Oh lord fucksticks. Could the Internet be totally free and should it be? The recent turmoil in the Arab world caused by a contentious video denigrating Prophet Muhammad shows the United States, which is busy promoting global Internet freedom, has paid a huge price with the lives of its diplomats. That’s the first paragraph from this... Read more »
Though China's modern-day Maoists may advocate larger government, wealth redistribution, and a return to a backward agrarian society, they strike me, by and large, as Bible Belt conservatives in their longing for past glories and comforts, their love for a transcendent leader, and their fondness of ideology. They also have this annoying habit of cherry-picking only the best parts from Mao's rule and forgetting that millions were purged, starved to death, and slandered/slaughtered by their coworkers, students, neighbors, friends.
Japanese ambassador Shinichi Nishimiya committing seppuku when he finds out he's been assigned to China is a nice touch, though perhaps a tad too soon:
We’ve seen beauty pageants for cows, so it would naturally follow that there would be a pageant for goldfish. In Fuzhou, Fujian province on Saturday, 3,000 fish from 14 different countries competed in the International Goldfish Championship. They were judged according to breed, body shape, swimming gesture, color, and overall impression, judge Ye Qichang told ITN... Read more »
Here is the cinematic intro to Operation Flashpoint 2: Dragon Rising, a tactical shooter game released in October 2009. In it, an island originally owned by the Chinese, called Skira, is jointly colonized by Russia and Japan through military force in the 17th and early-18th centuries. After the Russo-Japanese War, Japan gains the entire island, then loses it back to Russia following World War II. Sometime during the Cold War, oil is discovered on this volcanic island but is "hard to reach."
The more I think about it, the more I want to believe these anti-Japan protests are just an excuse for people to catch some fresh air and blow off steam. The genuine anger in some parts isn't reflected in the above video, taken today by Jacob of BeijingShenghuo (who you'll remember took this video of Saturday's more volatile protests). The chants of "Little Japan, fuck your mother" are said so nonchalantly that a spectator who doesn't know Chinese could confuse this gathering for a high school prep rally. Look at all the people recording with cell phones: they're not angry; they're curious.
The “open trial” of Wang Lijun, on charges of bribe-taking and “bending the law for selfish ends,” according to Xinhua, began this morning. It is now over, having taken place “under tight security before a carefully selected audience,” according to the Guardian, from which the above picture is taken. “Foreign journalists were not permitted to... Read more »
While significant things happen outside the offices of People’s Daily, and other people do real work (like censoring videos — Youku, looking at you), People’s Daily Online has teamed up with Xinhua to bring you important, possibly life-saving tips on dangerous bathing, in a not-at-all tongue-in-cheek article called, “Danger: Don’t bathe under the following conditions.”... Read more »
Via John Kennedy Apologies for the delay. Along with no free water, Air Asia also does not offer Wi-Fi on its international flights. But here, on the anniversary of the Mukden Incident, is a special Diaoyu Islands links edition.
Global Voices reports that according to the Chinese NGO Canyu, “three human rights activists were arrested in September 16, 2012, during the anti-Japan protest.” Quoting a translated Canyu post: (Canyu’s news brief on 16 September 2012) This morning, the grand anti-Japan rally took place in the Shenzhen downtown area, around Huaqiang North and Citizen Center. Shenzhen... Read more »
