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China censors parts of Obama's inaugural address

I know America's "free press" system is far from perfect, but it sure is great to live in a country that doesn't feel the need to censor parts of what is sure to be one of the most important speeches of the past few decades.

AP (via HuffPo):

The official Chinese translation of President Barack Obama's inauguration speech omitted his references to communism and dissent, and a live broadcast on state television Wednesday quickly cut away to the anchor when sensitive topics were mentioned.

The comments by the newly installed U.S. president veered into politically sensitive territory for China's ruling Communist Party, which maintains a tight grip over the Internet and the entirely state-run media. Beijing tolerates little dissent and frequently decries foreign interference in its internal affairs.

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22 Comments
Savagewinston's picture

...that so-called "communism" has more in common w/"Conservatism" than any of the right wing pundits will ever admit to.

ConcernedCanuck's picture

they own so much of American debt. Kind of ironic that they are doing better financially the last decade.

Alice X - Chomsky Nader's picture

They remain totalitarian.

A number of our arch capitalists tend to laud them on their capitalist construct. Our Fat Cats are certainly gung-ho, so to speak, when it comes to moving their entire operations there to take advantage of near slave wage labor and nearly non existent protection for environmental conditions.

Under Capitalism, man exploits man. Under Communism, it is exactly the reverse.

John Kenneth Galbraith


statusquObama, change you can only pretend in

hungryMoose's picture

So where was your computer made?

Alice X - Chomsky Nader's picture

use the word 'support'.

Jim Rogers for one lauds China.

My computer is a Mac… It is 'assembled' in the USA.

On a component level it is far more problematic.

What, precisely is your point.


statusquObama, change you can only pretend in

ysbaddaden's picture
)O(

What did Obama say, "No, no don't sniff the yellow snow?"

The Chinese took offense at ?, which looks too much like the scythe in their hammer and scythe symbol.


Diabolus est Deus Inversus

fastfeat's picture

mixed with FD&C yellow #5...


"Parachutes are allowed in checked or carry-on baggage, but may not be worn in flight."

---Southwest Airlines

Without free speech China will never reach its full potential.


Politics is for the present, but an equation is for eternity. Albert Einstein

ysbaddaden's picture
)O(

4'5"?


Diabolus est Deus Inversus

fastfeat's picture

Bushco is sooo jealous...


"Parachutes are allowed in checked or carry-on baggage, but may not be worn in flight."

---Southwest Airlines

NoOneYouKnow's picture

if the past eight years have taught us anything, it's that our MSM's self-censorship is about equal to anything the Chinese government can accomplish. The big problem in the US is that people have assumed that our press isn't censored, that it's actually a "free press." Actually, between "the Mighty Wurlitzer" and corporate ownership, we may as well be reading Pravda. At least the Chinese are all aware how disinformed they are.

Agreed! TV has no news ATM.


"Government by organized money is just as dangerous as Government by organized mob"
-= Franklin Delano Roosevelt =-

...of the past few decades."

Somehow, I think Obama's first State of the Union Address (2010) will be vastly more important.

Trantorian's picture

need some hacks on the air to correctly interpret for the people what Obama actually said, so that the chinese people may also become a bobbleheaded nation of mindless automatons more interested in "Chinese Idol", "Survivor-Tibet", or "Dancing with the Oligarchs".


"Someday somebody related to some of these sufferers, these victims, these collaterally damaged souls, may try to kill you. And I have to tell you, I think you’ll have it coming." - Christopher Cooper

jesus_f-g_christ_ppl's picture

I support china they're going to be the new world super power.They own us so learn some chinese biotches. They could break us economically.

Different Anonymous's picture
.

If you ever wondered why "Net Neutrality" was important here ya go. We'll get the same net effect if the phone/cable companies start telling us what sites we can visit.

ricchase's picture

Anyone who frequently comments on Huff Po sees the irony in them posting a story like this. Huff Po's "censors" have developed very heavy hands.

no longer a proud american's picture

Before you start extolling the virtues of our press vs the censoring press of china, don't forget their pussy stance of the last eight years when they were reluctuant or unwilling to report that which was happening. David Gregory, Stephanopoulas,kouric, they all were silent for personal gain and the country suffered. so laud them now if you must but you have a short and forgiving memory. that's what they were counting on when they elected to do what they did or more correctly when they elected to not report the news. at least with china, you know what you're getting. kind of like prejudice, blatant when you know what it is or well hidden when it has you shaking your head wondering why you didn't get that job.

ALWAYS being propagandized.

In the USofA, and to a lesser degree, all through the West, people have not yet internalized the fact that they are in the grips of regimes for which censorship is, in fact, the norm, but since it consists mainly in SELF-censorship, it passes almost unnoticed...

Slacker George's picture

I'm sure the great American companies Google and Microsoft did their part by blocking any links to the uncensored inauguration speech.

Fact 1: Less than .0001 percent of the population rules the other billions of people

Fact 2: Less than 15% of the population is Chinese 'middle class'

Fact 3: Western Europe and the USA have some incredibly talented computer hackers

Fact 4: China doesn't extradite here, we wont extradite there.

Why aren't our socialist, anti-free market, brilliant hackers attacking these censorship mainframes? They can break into the Pentagon for christs sake.

It's only a matter of time before that country is forced to change. We're going to start buying less cheap plastic shit from there (I hope!) and start making more of the new products our green economy push is going to make essential. If we don't distance ourselves from China, our nation will continue to fail. Once they don't have us keeping all those people employed at slave wages, they'll know the kind of dissent our country is seeing right now.

Our buying their cheap plastic shit is what is changing China.

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