China needs to chill out. Big time.
The past week has been an absolutely insane time in China. In just the past several days, the CCP has:
- Closed Mt. Everest to all tourist activity in lead up to the Olympics (Which is in Chinese controlled Tibet)
- Blocked Youtube to all internet users in China
- Called the Dalai Lama a criminal over his support of the peaceful Tibetan protests
China is stressing out. They're scared of anything that could even remotely taint their image on the world stage as we move closer to the Olympics. Problem is, this uptight attitude is getting them nowhere with their own people, or the world.
Of all that the CCP has done in the past days, the most concerning is a further censorship of the internet. Doesn't China realize that controlling expression and free thought within China is going to do them much more harm than good, as far as their worldwide image is concerned?
"This system of censorship is unparalleled anywhere in the world and is an insult to the spirit of online freedom," claims the report, "[and] with less than a year to go before the Beijing Olympics, there is an urgent need for the government to stop blocking thousands of websites, censoring online news and imprisoning Internet activists."
It seems like the harder they try to control the image of China, the more they oppress their own people. Not a winning combination. These olympics will be a historical show of embarrassment for China unless they change their tone.
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