China: One world, one dream, and one multi-front protest
Last week's Olympics “angel” Jin Jing is on the traitor [zh] list now, after she spoke out against the upcoming nation-wide anti-Carrefour [zh] protests set for May 1 [zh].
People can't wait [update: yeah, it's totally on now] to get out to those, it seems, just like Chinese hackers, having already gotten into Carrefour.com.cn, weren't willing to wait until the 19th for the planned CNN.com DDOS attack to begin, all this against the backdrop of millions of netizens finding ways to display their patriotism.
As if that weren't enough, Jack Cafferty's remarks even got the central government on the anti-CNN bandwagon.
So now Saturday is looking like Chinese anti-CNN day in a number of different places [zh] around the world [zh]
At least one related post at China.com has over 27,000 comments over nearly 500 pages. As Heike The Dark Visitor blogger points out, the April 19 protests will mostly be held in western Europe:
1. 1500-1800hrs, 19 April 2008, at the Bundestag, Platz der Republik, Berlin
2. 1300-1500hrs, 19 April 2008, two routes (from Talie – Hotel de Ville – Bastille) or (Republique – Bastille – Hotel de Ville –Bastille, Paris
3. 1100-1500hrs, 19 April 2008, Downing Street outside of Whitehall, England
4. (No time given) 19 April 2008, Amsterdam, HollandThe protests appear to be well organized, with the coordination of donations, banners, flags, T-shirts…etc. While it is of course impossible to tell how widespread the demonstrations will be, an online keyword search, using Chinese, did produce several hundred hits.
One link Heike provides emphasizes that the protesters are furious and promising demonstrations that will flood Europe in a sea of red flags:
On April 18, one of the earlier members of anti-CNN.com posted the address and fax number for CNN's office in Beijing, along with a sample letter for anyone to send:
致美国有线电视新闻网负责人：
美国东部时间4月9日晚6点，贵台主持人Jack Cafferty 在“时事观察室”节目中发表了侮辱全体中国人的种族歧视言论，令人甚感震惊。他说：“他们（中国人）基本上还是五十年来的那群恶棍和暴徒。”
全世界华人充分理解贵国一贯秉持的言论自由原则，并尊重Jack Cafferty的政治立场，但是作为一个公众人物，一个新闻从业者，Jack Cafferty所说的已经完全超越了言论自由的底线，相信任何一个有尊严的华人都不会接受这种对于华人整个族裔的谩骂。
At 6pm EST on the evening of April 9, your network's anchorperson Jack Cafferty, made racist remarks on the program The Situation Room that insulted and shocked the entirety of the Chinese people. He said, “(the Chinese) they're basically the same bunch of goons and thugs they've been for the last 50 years.”
The Chinese people of the world fully understand that your country has always upheld the principle of free speech, and respect Jack Cafferty's political stance, but as a public persona and a news professional, what Jack Cafferty said has gone way beyond the line of freedom of speech, and [we] believe that any respectable Chinese person cannot accept this kind of invective towards the entire Chinese race.
贵台稍候在15日发表的简短声明中辩解称Jack Cafferty所说的恶棍暴徒指的是中国政府，这样避重就轻没有诚意的道歉声明更是令人难以接受。首先，在Jack Cafferty的言论中，他反复多次说到中国，中国人，丝毫没有提到中国政府的地方；再者，Jack Cafferty在说到“恶棍”与“暴徒”时，使用的是复数，其意思非常明确，他口中的“他们”指的就是整个华人族群；最后，贵台的声明把矛头转向中国政府，这样牵强的强辩实际上是对中华民族的二度伤害！难道攻击一个国家的政府就不会伤害该国人民的感情了吗？
为此我致函向CNN以及Jack Cafferty提出严正抗议和谴责！
中国向世界敞开大门只有短短20多年的时间，全世界华人都能够理解各国人民对中国这个遥远的东方国家尚存在许多的疑问及种种误解。但是这并不意味着某些人可以不负责任、口无遮拦地攻击中国以及中华民族。即使不了解中国，任何一个有良知的人也不应该对发生在自己身边的事实选择性失明。
It is for these reasons that I have written to sternly protest and condemn both CNN and Jack Cafferty!
China has only opened its doors to the world for a short twenty-something years, but Chinese people from around the world are all able to see that people from every country around the world still bear many doubts and various sorts of misunderstandings toward China, this country far off in the Orient. But this does not mean that certain people can be irresponsible, and freely make attacks against China and the Chinese people. Even if one doesn't understand China, no conscientious person ought to be selectively blind to facts which lay before them.
