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China Censors Social Media Responses To Proposal To Abolish Presidential Terms (theverge.com) 163
An anonymous reader quotes a report from The Verge: Negative social media reactions in China toward the government's interest in abolishing presidential term limits have sparked a crackdown on memes since Sunday evening. China's constitution currently restricts the president and vice-president to 10 years of leadership, meaning that President Xi Jinping would have been out of power by 2023. The Party's Central Committee proposed removing a phrase in the constitution that stated the two leaders would "serve no more than two consecutive terms," according to the state-run Xinhua News Agency. Authorities will vote on the proposal in March. Many took to social media platforms like WeChat and Weibo with Winnie the Pooh memes, as the animated bear resembles President Xi Jinping to some degree. Winnie the Pooh has been associated with Xi for years and this week, he donned a crown and sat on a throne, enjoying his honey pot. These memes and social media posts were then taken down, hours after the Committee's announcement, signaling that the public's reaction was more unfavorable than authorities predicted. An assortment of phrases have been filtered out by new censors, including "constitution amendment," "re-elected," "proclaim oneself as emperor," and "two term limit." The lag time between the censorship and the initial proposal indicates authorities expected the public to react less critically.
Re: The upside of censorship (Score:2)
In China, creimertards are lined up and shot at dawn every Monday and Thursday.
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Re: Water is wet (Score:1)
Re: Water is wet (Score:2)
Re: Enjoy your Strawman? (Score:2)
leftist = rightist = centrist = authoritarian financialist
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And what is so wrong with One Child policy? Is it better to handle overpopulation by creating wars and sending people to die in them? While there are many things in which one can argue that the left doesn't make sense (equality no matter what, welfare, etc), it is a simple matter to understand that something must stop the breeding humans. It will either be a war or careful planning, and frankly, I'd prefer the second, because I want some people to be left.
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And what is so wrong with One Child policy?
Apart from halving your countries population every generation...
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Ok, then two child policy after population becomes small enough or unlimited child policy if there is a natural disaster. What I'm trying to say is that I think it is better to have society limit birth instead of society having to cull out people with wars.
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I recommend you open a history book and read up on what was wrong with the one child policy if you don't see what was wrong with it.
I'll give you a hint, in Chinese culture, boys are greatly preferred over girls, so if you're only allowed one child, and it was a girl, want to guess what happened to them? It was one of the biggest humanitarian crisis in history.
Now, of course I think it's stupid to prefer boys over girls, but when creating policies like this you have to step outside of your own morals and v
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Holy Fuck.
You just made the AC's point.
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So what? I don't mind having only one child as long as me and that child are not forced to enlist into the war while AC is.
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You are free to do what you want.
You are not free to impose such a policy on others.
In China, that policy has been responsible for infanticide.
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You are free to do what you want.
You are not free to impose such a policy on others.
In China, that policy has been responsible for infanticide.
See my sig below for my reply.
Strat
Re: Enjoy your Strawman? (Score:2)
And what is so wrong with One Child policy?
Are you stupid?? That question has already answered itself.
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Very original...
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Oh contraire https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki... [wiktionary.org], that they have to censor social media, is proof they are changing from an autocracy to a democracy. That public approval was sought for the change and that the change was challenge, are both signs that democracy is definitely making a move in China.
However the current political climate vis a vie threats and shenanigans via the US deep state threatened by growing China economic power, means that those behind the current leader of China feel more secure with th
emperor (Score:1)
Re: emperor (Score:2)
Abolish terms?? (Score:2)
Abolish term limits.
That last word is important.
Though if you meant they were going to do away with Presidential elections, TFA's title would be correct....
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China has presidential elections? So, like, anyone could run for president there, right?
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So they're going for an alternative reading of the "one man, one vote"?
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That's better than the Dutch system for picking mayors. Yup, they are not elected but appointed; usually it's some over the hill politician with a decent record, whose party's "turn" it is for the city in question. They tried mayoral elections twice, in both cases the people were allowed to choose between two pre-picked candidates from the same damn political party. Then they shelved the idea
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Comment removed (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:term limits are more than just a limit (Score:4, Interesting)
There's obviously a lot to criticize in Chinese government and politics, but the CCP's 2 term limit was actually a reasonable way of signaling that while the party wasn't willing to give up their monopoly on control they also recognized the risks and danger of cult-of-personality and dynasty and was actually interested in a rational leadership selection process.
