Sunday, October 23, 2016

China's new "Internet Plus" seen as a resurgence of the totalitarianism of the Cultural Revolution

From the story here:

“China is moving towards a totalitarian society, where the government controls and affects individuals’ private lives,” said Beijing-based novelist and social commentator  Murong Xuecun. “This is like Big Brother, who has all your information and can harm you in any way he wants.” ...

Lester Ross, partner-in-charge of the Beijing office of law firm WilmerHale, says the rules are designed to stop anyone “stepping out of line” and could intimidate lawyers seeking to put forward an aggressive defense of their clients. He sees echoes of the Cultural Revolution, in which Mao Zedong identified “five black categories” of people considered enemies of the revolution, including landlords, rich farmers and rightists, who were singled out for struggle sessions, persecution and re-education.

New Black Five: Rights lawyers, underground religion, dissidents, internet leaders, the disadvantaged