

Cops shut down hundreds of Internet cafes in Beijing to save the generation - jhony_d
http://www.pcgerms.com/cops-shut-down-hundreds-of-internet-cafes-in-beijing-to-save-the-generation/

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biot
Why submit a bad summary when the source article has additional (yet still
insufficient) detail?

<http://www.techinasia.com/beijing-online-crimes-crackdown/>

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acuozzo
I guess the historical phrase "Sick man of Asia" still applies to China after
all this time.

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sageikosa
First it was the opium dens, then the June Fourth Incident, and now the
Internet Cafes. There's always something corrupting the Chinese youths.

Given the sheer numbers reported, I imagine a great deal of injustice has been
meted out in attempting to stamp out "injustice". Probably someone on high
issued a dictate, that was followed by some action, then some numbers to show
how well everything was done.

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nekojima
There are regular "crackdowns" on internet cafes in Beijing, as they are an
easy target for the security establishment to justify their existence to find
hostile forces against stability and harmony. Many of the internet cafes are
operating on fake or bribe obtained licenses. When their protector is removed,
unless they find a new protector in the security establishment, they are
closed in a crackdown and the owner/operators are often arrested. Even if they
could pay a significant bribe, as other sponsored replacements will soon come
to take their place.

Having been in several dozen internet cafes in Beijing and China over the last
decade, most of the time its children and young adults playing games or
watching movies or porn. Often at times during the day when they should be in
school. Past crackdowns have focused on children not being in school and that
has had more local support, rather than cracking down on dissent, which is
rather limited in these locations anyway, as they are often highly monitored.

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jjp9999
The more likely case is that the Chinese regime is trying to silence
microbloggers. They've been the only real voice of what's going on there with
all the recent political turmoil, and there are media outside of China who are
picking up what they're saying.

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tshadwell
Interesting, but strangely written:

> The reason to close these cafes was obviously to save the physical and
> mental health of the teens in Beijing.

I don't see why that's so obvious, is this sarcasm?

~~~
ktizo
Is strangely written because it is sarcastically reflecting the content of
official statements.

~~~
acuozzo
Interestingly, it doesn't need the sarcastic tone to be funny. Chinese
authority is (and will continue to be) a joke.

~~~
nekojima
A joke that (if you are Chinese in China) can get you jailed, put under
indefinite house arrest, fired from job, kicked out of school, banned from
professional associations, removed from your home, have savings confiscated,
beaten by security thugs or failing that and with over-exuberance by thugs
killed.

~~~
acuozzo
> A joke that (if you are Chinese in China) can get you jailed, put under
> indefinite house arrest, fired from job, kicked out of school, banned from
> professional associations, removed from your home, have savings confiscated,
> beaten by security thugs or failing that and with over-exuberance by thugs
> killed.

This is both true and tragic, so much so that it reinforces my belief that it
is preferable to drown in the Yangtze than to spend as little as a single day
in such a poor excuse for a nation; that is, the "Sick man of Asia".

~~~
ktizo
How are you planning on drowning in the Yangtze River without first entering
China? Or were you just planning on doing it within your first day?

~~~
acuozzo
> How are you planning on drowning in the Yangtze River without first entering
> China? Or were you just planning on doing it within your first day?

I'm not planning to drown in the Yangtze. Read my comment again. I wrote it
from the "if I were to magically become a Chinese citizen" perspective. Any
speaker of English should be able to understand the difference.

~~~
ktizo
Ah I see, sorry, I was just figuring out the logistics.

So, just to clear up any confusion, are you really recommending that it is
preferable for Chinese citizens to drown in the Yangtze? Or is it only
preferable for people who became Chinese citizens through some form of magical
means, possibly involving a wizard?

~~~
acuozzo
> So, just to clear up any confusion, are you really recommending that it is
> preferable for Chinese citizens to drown in the Yangtze? Or is it only
> preferable for people who became Chinese citizens through some form of
> magical means, possibly involving a wizard?

No, I'm not. I'm saying that it'd be preferable for _me_ to drown in the
Yangtze if I were to become a Chinese citizen via magical means.

Are you really reading my comment(s) incorrectly or are you trying to push me
between-a-rock-and-a-hard-place by asking antagonizing questions and hoping I
respond inappropriately to them?

~~~
ktizo
I was being ridiculously literal in my interpretation as I felt that you were
being ridiculously hyperbolic and that you were verging into being insulting
to the chinese in general rather than the chinese government in particular,
even if that may have not been your intention. Saying that you would rather
drown than live in a particular group is a pretty strong statement.

To be honest I don't believe for a second that if you were actually magically
turned into a chinese citizen, by some nefarious wizard with an exceedingly
strange sense of humour, that you would then say to yourself "Right, that's
it, I'm off to drown in the Yangtze river, only got a day.".

For one thing you would have at least a few days initially of wondering what
the fuck was going on and feeling lost and bewildered and stuff, so the
timeframe isn't realistic. And even then, I reckon you would be more likely to
just get on with life from then on, and also be completely shit-scared of
wizards.

[edit] Actually, the fear of wizards might even keep you alive as then you are
less likely to be worried about the power of the chinese government. Unless
they also have wizards, in which case you might have problems.