"We're totalitarians, but its a system designed to prevent any one person from becoming dictator for life".
The fact that they are scrapping it is interesting. I'm torn between this being a naked power grab by Xi because he wants to be dictator for life, or of this is some kind of recognition that China has many problems of an existential risk nature and that they need Xi.
But it's not clear if this is because those threats (like corruption) are real or if Xi has just convinced them they are real and he's the only guy who can deal with them.
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Well, I think the reality is that Xi isn't just one man, but more likely the leader of a CCP faction. Just like a corporate CEO is a figurehead, but really is actually an entire team of people surrounding him because one person simply doesn't have the bandwidth to run a large corporation single-handed.
My only guess -- because really, they're all guesses because nobody *really* knows, is that Xi and his faction actually believe that China has a set of existential risks to the nation, state and party. I'd w
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Sorry, but a country - especially a People's Republic - that is reliant on one single person being a certain political office without alternative, is heading for trouble.
What about the egalitarian thing? Everyone being replaceable? Clear chain of succession?
In a way this could be a good thing (Score:2)
A move like eliminating term limits lays bare the truth about the motivations of the people in power. And will probably do m
Re: In a way this could be a good thing (Score:2)
spurring them to fight for their freedom
Didn't work out well in '89; it sure as hell won't now...
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You are "torn" over the topic of permitting (intent aside) the formation of a dictator-for-life in the most populous country on Earth, who also has a substantial nuclear arsenal and the largest land army? Where do you stand on the topic of Germany annexing the Sudate
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It's a long way from being torn on what Xi's motivations are and being undecided on whether totalitarian governments are a bad thing.
Totalitarian governments are a bad thing, I think China would have been MUCH better off overhauling their political system decades ago, but it's an open question whether anyone in China could have actually done that, even Deng, without facing revolt from the party or the military.
That being said, China is what China is and despite their problems they probably have made a lot o
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they are an international banner of confidence in your ruling party and the structure of your government. See, they act as a sort of tacit checks-and-balances against entrench-able things like perpetual rent-seeking, cronyism, and the types of long-running blood feuds that plague monarchical institutions like Saudi Arabia. Your best case scenario is that the policy your party seeks to advance is carried through without the dependency of a figurehead. Candidly, Nixon hated blacks and jews, but public policy for medicare and construction funding didnt become contingent upon an antisemites judgement of 3/5ths of a man. Once you abolish the term limit, you quietly acknowledge that any policy now has an implicit dependency on a single person. You have created a choke point in the governance of your nation.
Dude, China is communist. Nobody votes for them.
Even with "term limits", the communist party just selects the next guy anyway. It doesn't matter.
No, he's a typical Communist (Score:5, Insightful)
He's doing what all Communists do. A Right-wing regime may jail you for attacking the regime, but the Leftists will jail you for not being enthusiastic enough in your support of the People's Revolution.
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And you clearly don't know the difference between a regular Scotsman and a True Scotsman.
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Well gee, I wonder why? Have you ever noticed that the Communists, who are supposed to be all about equality for all, keep setting up dictatorships? Oh, they're not TRUE Communists or whatever, sure, but they make Communist noises and get the Communist-leaning masses to support them because "it'll be better for everyone" so whatever.
It's funny how they keep using such an unequal government to establish "equality" no? This is why most Communist revolutions fail. Instead of setting up a more-equal governm
Meh. That's just China for you (Score:3)
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No doubt we will see the paid trolls come here today and defend Chinese gov on this . Mao, part 2, here we come.
indeed, they were all over hackernews the other day. The Chinese economy is slowing, now this. It's going to get a lot worse before it gets better.
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It's unfortunate you feel that way (Score:2)
Looks like politics is a dead end for conversation. What's your favorite classic death metal band?
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become totalitarian?
System falling apart == 30+ years of rapid growth bringing hundreds of millions out of poverty.
Series of disastrous wars...
Chinese population needs motivating...?
You must be the most uninformed person on the Internet. Congratulations.
