China warns online rumors are like "narcotics"
Here’s a question for all the netizens in China: what do Internet rumors and cocaine have in common?
According to Chinese state media, they are, in fact, very similar.
China is ramping up its campaign against “unhealthy” information online, with a particular focus on the country’s hugely popular microblogs.
You may recall the government’s attempt to curb Internet rumors by urging microbloggers to use their real names back in October. It is now stepping up the efforts to wipe out Internet rumorville by publishing a series of rather strongly worded editorials in official media outlets.
Here’s one from Xinhua Online: Please Don’t Let Internet Rumors Poison Our Conscience (切莫让网络谣言毒害我们善良的心). Similarly, People’s Daily also ran an editorial titled “Online Rumors are Narcotics, Please Resist and Stay Away” (网络谣言是毒品, 请自觉抵制和远离).
The coordinated propaganda continues with more action-packed titles, such as Xinhua’s “Let Our Combination Punch Cut Internet Rumor’s Spreading Chain” (让“组合拳”斩断网络谣言的“传播链”), and People’s Daily’s “Give Online Rumor Spreaders a Fierce Head-On Attack” (对网络造谣传谣者就应当“迎头痛击”).
All of the commentaries emphasize the “addictive” and “damaging” nature of Internet rumors, which they say could be “no less (if not more) harmful than gambling, pornography and drugs.” The overriding message: netizens should have “zero tolerance” to uphold an orderly society.
You can read more details on China’s on-going combat against online rumors here and here.
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The real Communist China:
– human rights abuse
http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/asset/ASA17/042/2011/en/eadc54a7-9d5e-4564-8d03-41142627bad7/asa170422011en.html
– corruption
http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2011/06/in-china-corruption-and-unrest-threaten-autocratic-rule/241128/
– torture
http://www.christiannewswire.com/news/740318128.html
– censorship
http://global.christianpost.com/news/beijing-tightens-restrictions-on-social-media-59489/
– organ harvesting
http://www.lifesitenews.com/news/archive/ldn/2006/apr/06042805
– fake IPhone stores
http://money.msn.com/top-stocks/post.aspx?post=22bddd8a-2aa3-4453-a05b-7a34057f0b24
– unsafe trains
http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2011-07-23-China-Train-Crash_n.htm
– tainted milk
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/7624498.stm
– unsafe schools
http://uk.reuters.com/article/2008/12/26/uk-china-schools-idUKTRE4BP0ET20081226
– deaths through forced abortion
http://www.womensrightswithoutfrontiers.org/blog/?p=429
– toddlers being run over
http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/headlines/2011/10/yueyue-chinese-toddler-run-over-in-street-and-ignored-dies/
http://global.christianpost.com/news/another-china-toddler-killed-as-driver-runs-over-5-year-old-twice-to-avoid-hospital-fees-59367/
http://www.theweek.co.uk/world-news/35619/chinese-trucker-%E2%80%98reversed-over-boy-ensure-he-died%E2%80%99
Two nights in a row News Stream has had a story about China. Each night the story was preceded by a map of China showing China in red and surrounding countries in green.
EXCEPT they also show Taiwan in red indicating it is a part of China. It is NOT a part of China. It has its own government and economy and it is a vibrant democracy.
Why are you doing this?
dear, Paul, Taiwan is part of a nation called Chins . One nation that's comprise of two states.. the more glaring example of factual distortions is that Tibet is entire in 'white' while the rest of the country is in green, just like every country indicated in the CNN generic world map. It' an overt way by CNN of telling the viewers that they don't recognize Tibet as part iof China.
Sorry, watuzi, but I live in Taiwan and NO ONE here considers Taiwan part of China. The "one China, two systems" is a slogan embraced by China, the UN, and the United States to allow China to maintain face. Taiwan has NEVER been a part of China in all its history.
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I agree . Internet communications is really powerful and may cause dangerous situations and interpretation errors.