How do you feel about propagandist media?

[Steiner]

From a Xinhua news report.
China on Thursday expressed strong dissatisfaction and firm opposition to the United States for its report condemning China's human rights record.

The so-called country report of human rights record in 2003 issued by the US State Department defied basic truth and made indiscriminate criticisms on China's human rights record, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Zhang Qiyue said at a regular press briefing.

Zhang said the Chinese government has always been devoted to the protection and promotion of human rights and fundamental freedom and China's significant achievements in this regard has been recognized by the whole world.
The story went on to say that China would release its own report of the state of human rights in the United States.

Does this kind of story cause indignation to rise in anyone else? Not because of criticisms of the U.S., but because of the hypocrisy, I mean. I agree that the U.S. has a lot of problems--the Patriot Act, for example. I know that it's all politics, that countries have to defend themselves, yada yada yada. But this is just ridiculous to me. Maybe some of you look at a story and think, well, that's China for you, but I still can't help but ge pissed off a bit. If North Korea, Saudi Arabia, Cuba, and Libya are the whole world then I suppose the last sentence might be true, but otherwise it's preposterous.

I guess I'm not so much interested in what you think about this particular article as I am interested in the reaction this kind of article provokes in you. Does it anger you, frustrate you, not bother you at all, what? That's it.



_{As a footnote, the U.S. has allowed (invited, actually) the Red Cross to visit detainees in Guantanamo Bay (and been criticized for the conditions there). Despite the Red Cross' repeated requests, China still doesn't allow the ICRC to visit Chinese prisons.}

[wOZfromOZ]

It's a staged event like all the other bull you get on CCTV. I've said it before and I'll say it again - the TV industry here is one continuous appalingly inept farce.

Many happy Chinese people and families lead such horrifically boring eventless lives that this rotting, festering wasteland called CCTV is all they've got.

Go out and get satellite and watch some real TV stations Steiner

wOZfromOZ

[Gonzo Journalist]

Annoyed? No. Mildly amused, I guess. CCTV ran a self-righteous story based around the death of an Aboriginal lad in Sydney, supposedly chased to his demise by police. CCTV used it to highlight Australia's record in its treatment of its indigines, with the unspoken but clear message being "and this is one of the Western democracies that dares criticise us on human rights!"

So, Beijing have this little rhetorical device down pat. No country is perfect. Any country that criticises China will in turn be criticised. Hypocrisy? Maybe. But its effective, even if infuriating.

Meanwhile, a Chinese Academy of Social Sciences paper announces that China is now officially the number one nation in the divide between rich and poor, surpassing Zimbabwe [yes, Mugabe's done a fine job].
The paper predicts serious social upheaval if this disparity is not addressed.
I'll run the article as a thread if anyone's interested.

ps, wOZ, Steiner's story came from the print media, though no doubt Yang Rui will pick it up next time he's interviewing some guileless US business type.

[Hamish]

Hey Bub.

Post the article.

COMEOnnn...post it.

I deleted the article from this thread and its got its own.