US Censors attempt to temper Russiagate hysteria (Score:3)
The guy who exposed the Russian troll farm in 2015 thinks the hysteria is overblown. If you report on that you get your live streaming ability cut.
https://youtu.be/m6IeEldlcFE [youtu.be]
Google controled by libs (Score:1)
It is well know fact that google are to be working with deep state to destroy conservative values in our america. The NSA and FBI and CIA are all working against amazing president trump and WITH clinton and soros to bring about a global new order of extremist liberal leftist rule and poeple who speak out are branded as russia citizens and ignored. We honest americans are being destroyed too.
Flesh Pie (Score:1)
Xi does not have to be the "official" President (Score:2)
This action of removing term limits may be an indication that China is expecting a confrontation in the 2020s and t
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No one knows for sure if that's a good idea or not, and obviously to western sensibilities it looks dangerous, but that is the common reasoning. Hopefully it works out for them.
Fascist government does fascist thing (Score:2)
What a shock.
10 year/2 Term Limit and they want to bypass it... (Score:2)
Population goes *Boom*!
Seriously, their constitution has that limit put in there so that the people would only have to deal with a lunatic for maximum 10 years, thus protecting them from this kind of thing.
If their not careful, there's going to be a large-scale revolt on their heads!
Greetings, my Chinese comrades (Score:1)
nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn
Tiananmen Square 1989
limit Jintao
nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn
Consider his age (Score:2)
Yes, there are some nightmare authoritarian possibilities; but , it is unlikely he would be able to serve a third term.
As far as the nightmare authoritarian possibilities, people have been prediction those for every president from Clinton onward.
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Seems like a sensible precaution.
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What do you think will happen at the end of Trump's second term?
That's what Republicans said about Bill Clinton. That's what Democrats said about George W. Bush. That's what Republicans said about Barack Obama.
I guess it's a "scary" question if you are too young to remember all the other times people have asked it.
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Him going for a second term? Could you point to anyone who wants that?
Trump? He didn't even want a first term. He wanted a scandal to promote the media outlet he planned to spawn from the hype around it.
Republicans? The GOP wants to get rid of Trump more than the Dems could even want to, the problem is they can't simply say that they want to get rid of the annoying orange.
So who would want to see him a second time? Let alone a third one.
Re: On that note: (Score:2)
Could you point to anyone who wants that?
Depends entirely on the state of the economy and whether or not he slows or stops the 'race to the bottom' that is trade deficits, immigration/work visas, etc.
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But what do you need Trump for to get that?
I never would've guessed that playing golf can solve all the problems in the world. Silly gramma thought it's chicken soup that can.
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Him going for a second term? Could you point to anyone who wants that?
Er ... the people who voted him in for a first term?
Trump? He didn't even want a first term. He wanted a scandal to promote the media outlet he planned to spawn from the hype around it. Republicans? The GOP wants to get rid of Trump more than the Dems could even want to, the problem is they can't simply say that they want to get rid of the annoying orange.
So who would want to see him a second time? Let alone a third one.
And yet ... it moves. -Galileo
Re: On that note: (Score:2)
The more the running dogs of the Establishment hate and slander Trump, the more the masses of working people love him.
The Repuglican and Demonrat parties were long able to pursue blatantly anti-worker public policies. Monopoly control of broadcast media by the financial interests that own both Establishment parties enabled them to steer the narrative of public discussion. Now that they've lost that monopoly on mass media they have likewise lost control of the narrative.
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The joke here is that there is hardly anyone in the free world that is more "Establishment" than Trump. How it's possible that someone who is a billionaire with zero regard for his workers could be seen as the advocate for the "little man" is really beyond me.
Personally, I find it highly amusing.
Re: On that note: (Score:2)
You're more Establishment than Trump, politically at least.
It is indeed an interesting flavor of our times - and a powerful testament to the corruption of our political system and the villainy of our elite culture - that a silverspoon capitalist like President Trump has become tribune of the people.
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If anything, it's a declaration of bankruptcy of our political system. How much do you have to hate a system to think that something like Trump is the better choice?
If I told you 20 years ago that Donald Trump becomes the president of the USA (remember, it was a joke in the Simpsons back then and it was a good one, nobody thought that would be possible), and if I then told you that he won because he's actually the lesser evil, I guess you would have asked me whether he was running against Cthulhu.
And all I
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The dems might have had a marginal chance on that if they hadn't decided to go all in on gun control. But the did, and in doing so fucked themselves.
