Well, judging from our post-Soviet experience, this "freedom of speech" would still be limited - this time to right-wing liberal / nationalist propagandists, so I would not place much hope on this development.
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Communist Party Elders Call for Ending Censorship in China
It seems even the former Communist Party officials see that free speech should be allowed in China.
Communist party elders call for ending censorship in China
Read more: http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2010/10/13/101976/chinese-communist-party-elders.html#ixzz12H7qIsGJ
BEIJING — Almost two dozen former Chinese Communist Party officials and academics have signed a petition demanding that government censorship in China be dismantled in favor of the freedom-of-speech rights enshrined in the national constitution.
The open Internet letter surfaced just days after jailed Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo won the Nobel Peace Prize and shortly before the ruling Communist Party’s central committee convenes for meetings that some observers expect to include discussion of political reform.
“We hope they will take action,” said Zhong Peizhang, a signatory who headed the news bureau of the government’s Central Propaganda Department from 1982 to 1986. “As it says in the letter: to cancel censorship in favor of a system of legal responsibility.”
Speaking of the years since he was in the propaganda department, Zhong said, “I had hoped there would be some progress in terms of freedom of speech.”
http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2010/10/1...ty-elders.html
Well, judging from our post-Soviet experience, this "freedom of speech" would still be limited - this time to right-wing liberal / nationalist propagandists, so I would not place much hope on this development.
[FONT="Fixedsys"]History is not like some individual person which uses men to achieve its ends. History is nothing but the actions of men in pursuit of their ends. - Karl Marx.
Only sound common sense, respectable fellow that he is in the homely realm of his own four walls, has very wonderful adventures directly he ventures out into the wide world of research. - Friedrich Engels.
I am by heritage a Jew, by citizenship a Swiss, and by makeup a human being, and only a human being, without any special attachment to any state or national entity whatsoever. - Albert Einstein.[/FONT]
If a "freedom" comes top down, be very very suspicious of it, I'm not saying its a bad thing, but considering the Communist party at this point does'nt HAVE to do this, there must be a reason for it that benefits them. As was said, its probably gonna be free only in a way that benefits them, but who knows.
The reason is very clear: Whenever there is promotion of top-down or elitest "freedom", it's always an excuse to increase the amount of privatisation in the country's economy.
It's the same as the kind of elitest "democracy" that Liu Xiaobo is calling, except this time it's from the "Liu Xiaobos" within the ruling bloc. (See my signature)
[FONT=System]Long Live Proletarian Democracy!
Down with All Imperialisms!
[/FONT]
Its freedom of speach. Its not so-called economic freedom.
But it's still an excuse to open the way for more capitalist-style economic "freedom" in China.
Why do you think Liu Xiaobo even mentioned the word "freedom"? Do you really think a right-wing scumbag like him really cares about freedom for the masses?
Interesting thing for you to note: Despite sitting in a Chinese prison, Liu Xiaobo has actually written an article directly praising the revisionist bureaucrat Wen Jiabao for talking about the promotion of freedom and democracy. (Capitalist-style of course without a single piece of reference to class or class struggle)
[FONT=System]Long Live Proletarian Democracy!
Down with All Imperialisms!
[/FONT]
How? The only way I can think of is a citizens united type situation, but considering the political situation in China thats not really a problem.
No, I don't think he does, but I don't know what internal pressure there is.
Because in the Chinese cultural context any discussion involving "freedom (without class consciousness)", "democracy" and "universal values" is always linked to the idea that China should learn from and become more like the Western market capitalist democracies, in terms of "free speech, free association" etc, so it just opens the way ideologically for greater liberalisation of the market.
Last edited by Queercommie Girl; 15th October 2010 at 23:33.
[FONT=System]Long Live Proletarian Democracy!
Down with All Imperialisms!
[/FONT]
Freedom of speech is bourgeois.
Should workers have no freedom of speech? Such as the right the criticise the party leadership?
[FONT=System]Long Live Proletarian Democracy!
Down with All Imperialisms!
[/FONT]
if the workers start saying whatever they want then they might start having all SORTS of crazy ideas.
I was just repeating what many other revleft socialists say about freedom of speech. I don't think anything good can ever result out of censorship; the only thing it leads to is an establishment of a dictatorial regime over the people.Should workers have no freedom of speech? Such as the right the criticise the party leadership?
You don't seem to trust the Communist program. If Communism IS BETTER than shouldn't people rationally gravitate to its way of thinking all by themselves without mind control?
Just let the people do and say what they want and Communism would be the natural choice, don't you think?
Sure, but I personally don't think this is what China is doing, I think union busting will continue, I think resistance groups will e persicuted, I think autonomy groups will be persicuted as well, I think more likely what this is, is allowing more billboards, and gettin in more revenue from foreign media companies.
I would be VERY VERY suprised if this "freedom" included freedom for workers groups.
There won't be any freedom.
Thats what I'm guessing, at least not yet.
Well theoretically, free speech is great. But if the powers to be dont listen, and continue to carry out their own plans (think US, all the time). Then what the fuck is the point of having the right to protest (we dont), or of speech? Besides the US supreme court already said that $$$ is free speech. So, some of us already have more 'free $peech' than others.
What does this have to with China? Its the same scenario. Bureaucracies giving some faux freedom.
Like I said, a citizens united situation is impossible right now in China.
But the choice in China is currently not between "Communism" and "freedom", it is a choice (yet) between two models of capitalism: pro-Western laissez faire and state-coordinated monopolistic capitalism of modern Chinese rulers.
[FONT="Fixedsys"]History is not like some individual person which uses men to achieve its ends. History is nothing but the actions of men in pursuit of their ends. - Karl Marx.
Only sound common sense, respectable fellow that he is in the homely realm of his own four walls, has very wonderful adventures directly he ventures out into the wide world of research. - Friedrich Engels.
I am by heritage a Jew, by citizenship a Swiss, and by makeup a human being, and only a human being, without any special attachment to any state or national entity whatsoever. - Albert Einstein.[/FONT]
That's true ECONOMICALLY. But politically the choice is between free speech democracy and non free speech post Maoist Communism.
