FattyJJ

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I'm watching this multi-part documentary on Discovery Channel, Koppel: Peoples Republic of Capitalism. If your not watching it, your missing a good show.

I wont write a long description, go to this link for a good overview, http://dsc.discovery.com/convergenc...highlights.html

One thing that peaked my interest, is the way they are bringing up their next generation, the post-Cultural Revolution era if you want. He was interviewing a few citizens, and this one guy made a pretty accurate, and easy to understand statement of how China is doing things now.

I wont quote, because I didn't record it, but basically:
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In America, children are encouraged to be creative, and are allowed to "basically" think outside the box. Chinese children are taught that 1+1=2 and that they have to trust their government, and never to discuss politics. In a nutshell.
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Without creativity, whats the point of being alive? It makes us human, so your basically a robot,

or a puppet.

Anyone who protests, basically disappears, and they never report it on the news, and deny any inquiry's.

That is one thing that makes me feel lucky to live where I do.

I never paid any attention to history, so I just heard about the Cultural Revolution a few months ago. That shocked me, how one man could do so much damage to a culture, basically over night, in the long history of the country.

Krasch

Well they HAVE to make sure their people are good, well behaved, little robots.

If they didn't, the people at large would actually start to question the wisdom of their government and discover that the foundation of the Glorious People's Republic Communist Government is a tissue of lies, and the government would fall in no time.

They who have power are afraid to lose it, it has been said. The Chinese government relies on people being uninformed and/or so indoctrinated they can't recognize the truth even if they see it in order to maintain their own power and control.

fmb

A populace with the ability to think has the ability to question the authority of those ruling them. Thoughts can rot the foundation of oppressive governments and is one of their main reasons for attempting to stop/limit/control them.

The Cultural Revolution was devestating to a country that has existed for many millenia; it goes to show what can happen to great country when rulers are allowed to run around without oversight.

cm8

I saw that, it was very interesting to say the least, I kind of feel like some of what is happening to them are some of the same things that are happening to us and we are just to dumb to see it. Take the Patriot Act for starters, and now the Real ID? are you kidding me?

FattyJJ

I agree, but fortunately we are still, for the moment (but not all of us), coherent enough to teach our kids about how letting the government take charge of your life is wrong. Hopefully, atrocities like Real ID and the Patriot Act will go away after a while, and then we can all laugh about it (hopefully it will take reality TV with it). Both are dependent on a nation that lives in fear, and I think people have begun to see that the current administration has made its cases on fear, and lied to us to keep us "safe".

But they have those poor people over there so brainwashed, that I don't see any hope for them.

Krasch

And at least your rights to dissent with the government are still protected by the US Constitution, unlike China where due process is getting asked which ear you want the bullet to go into...

FattyJJ

Its safe for now. While the US will not shoot me in the head, at least without making it look like a suicide visa vi Shooter* style, they will destroy my life if I piss off the right people. In 220+ years of this country, the Constitution seems to have become more of an idea that can be changed to fit your agenda, rather than a way to govern America.



*For those who didn't see the movie; The "Shooter" reference refers to a scene in the movie Shooter staring Marky the Mark man Wahlberg. Where in order to silence a whistle blower, not Wahlberg ,they put him in a harness that makes him put a gun to his head so that forensics will think he did it himself. Its a pretty scary scene. I watched it stoned and got scared out of my mind.