Majority of Chinese prefer internet censorship

motivez · 05-29-2008, 01:47 PM

Many Americans assume that China’s internet users are both aware of and unhappy about their government’s oversight and control of the internet. But in a new survey, most Chinese say they approve of internet control and management, especially when it comes from their government.

According to findings from the fourth and most recent of a series of surveys about internet use in China from 2000 to 2007,1 over 80% of respondents say they think the internet should be managed or controlled, and in 2007, almost 85% say they think the government should be responsible for doing it.

Link to the full study by Pew Research: Pew Internet: Most Chinese Say They Approve of Government Internet Control

This is really interesting to me. I always assumed that they would be against it, but that's an overwhelming majority of people who feel like it should be censored and managed by their government.

It's a scary thought as China progresses and gains more power and influence in the world, that they'll have so many people actively behind them pushing for greater restrictions on expression on the internet.

I really have to wonder though, how many answered they way they did out of fear for retribution from the Chinese government? I mean, when you live in a totalitarian society, it takes a lot of courage to speak out against current practices..

If they were able to speak freely against their government online and in public, I wonder how many would feel differently?

thewise1 · 05-29-2008, 05:51 PM

Societal norms. They've been raised to believe the State should protect them.

This is why those of us who were raised one way are scared to see the State raising children now in public school, indoctrinating them along a certain way of thought. Of course it's not as pervasive here as it would be in China, but that only serves to highlight the differences in current societal norms.

kinggovernor · 05-29-2008, 10:47 PM

Originally Posted by thewise1

Societal norms. They've been raised to believe the State should protect them.

This is why those of us who were raised one way are scared to see the State raising children now in public school, indoctrinating them along a certain way of thought. Of course it's not as pervasive here as it would be in China, but that only serves to highlight the differences in current societal norms.

they probably view the Internet was a dangerous, which it can be.

Phantom · 05-30-2008, 04:51 PM

I wonder if this view is due to a sort of sacrifice for the good of the state, a belief that the government knows best or some other opinion.

WickedLou9 · 05-30-2008, 05:05 PM

My guess would be that they were afraid to say anything other than that. They are so used to being monitored that saying something against the government which will eventually be published is something most Chinese would be afraid to do.

nbiggershaft · 06-01-2008, 12:03 AM

Originally Posted by thewise1

Societal norms. They've been raised to believe the State should protect them.

This is why those of us who were raised one way are scared to see the State raising children now in public school, indoctrinating them along a certain way of thought. Of course it's not as pervasive here as it would be in China, but that only serves to highlight the differences in current societal norms.

Sad but true. If you asked people in America if they thought TV should be censored, you'd get similar numbers.

David Octavius · 06-02-2008, 02:34 PM

I bet a higher percentage of the older generation wants censorship compared to the younger generation. As the new generation take the seats of power those norms will change

motivez · 06-02-2008, 03:23 PM

Originally Posted by David Octavius

I bet a higher percentage of the older generation wants censorship compared to the younger generation. As the new generation take the seats of power those norms will change

I'm not sure that's necessarily true in this case. I mean, in a general sense, sure.. but many of those younger people will grow up to be the party faithful, who'll lead the government as the older ones retire and die off

thewise1 · 06-02-2008, 05:00 PM

Originally Posted by motivez

I'm not sure that's necessarily true in this case. I mean, in a general sense, sure.. but many of those younger people will grow up to be the party faithful, who'll lead the government as the older ones retire and die off

They are moving more toward capitalism and eventually I suspect personal freedom. They've got a long way to go! I wonder when our decline to socialism will intersect with their rise to capitalism on the great graph of ideology over time.

Feel free to think of it as our rise to socialism and their decline to capitalism if you're a socialist looking for an argument

Phantom · 06-03-2008, 10:51 AM

Originally Posted by motivez

I'm not sure that's necessarily true in this case. I mean, in a general sense, sure.. but many of those younger people will grow up to be the party faithful, who'll lead the government as the older ones retire and die off

I think this is more likely the case. There's quite a bit of pride in the Chinese way and any move towards anything western is going to be viewed with much skepticism.

motivez · 06-05-2008, 01:46 PM

Originally Posted by thewise1

They are moving more toward capitalism and eventually I suspect personal freedom. They've got a long way to go! I wonder when our decline to socialism will intersect with their rise to capitalism on the great graph of ideology over time.

Feel free to think of it as our rise to socialism and their decline to capitalism if you're a socialist looking for an argument

Without the personal freedom, economic freedom means very little.. I can see how economic freedom would eventually lead to a demand for personal freedom, but I don't know that it'll happen in our lifetime.

