[Marxism] Fwd: China’s Guerrilla War for the Web

["Ruthless Critic of All that Exists" <ok.president+marxml@xxxxxxxxx>]

July 2008
China's Guerrilla War for the Web
by David Bandurski

Far Eastern Economic Review

They have been called the "Fifty Cent Party," the "red vests" and the
"red vanguard." But China's growing armies of Web
commentators—instigated, trained and financed by party
organizations—have just one mission: to safeguard the interests of the
Communist Party by infiltrating and policing a rapidly growing Chinese
Internet. They set out to neutralize undesirable public opinion by
pushing pro-Party views through chat rooms and Web forums, reporting
dangerous content to authorities.

By some estimates, these commentary teams now comprise as many as
280,000 members nationwide, and they show just how serious China's
leaders are about the political challenges posed by the Web. More
importantly, they offer tangible clues about China's next generation
of information controls—what President Hu Jintao last month called "a
new pattern of public-opinion guidance." [...]

Full: <http://www.feer.com/essays/2008/august/chinas-guerrilla-war-for-the-web>

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