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Author Topic: Chen Guangcheng  (Read 7617 times)

Sheb

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Re: Chen Guangcheng
« Reply #30 on: May 04, 2012, 06:33:55 am »

Posting To Read RedKing's Great Posts.
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RedKing

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Re: Chen Guangcheng
« Reply #31 on: May 04, 2012, 08:07:01 am »

Update:

So apparently, Beijing has come up with the bureaucratic fiction of allowing Chen to apply for "study abroad". Clever face-saving manuever. Of course, this is the same country where somebody made a knock-off version of Disneyworld, then defended themselves from a copyright suit by insisting things like "no, that's not Mickey Mouse, it's a cat with large round ears."  :P

Bureaucratic fictions as a way to get through red tape are par for the course. Another good example is the prohibition on foreign-owned businesses. By law, no company in China can be owned by a non-citizen. But of course, there are plenty of expat foreigner entrepeneurs floating around the Middle Kingdom. Solution? Get a local friend to "own" the company on paper and employ you. Everyone knows this is a BS ownership (it's called a "white glove") and it's just to get around the law, but even the officials don't care as long as it doesn't become a problem.

My one question is whether his family would be eligible to leave for the US with him on his "study". Since that seems to be the crux of the problem.
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Trapezohedron

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Re: Chen Guangcheng
« Reply #32 on: May 04, 2012, 09:16:11 am »

RedKing's posts are always enlightening with a dash of humor. Keeps me interested just like a good Cracked article.

PTW and keeping silent, because I tend to post unintelligent opinions.
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RedKing

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Re: Chen Guangcheng
« Reply #33 on: May 04, 2012, 10:09:55 am »

Reports are that Chen's been offered a fellowship at an American university, and that it includes provisions for his wife and two kids to join him. Beijing authorities have said they'll approve the travel documents needed.

No mention of Chen's siblings, who still live in Shandong and whom Chen has expressed concern for. Still, this is a promising development, and it makes me think Gary Locke and his staff understand how the system operates over there. Finding a creative way to relabel asylum into something that allows Beijing to say, "No, no...he's still a happy, loyal Chinese citizen...he's just on a really, really long field trip", is a masterstroke.

Sadly, it also means the pressure to investigate and remove corrupt officials in Shandong will be lessened. Hopefully the next time provincial chairs come up for rotation, they'll put a young reform-minded crusader into Shandong to help clean up the place. And hopefully that crusader will last more than a year or two before being bought by the powers that be.  :-\

Also sadly, the bulk of public comments on CNN re: this are along the lines of "Great, another immigrant troublemaker that the taxpayers will be paying for."  The second most common are old lame jokes around Chinese names. Chen laoshi, are you really sure this is where you want to come??  :-[
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nenjin

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Re: Chen Guangcheng
« Reply #34 on: May 04, 2012, 10:23:31 am »

The whole dance is pretty absurd, but at least he and most of his family can get out of there now.
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RedKing

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Re: Chen Guangcheng
« Reply #35 on: May 04, 2012, 11:17:55 am »

Bureaucracy is government of the absurd. Kafka would have a field day in China.
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scriver

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Re: Chen Guangcheng
« Reply #36 on: May 04, 2012, 01:37:10 pm »

Bureaucracy is what protects us from abuse of power. Without bureaucracy, there is only oppression.
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Zangi

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Re: Chen Guangcheng
« Reply #37 on: May 04, 2012, 02:06:43 pm »

Bureaucracy is what protects us from abuse of power. Without bureaucracy, there is only oppression.
Counter: Too much bureaucracy and it will be oppression by inaction.
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Pwnzerfaust

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Re: Chen Guangcheng
« Reply #38 on: May 04, 2012, 03:10:36 pm »

I just see bureaucracy as a necessary evil. In a modern nation-state--or even in non-modern historical ones--there is simply too much to be taken care of than can be done by one person, or even by a cadre of people. It takes an entire government apparatus, ie. a bureaucracy, to do the day-to-day business of making sure the state doesn't grind to a halt.

Redking, your posts are quite intriguing, and you obviously have quite a broad base of knowledge on the subject. I have a question: Do you see China, at some point in the near or middle future, undergoing a major internal crisis due to, say, ethnic conflict and economic disparity? I've heard some claim that China's growth is unsustainable with their current structure, and that before long they will have a collapse if they don't do major reforms, and quickly. What's your take on it?
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Mr. Palau

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Re: Chen Guangcheng
« Reply #39 on: May 04, 2012, 04:38:23 pm »

Is this website allowed in China?(I guess not, just wondering where REdKing is posting from if it isn't)
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Bauglir

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Re: Chen Guangcheng
« Reply #40 on: May 04, 2012, 07:20:30 pm »

North Carolina, I'm pretty sure. Might be wrong on that.
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Mr. Palau

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Re: Chen Guangcheng
« Reply #41 on: May 04, 2012, 11:28:26 pm »

North Carolina, I'm pretty sure. Might be wrong on that.
That was not the first state I would have guessed a chinese perosn would live in. Thats like #35 on my list of states Chines people would live in.
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scriver

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Re: Chen Guangcheng
« Reply #42 on: May 05, 2012, 02:41:50 am »

Pretty sure  RedKing isn't Chinese either.
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Heliman

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Re: Chen Guangcheng
« Reply #43 on: May 05, 2012, 02:57:41 am »

Honestly, Beijing needs these sort of people to remain in China and help them root out corruption at the local levels.
Just saying, I don't think this guy would know where to look.


...too soon?
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darkflagrance

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Re: Chen Guangcheng
« Reply #44 on: May 05, 2012, 07:59:34 am »

The last time I checked I could access this website in China. It's pretty low-profile.

Youtube not so much.
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