Their system seems to be working decently well for them, without some kind of major revolution (which I don't know can truly happen these days in a country that has a huge modern military at its disposal), I don't know that they'll ever attain the kind of personal freedoms we enjoy here.

JaJae · 06-05-2008, 01:58 PM

Originally Posted by motivez

Without the personal freedom, economic freedom means very little.. I can see how economic freedom would eventually lead to a demand for personal freedom, but I don't know that it'll happen in our lifetime.

Their system seems to be working decently well for them, without some kind of major revolution (which I don't know can truly happen these days in a country that has a huge modern military at its disposal), I don't know that they'll ever attain the kind of personal freedoms we enjoy here.

I think over time they could become more capitalistic and want more personal freedom, but I think they're a long ways away. I was talking to an employee the other day whose family is fresh off the boat from China. She was telling me that in China if people have a girl, they used to kill the babies because they were only allowed so many children and they wanted men, hence the reason there is a lobsided population of men to women. I would suspect now they would know the sex and just have an abortion, but she was telling stories of her aunt who "disposed" of a child after it was born because it wasn't male.

You also have to figure we spawned from western civilization under the notion of oppression and tyranny and a desire for personal freedoms. China has a difficult culture and up until recently was ruled by emperors where they willingly gave complete control of their lives to a supreme power/entity. It's going to take a long time for them to have a widespread desire to change.

Dispatcher · 06-06-2008, 12:27 AM

Originally Posted by WickedLou9

My guess would be that they were afraid to say anything other than that. They are so used to being monitored that saying something against the government which will eventually be published is something most Chinese would be afraid to do.

I have to agree with you. They are probably scared shitless.

Dispatcher · 06-06-2008, 12:32 AM

Originally Posted by JaJae

I think over time they could become more capitalistic and want more personal freedom, but I think they're a long ways away. I was talking to an employee the other day whose family is fresh off the boat from China. She was telling me that in China if people have a girl, they used to kill the babies because they were only allowed so many children and they wanted men, hence the reason there is a lobsided population of men to women. I would suspect now they would know the sex and just have an abortion, but she was telling stories of her aunt who "disposed" of a child after it was born because it wasn't male.

You also have to figure we spawned from western civilization under the notion of oppression and tyranny and a desire for personal freedoms. China has a difficult culture and up until recently was ruled by emperors where they willingly gave complete control of their lives to a supreme power/entity. It's going to take a long time for them to have a widespread desire to change.

Yeah, and a lopsided population can't be good for anyone.

Dylith · 06-16-2008, 01:06 PM

I always thought that the Chinese were a repressed people who would sieze democracy and political freedoms if given the opportunity. However, I have talked to many first generation immigrants from China and after doing so, have changed my mind regarding the general Chinese civilian mindset. I naturally, assumed that they would desire more political liberty because it is what our culture values, but a vast majority of Chinese men and women that I have talked to are VERY supportive of the Chinese government.

Almost all rarely criticize the government, and tend to defend what I might consider to be questionable actions (such as the repression of the Falun Gong, the crackdown in the Northwest against the Turks, the returning of North Korean refugees to North Korea, and the One Child policy). I found this to be rather surprising especially since many of these people came here to the US to pursue things that would have been harder for them to accomplish in China. The Chinese populace in my experience seems like a very loyal and supportive people (to their state that is).

I think that part of the reason why is that China has such a long and unique history that is very different from western civiliazation and therefore many modern Chinese citizens sort of divide the world into two or even three (much like we do) with the west, the Middle East, and then the Orient. They associate themselves with the eastern way of life, and to them this type of government structure is eastern and thus what easterners should desire/support.

I also, think that such widespread support for the government has a lot to do with how well the Chinese government controls the Chinese media and education. They get to decide what students learn, how to portray Chinese and world history and what citizens learn about the outside world. One's access to information drastically affects their worldview.

I think that it could very well change, but I think that unless something major happens where the society has to be rebuilt (like Japan was after WWII) then it will happen very slowly.

kombayn · 06-18-2008, 04:55 AM

It'll be interesting once the Olympics start. I will not be surprised when people from other countries do not like the crack-down that the Chinese Government is trying to do at the Olympics which will probably cause some major problems and people to speak out against the Chinese.

They have some of the worst pollution on the planet, holding Tibet hostage, control what the people learn in their country, fund the Sudanese armies with weapons in the Darfur genocides and selling shitty products to the rest of the world.

I hope before I die, I'll witness the fall of China's communist government, it'll be a big step to cleansing the world of communist rule.