through this line-by-line, but contrary to popular misconception, I have better things to do. Just know that “the West” or “the Western” is used eight times, including:
- “Their survival and influence in the West…”
- “…the West’s strategy in interfering China’s…” [sic]
- “Many storms the West created by the Interent…” [wtf?]
The story ends:
China should have its own judgment. The Western media will have an advantage in public discourse for a long time and would like to become a force that can influence China. But they will be challenged by our wisdom and determination.
I feel like we’re all victims of an elaborate office prank in which we return from lunch to find our desktop is now a stretched image of Thomas Friedman and the Global Times locked in unchaste concert, and we can’t do a damn thing about it without calling IT. My point is there are no winners.
China can’t cede agenda-setting to Western media (Global Times)
“The influence of mainstream Western media in China has been declining…
In the past two years, with the development of China’s Internet and the public’s wider participation in the country’s political affairs, [hahaha] many mainstream Western media have been trying to make breakthroughs from topics that the Chinese public is most concerned about. They would create quite a stir or directly set China’s political agenda. If successful, they will be at the center of China’s public opinion sphere.”
Their influence is declining, but they could move to the center of China’s “public opinion sphere” at any time!
“Friedman…should have known [sic] that information security is among China’s core security concerns”
I wonder why that is now?
“Many storms from the West created by the Internet are from within, which indicate that the West has also set boundaries for information flow.”
Wow. Just, wow.
“No country would allow its information gate open wide unguarded.”
Except for, like, all the countries that aren’t afraid of certain information getting around.
With work like this, I hope the New York Times stays blocked!
Till 1976, when the greatest helmsman of them all went to meet his maker, the middle kingdom occupants were fed a daily diet truth of “the capitalist infidels keep their citizens in the abject misery of fire & water, whilst the fortunate masses in the socialist nirvana of the Peoples’ Republic live in equality, abundance et all”.
Fast forward 37 years later, the faithful gate keepers of truth – Global Times,People’s Daily etc etc, alarmed by the half truths (less than half actually) perpetrated on the middle kingdomers by the wicked http://www.coms of the west, now will rescue the 1.4 B truth seekers by increased and stepped up censorship ++.
Sigh, Mao will finally cease turning over on his crystal coffin, comforted by the fact that his peons will finally know nothing,nothing but the truth, so help me Marx.