Guy Fawkes Invades China!!! The Unthinkable Has Happened!!!

After years on ATS, and exposure to ideas and realities that might cause the common person to fetal ball in panic or confusion - rarely does a story hit the Associated Press that leaves me literally left with nothing to do but blink, stare, drool a bit, and then reread the article - positive that I've gotten something mixed up.

This is one such case.

China - a Communist Nation! - The place where people who think even a hair outside of the box tend to either end up dead or in "reeducation camps". A place where just being descended from a person who went against the grain can keep you from ever holding public office.

A place just ~this~ side of North Korea, morally speaking, has shocked me. And verified a theory that I, and other ATSers have had for awhile. China seems to be bending a bit towards the American model - even as we seem to be moving towards their ideas of governance. I refer to this as "the meeting in the middle" "Chimerica" idea.

This story certainly is proof of it.

CHINA'S AIRING OF 'V FOR VENDETTA' STUNS VIEWERS

BEIJING (AP) -- Television audiences across China watched an anarchist antihero rebel against a totalitarian government and persuade the people to rule themselves. Soon the Internet was crackling with quotes of "V for Vendetta's" famous line: "People should not be afraid of their governments. Governments should be afraid of their people."

The airing of the movie Friday night on China Central Television stunned viewers and raised hopes that China is loosening censorship.

"V for Vendetta" never appeared in Chinese theaters, but it is unclear whether it was ever banned. An article on the Communist Party's People's Daily website says it was previously prohibited from broadcast, but the spokesman for the agency that approves movies said he was not aware of any ban.

Some commentators and bloggers think the broadcast could be CCTV producers pushing the envelope of censorship, or another sign that the ruling Communist Party's newly installed leader, Xi Jinping, is serious about reform.

Beijing-based rights activist Hu Jia wrote on Twitter, which is not accessible to most Chinese because of government Internet controls: "This great film couldn't be any more appropriate for our current situation. Dictators, prisons, secret police, media control, riots, getting rid of `heretics' ... fear, evasion, challenging lies, overcoming fear, resistance, overthrowing tyranny ... China's dictators and its citizens also have this relationship."

The film is available on video-on-demand platforms in China, where movie content also needs to be approved by authorities.

Source

Rarely am I at a total loss for words. But this surely accomplishes that!

Did CCTV ( A totally government run entity - with strong censorship and party control ) go against the grain? Did a "lone wolf" smuggle in a DVD bootleg and feed it out, live? Did Hell freeze over? Do the Chinese believe that the Mayans were right after all and figure "No Harm, no foul???"

This is truly an unprecedented event. And one so far across the line that I cannot even begin to formulate an analogy for it. For a highly repressive society, such as China, to allow thoughts as progressive as those presented in the film V For Vendetta go become mainstream???

The US government lost in discussions about taking away guns. The Chinese government letting their people openly view a movie about revolution and rebellion against authority... a movie that glamorizes such behavior??? Even now, as the risk of war involving China is still active?

In a recent OP I stated that I was not worried about 12/21/12 - but rather about the 90 days following it - and the potential for major paradigm shifts in culture to happen during that period - as people all try and recover from the sensory and emotional overload that has been the year of 2012.

This, my friends? Another clue in a long line of clues that tell me....

Change is coming. Be vigilant and aware. The pace of change is already nearly impossible to keep up with. I fear it will continue to gain momentum.

~Heff

Settle down buddy.

I find that China is far less authoritarian than the western media makes out. Have you seen what is said on Chinese social media? They are free to speak their minds.

China is also making strides to listen to its people.

Your shock equates to hysterical anti-China propaganda. Is this really such a big deal?

reply to post by spangledbanner


Really? Did you read this part of the external content in the OP?

Beijing-based rights activist Hu Jia wrote on Twitter, which is not accessible to most Chinese because of government Internet controls: "This great film couldn't be any more appropriate for our current situation. Dictators, prisons, secret police, media control, riots, getting rid of `heretics' ... fear, evasion, challenging lies, overcoming fear, resistance, overthrowing tyranny ... China's dictators and its citizens also have this relationship."

Specifically "Hu Jia wrote on Twitter, which is not accessible to most Chinese because of government Internet controls" - because it kind of negates your position.

~Heff

Originally posted by Hefficide
reply to post by spangledbanner

 

Really? Did you read this part of the external content in the OP?

