Feb
16
More Communist Paranoia From Beijing
Filed Under China | Leave a Comment
A common theme among communist regimes, and authoritarian regimes in general, is intense paranoia…often about the most absurd things. And “state-run” media makes exercising that paranoia all the more efficient. From the editorial board at the Rocky Mountain News comes this too funny tale of paranoid censorship in Beijing:
Employees of China’s national TV network, celebrating the lunar new year with illegal fireworks, managed to lob a skyrocket onto the roof of a nearly complete ultramodern hotel adjoining their own headquarters building.
The resulting fire gutted the 44-story structure, leaving a charred, smoking shell looming over the Beijing skyline. Despite their complicity in the blaze, you would think this would be a real break for China TV’s reporters: How great is it to be able to cover one of the biggest stories of the year simply by looking out your office window?
But China’s ever alert propaganda office immediately issued a directive: “No photos, no videos, no in-depth reports.” Fortunately, technology, the bane of the censors’ existence, prevailed, and amateur photos and videos were posted on the Internet faster than the authorities could block them.
Still, pity the poor official tour guide who is required to respond to a tourist’s question about a 44-story fire-blackened hulk in central Beijing with, “Building? What building?”