tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9138994904411225576.post3006568412790940801..comments2023-12-29T00:08:21.051-08:00Comments on fear of a red planet: What the hell just happened in China?Gilman Grundyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06607416440240634159noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9138994904411225576.post-4775126707915745802015-08-18T23:41:54.537-07:002015-08-18T23:41:54.537-07:00Oh yeah, there has been no progress in terms of fr...Oh yeah, there has been no progress in terms of freedom of speech and information. In fact it's got worse under Xi Jinping. <br /><br />The Chinese system is incapable of becoming any more liberal as long as it is left to its own devices. The striking thing is that most middle and upper class Chinese still basically support the system. This isn't going to change because of the explosion in Tianjin.Ji Xianghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03406727999722525339noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9138994904411225576.post-92153290155155903722015-08-18T05:33:24.755-07:002015-08-18T05:33:24.755-07:00Damn, I wrote a long comment which appears to have...Damn, I wrote a long comment which appears to have been eaten by my own blog. Here's a re-cap from memory:<br /><br />1) Not being apocalyptic, just pointing out that China is growing more unstable.<br /><br />2) Yeah, this is the same as it would have been for the past 30 years, but the lack of progress is the thing I'd like to hilight. <br /><br /> Gilman Grundyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06607416440240634159noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9138994904411225576.post-46299644831110194622015-08-16T09:00:20.044-07:002015-08-16T09:00:20.044-07:00I wouldn't go too far with the apocalyptic pre...I wouldn't go too far with the apocalyptic predictions.<br /><br />The Tianjin blast could have happened at any time in the last 30 years, and the government reaction would have been the same.<br /><br />The Sanlitun attack is horrific, and I am pretty sure xenophobia was behind it. The fact that an interracial couple was attacked by a stranger is telling. Having said that, there have been a few such scattered cases in the past. As long as there aren't a number of attacks in quick succession, it can't be claimed that xenophobia is reaching a dangerous boiling point.<br /><br />Economic growth is indeed slowing down, and rightly so. It couldn't stay at 10% for ever. Chinese policy-makers aren't too concerned about their international credibility. The measures they take often seem absurd to outsiders, but there is always a logic of some kind.<br /><br />Let's hope for the best, and prepare for the worst.Ji Xianghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03406727999722525339noreply@blogger.com