Beijing-based rights activist Hu Jia wrote on Twitter, which is not accessible to most Chinese because of government Internet controls: "This great film couldn't be any more appropriate for our current situation. Dictators, prisons, secret police, media control, riots, getting rid of `heretics' ... fear, evasion, challenging lies, overcoming fear, resistance, overthrowing tyranny ... China's dictators and its citizens also have this relationship."

Specifically "Hu Jia wrote on Twitter, which is not accessible to most Chinese because of government Internet controls" - because it kind of negates your position.

~Heff

Not really. And this guy is an 'activist'? Or traitor? Im sure he is involved with some kind of American backed 'humanitarian' or 'aid' type nonsense. This is exactly why Russia kicked all 'American funded 'aid' agencies out of Russia. It was because the 'aid' agencies only exist to cause unrest.

I am not surpised the site is not accessible to most Chinese. The Chinese are going great, they dont need people causing unrest when they are so close to being the worlds superpower.

And 'twitter' is run by the US Government as is google. Why would China want them? Are you surprised that Iran uses parsijoo? Im not. Google searches are biased and western.

en.wikipedia.org...
Traitor. Thought so.

Unbelievable that you posted something about China and CCTV. I am sitting here in (Lebanon) with a Chinese man watching CCTV. I lived in China for years and have to say the level of subtle brainwashing is real. The last couple of days CCTV has been non stop CT killing spree and disputed islands. I have seen nothing on the negative things in China, but a a lot of how perfect the Chinese society is. Yes, the Chinese will speak their mind. But only of what they have been exposed to and if they don't now, they will follow party line. I have had many of "discussions" about the world and it never ends with both parties in agreement. I do like my Chinese friends, but as an American who speaks Chinese and lived there, I will never be fooled by the Chinese government or the people' fake social protocols.

reply to post by Hefficide


This is strange and unusual for China to allow such a movie....
Wonder how long they will allow it to play at theaters on TV?

China seems to be bending a bit towards the American model - even as we seem to be moving towards their ideas of governance. I refer to this as "the meeting in the middle" "Chimerica" idea.

I like your name - "Chimerica"
It's amazing how our country is slowly but surely getting more and more gov. controlled and regulated.
And the sheeple are getting used to it. Programmed to accept it.
Until one day......BAM......we'll wake up one day and we'll be the new China.

-- Chimerica --

I find it hard to make any type of assertions about China because I have no idea how they think, and how true the stereotype of obedient collectivists is. China is a mystery to me probably more than any other country.

V for Vandetta is a great movie, and although it drives anti-totalitarian ideology harder than most movies, a lot of Hollywood stuff has a similar sentiment. Even stuff like Harry Potter and Transformers, which did great in China, have a ton of freedom/democracy undertones.

And the comment about twitter reminded me of this, saw today:

Twitter and Facebook may be blocked in Iran but that has not stopped millions of defiant Iranians finding a way to access them. Now they appear to have been joined by the country's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

www.guardian.co.uk...

reply to post by snarky412


They didn't allow it in theaters. This was played on TV! And is still available on their version of "on demand". Just seven years back, when it was in theatrical release, it was forbidden.

My shock is that there weren't any baby steps involved. I mean it's not like they inched their way through a few dystopian flicks being allowed, and then got to this one. It's like they started AT the most divisive possible film from that genre.

There isn't really an American equivalent. But we can cite some interesting facts. Like when was the last time you saw "1984", "Blade Runner", or "Fahrenheit 451" on TV? In regards to "1984" specifically, it is one of the more difficult films to find even today. Not one you're likely to dig out of a Wal Mart $5.00 Bin.

Another that comes to mind is "The Last Temptation of Christ".

This is sort of like walking into a public library and finding a display, up front, promoting the works of James Joyce or Ken Kesey... it just doesn't happen!

~Heff

Maybe the chinese are going to call in the treasury debt and assume possession of the USA. They need to get people ready and the introduction of these ideals will make the assimilation process smoother.

reply to post by spangledbanner


Interesting thread just posted and related to this one:

China has arrested nearly 1,000 people in a crackdown on a Christian sect that spread doomsday rumours and targeted communist rule, state media said on Thursday ahead of the supposedly Mayan-foretold apocalypse.

