[Marxism] Chinese Govt. Attacks Marxist Internet Archives

[dave.walters@xxxxxxxxxxx]

Let me try to answer some of these questions raised, as I just got back on line 
with a new address (our MIA e-mail is out until March 1st).

First, the only difference now with using the MIA is that our e-mail is down 
and, we are unable right now to upload new files. I know this hurts some, 
people like to follow all the new stuff that goes up on a daily basis, but 
there is nothing we can do about that until March 1.

On the Chinese gov't issue:

Most of the attacks are from Chinese Gov't servers. There are reasons that the 
Chinese gov't would want to do this, but there are also easier ways to restrict 
access...especially as the MIA is NOT censored now and hasn't been for many 
years. From 2000 to 2003 we were unable to be reached during certain lengths of 
time from anywhere in the PRC but Hong Kong. This lasted weeks to months. Since 
then, this has not happened to our knowledge. In fact, and perhaps more to the 
point, use of Chinese texts has grown exponentially over the last year or so.

The Chinese gov't does exert more control over their servers than other 
entities around the world, but, just as  likely, less than some US based 
corporations do. But, since the Chinese gov't  is responsible for the servers 
that are being used, they are responsible for trying to end these attacks. Does 
this mean it IS the PRC gov't? No, but it does make many of us suspicious. We 
have been contacted by others in computer community who are progressives who 
also suspect this may be deliberate. We don't know for sure.

The MIA has back-door contacts with sections of the PRC that are friendly with 
the MIA and in fact, use the Chinese texts on the MIA as their main source of 
teaching Marxism.  They are trying to figure out what is going on and by whom 
so as to better deal with crisis created there. We will let you all know here 
what we find.

The MIA will probably issue a new statement on the situation in a few days as 
our computer folks analyze the data we've accumulated from the attacks. None of 
MIA volunteers on Marxmail (myself, Einde and Juan) are particularly equipped 
to make any of these judgments ourselves.

The political aspect of this is contradictory, obviously. There appears to be 
more Marx and Mao downloaded in Chinese than from the MIA than from the PRC 
gov't servers itself. The PRC, regardless of the class nature of that state, 
certainly has been promoting 'getting rich' and has created many social 
conditions that are eerily similar to the conditions of the working class as 
described by Engels in his  1845 "Conditions of the Working Class in England". 
That a "Marxist" movement might develop to co-ordinate opposition to the rise 
of capitalism in a "Marxist" run country seems totally plausible.  Factually, 
as I stated above, the Chinese HAVE done this before by filtering out our URL. 
It's certainly a fair question as to why they are NOT doing this now if they 
are using Denial-of-Service attacks.

David Walters

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