East-West Station

While it is an undoubtedly splendid idea to have a country permanently ruled by Kims, these North Korean Kims seem to be letting the side down somewhat.

The juxtaposition of these two quotes helps explain part of the problem:

North Korea warns the world: no change in policy under Kim Jong-un

“Insanity is repeating the same mistakes and expecting different results”

That’s not the only obstacle to change, said Lao Chen, 38, who works for a mobile phone operator: “China is run by groups looking after their own interests. Nobody acts for the common good.”

Wang Di Er’s bugbear is education: a feeling has grown up, she said, “particularly here in the south – I see it in my students – that it really doesn’t matter what, for how long, or how well you study, what counts in life is who you know. China does not build business and professional elites in the same way as France, Germany, the UK.”

A few weeks ago, Murdoch, or rather the more savage tendencies of the press as a whole, represented God. Fear of God isn’t always a bad thing in itself, if it keeps you on the straight and narrow – but politicians behaved like medieval villagers who didn’t just believe in Him, but quaked at the mere suggestion of a glimmer of a whisper of His name. You must never anger God. God wields immense power. God can hear everything you say. You must worship God, and please Him, or He will destroy you. For God controls the sun, which may shine upon you, or singe you to a Kinnock. Soon he will control the entire sky.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/jul/17/charlie-brooker-rupert-murdoch

Can you guess what you get if you google “freedom” in China?

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People who use lolwut and multiple exclamation marks are either twatwits or wannabe wind-up merchants. But when I read the following widely circulated quote I had an epileptic LOLWUT!!! moment.

Foreign ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu said on Thursday that “China’s Internet is open”.

And I am Marie of Romania.

It must be said though that Little Miss “pants are on fire” is rather fetching, in that buttoned-up and stern-looking Chinese way

…

A shame then that her fair face doth hide what the false heart doth know.

The question is, if she tells such huge lies so brazenly won’t she lose face? She has lost the trust of anyone who knows anything about the internet, that’s for sure.

No no no. She can’t be serious. It would just be too stupid, too embarassing. In modern 21st century China, even the lumbering old CCP has progressed past that level of inanity and/or shamelessness. Yes, I can see now that her quote was a sneaky postmodern humorous allusion to the crassness of the bad old days of Cultural Revolution propaganda. If you look at her carefully, she’s definitely smirking. ROFLMAO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! LOLTWAT