The Christian-inspired group "Almighty God" has been accused of spreading doomsday rumours apparently linked to the ancient Mayan Long Count calendar and urging followers to slay the "red dragon" of communism, state media reports said.

www.abovetopsecret.com...

reply to post by Hefficide


I agree Heff, this is a major development for the Chinese people. I have to say, i do not think it was a lone wolf type employee or similar - if so, it is not hard to imagine that the authorities would simply have stopped the broadcast, however far along the film was. This makes me think it must have been screened with tacit government approval.

I can imagine some die hards choking on their noodles though when they watched it!

reply to post by spangledbanner


Traitor???

Hu Jia (Chinese: 胡佳; pinyin: Hú Jiā; original name 胡嘉, Hú Jiā; born July 25, 1973, in Beijing) is an activist and dissident in the People's Republic of China. His work has focused on the Chinese democracy movement, Chinese environmentalist movement, and HIV/AIDS in the People's Republic of China. Hu is the director of June Fourth Heritage & Culture Association, and he has been involved with AIDS advocacy as the executive director of the Beijing Aizhixing Institute of Health Education and as one of the founders of the non-governmental organization Loving Source. He has also been involved in work to protect the endangered Tibetan antelope. For his activism, Hu has received awards from several European bodies, such as the Paris City Council and the European Parliament, which awarded its Human Rights prize to him in December 2008.

On December 27, 2007, Hu was detained as part of a crackdown on dissents during the Christmas holiday season. Reporters Without Borders said that “The political police have taken advantage of the international community’s focus on Pakistan to arrest one of the foremost representatives of the peaceful struggle for free expression in China.” The decision to take him into custody was made after peasant leaders in several Chinese provinces issued a manifesto demanding broader land rights for peasants whose property had been confiscated for development. On April 3, 2008, he was sentenced to 3.5 years in jail. Hu pleaded not guilty on charges of "inciting subversion of state power" at his trial in March 2008. His trial and detention garnered international attention, and Hu was described as a political prisoner, and was designated a prisoner of conscience by Amnesty International. He was released at 2:30 am (Beijing time) on Sunday, June 26th, 2011.

Source

Guess you've got a point. The guy seems to be Hitler, Nero, and Judas all rolled into one.

~Heff

Nice I wonder when we will have our censorship relaxed here in the west.

Unlawful killing.

Originally posted by ThePeopleParty
Nice I wonder when we will have our censorship relaxed here in the west.

Unlawful killing.

edit on 20-12-2012 by ThePeopleParty because: (no reason given)

If I remember correctly that film wasn't actually "banned", the producers or something just didn't want to let it air in the US due to some copyright or other monetary reasons. I can't be bothered looking into again but I'm sure someone will provide the exact details.

I just hope they are given The Matrix and Demolition Man next. The title had me believing they stormed their govt. with those masks.

When and if they get some more freedom, I hope they make a statue/memorial of the Unknown Rebel (the man who stood infront of a tank) in Tiananmen square.

This could be an interesting piece of info regarding the freedom of the Chinese people.
Though this talk is mostly about the internet.
But they do tend to find ways to solve different problems.


reply to post by spangledbanner
I would not say that they are free to speak their minds. (But they manage to do so)
Watch the talk.

All the Guy Fawkes masks I own which is none all have made in China stamped on them so...

Conspiracy

Op your link is broken.

Anyone know if the comic was also "banned"

But on this most auspicious of nights, permit me then, in lieu of the more commonplace soubriquet, to suggest the character of this dramatis persona. Voila! In view humble vaudevillian veteran, cast vicariously as both victim and villain by the vicissitudes of fate. This visage, no mere veneer of vanity, is a vestige of the “vox populi” now vacant, vanished. However, this valorous visitation of a bygone vexation stands vivified, and has vowed to vanquish these venal and virulent vermin, van guarding vice and vouchsafing the violently vicious and voracious violation of volition. The only verdict is vengeance; a vendetta, held as a votive not in vain, for the value and veracity of such shall one day vindicate the vigilant and the virtuous. Verily this vichyssoise of verbiage veers most verbose, so let me simply add that it’s my very good honour to meet you and you may call me V

reply to post by aivlas


Sorry about that. AP links tend to include referral pages and the like - so they can be tricky to parse down to the necessary parts. Too much, they fail - too little... same result.

I think it should work now.

~Heff