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Please don't feed the trolls! These off-topic AC posts are obviously designed to derange other debates with fruitless US politics. There will be plenty of time in the future to discuss these kind of topics in threads about them.
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Really?
http://news.gallup.com/poll/16... [gallup.com]
Polls suggest they are on the side of the majority on gun control.
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You did learn that polls aren't to be believed after the 2016 election, right? Especially when it's about an unpopular view within the media that people are worried about being stigmatized for.
The polls were pretty accurate in 2016. Much of the analysis and narrative around the polls turned out to be incorrect, but the polls themselves were not bad. There is little evidence that the polls had significant issues with people unwilling to state their true preferences.
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That's some interesting revisionist history you have there. I remember the polls putting Clinton as winning by a wide margin. Could you remind me who won?
A fun little article if you think I'm wrong, feel free to post your evidence to counter mine if you'd like.
https://www.npr.org/2016/1https://www.npr.org/2016/11/14/502014643/4-possible-reasons-the-polls-got-it-so-wrong-this-year1/14/502014643/4-possible-reasons-the-polls-got-it-so-wrong-this-year
And I didn't hyperlink it for a reason, I don't like hidden
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Also if you look at the polls, they said pretty crazy stuff like Hispanics were voting for the libertarian party at a 15% rate and Blacks were voting at a 9% rate.
They undersampled and oversampled some demographics.
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Yes, Hillary won the popular vote, but from just two districts in LA and one in NYC. Had polls weighted a person's per-capita electoral value, Trump was obviously winning in a landslide.
What does that mean "but from just two districts in LA and one in NYC"? Clinton won the popular vote by about 2.9 million votes, sure. I am willing to entertain that there are two districts in LA and one in NYC that had an imbalance of 2.9 million votes in Clinton's favor - but so what? To deny that Clinton won the popular vote nation-wide because one or a few regions had particular voting patterns is similar to questioning the validity of Trump's electoral college win by saying something like "Yes, Donald
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That's some interesting revisionist history you have there. I remember the polls putting Clinton as winning by a wide margin. Could you remind me who won?
A fun little article if you think I'm wrong, feel free to post your evidence to counter mine if you'd like.
The link you posted ( https://www.npr.org/2016/11/14... [npr.org] ) does not seem to match your statement. In fact point #1 is basically what I was saying. It states as point #1 that the polls (at least the Real Clear Politics' final polling average) in 2016 were closer to the vote results than they were in 2012, when they were off by about 3.2%, well within the stated uncertainty ranges. The polls were indicating nothing like a "landslide", and just like "Brexit", a single "polling error" away from deciding between
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The majority of people blame Government [washingtontimes.com] for the FL shooting.
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"In general, do you feel that the laws covering the sales of firearms should be made more strict, less strict, or kept as they are?"
47% - more strict
52% - less strict (or kept as they are)
Also, this one bodes ill for democrats:
Which party do you think can do a better job reflecting your views about gun control?
44% Republican party
38% Democratic party
There might be a way for Democrats to find an edge over Republicans there, but I don't see it. It doesn't help that areas that favor gun control are already safely democratic (so using this issue won't help them win any new seats).
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Just reading from your link,
"In general, do you feel that the laws covering the sales of firearms should be made more strict, less strict, or kept as they are?"
47% - more strict
52% - less strict (or kept as they are)
That's a very misleading representation of the data on that page. You were not using the most recent poll in the list, and lumping together 13% "less strict" with %38 "kept as now", which are not the same thing. The most recent was 60% "more" and only 5% "keep same".
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That's a very misleading representation of the data on that page.
Not really. I look at that poll data and say, "This isn't an issue democrats can win on." Events of the past two decades seem to support that (ie, gun control issues haven't won). If you look at that poll data and think, "wow, democrats can really win some seats in congress with the gun control issue" I'd like to hear your reasoning, but I'm not very hopeful.
Re: On that note: (Score:2)
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I don't think Russia necessarily wants Republicans, they want chaos: to make us look weak. If Trump is president with a GOP House & Dem Senate there would be a lot of bitching and blaming, but very little actually getting done. That would make the US government look ineffective and petty.
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They didn't need to do anything for our government to look ineffective and petty.
Re: On that note: (Score:2)
Vladimir Putin left a deuce in my shoe!