以美国为例，华人移民多少年来都是社会中最遵纪守法和最友善的一群人。Cafferty先生是否记得， 9.11事件发生后 ，布什总统向劫机事件中表现英勇的华裔空姐邓月薇家属颁发奖状，称她是“美国的英雄”，事件中另一名中国学生曾喆在世贸大厦现场不停救人最终英勇牺牲，被追赠纽约市“社区贡献奖”的曾喆是美国历史上获此殊荣的第二人；Cafferty先生又是否知道，去年震惊美国震惊世界的弗吉尼亚理工大学枪击案中，有一名华裔女教师挺身而出带领学生顶住大门阻止了枪手进入，从而保护了全班学生。从何时起，善良、本分、为世界和平默默做出贡献的华人竟然成为了Jack Cafferty口中的恶棍和暴徒？
我相信，身为一名资深政治评论员，Jack Cafferty决非无知，他更没有失忆，促使他公开侮辱中国人的根本原因是他对我华人的种族歧视！他的言论无疑是对整个中华民族，尤其是在美华人最无耻的伤害，更造成了非常恶劣的影响，严重损伤了中美两国人民的友谊。
I believe, that as a senior political commentator, Jack Cafferty is in no way ignorant, as much as I don't believe he has amnesia: the underlying reason which led him to publicly insult the Chinese people is his racism towards Chinese people! His words undoubtedly referred to the entire Chinese race, shamelessly hurting in particular those Chinese in America the most, but the most terrible impact this has had is the serious harm it has done to the friendship between the peoples of America and China.
贵台多年来一直标榜CNN在全球树立了很强的公信度和良好的声誉，而现如今Jack Cafferty信口开河恶意攻击中国人的言论无疑是CNN甚至全美传媒界的耻辱！试问一个赤裸裸发表种族歧视言论的人有何资格站在道德高点批评他人为恶棍暴徒？
希望CNN及Jack Cafferty收起傲慢与偏见，立即向全世界华人进行公开、正式的道歉！
如果贵台及Jack Cafferty本人迟迟不愿就辱华言论事件向全世界华人做出诚恳回应，全球华人定将依法提起集体诉讼，追究CNN及Jack Cafferty的诽谤侮辱责任和相关赔偿。
期待你们的答复！
一名普通中国人：
2008年4月18日
I hope CNN and Jack Cafferty retract their arrogance and prejudice, and immediately issue a public and formal apology to the Chinese people of the world!
If this station and Jack Cafferty himself take their time in issuing a sincere response to the Chinese people of the world for this remark incident which has disgraced us Chinese, the Chinese of the world are firmly prepared to adhere to law and file a class-action lawsuit to look into CNN and Jack Cafferty's responsibility and appropriate compensation for this slanderous insult.
I await your response!
164 comments
My advice to all Chinese at this moment is to be patience, be real patience. Slow down your anger, gather your strengths and then strike hard (real hard) at those countries who continue to behave as international bullies.
Good luck. Remember, be patience.
“”unfortunately for you we can do this and you can’t””
This is not an attitude, it is a fact, how else can it be stated. Every fact is not an attitude.
I was not telling you I personally did not care. I was trying to explain to you the plight of many here, and why they really do not give a darn – yet you still take “the fact” I am relating to you as an insult.
Ask any Midwestern American whose job was shipped to China. It is the answer to why no one here really takes offense at what Mr Cafferty said. People here are concerned about themselves, and are still trying to come to grips with the detestation they feel free trade has brought upon them – even knowing without it we would surely die as a nation.
That having been said, our media, especially our cable media, is known for being extremely biased one way or the other, cable media, the corporations who own them, and the pundits all have an agenda. The American people, for the most part are becoming increasingly aware of that fact, and more every day the people will research information themselves, and come to their own conclusion.
The fact that media pundits insult something here almost around the clock has to in some way lesson the significance.
If retribution for “the insult” were to be levied on journalists that would be a horrible thing for the few true journalists left, and for free speech. For this, here, we must suffer the fools.
Up to this point I have not seen a whole lot of dialogue on the Internet between Chinese citizens and American, though I see much between us here and those of other nations.
Maybe places such as this will help with that problem.
So all these anti-cnn are plotted in advance and well organized by the Chinese government, well funded with the huge currency and trade reserves, intended to hurt the feeling of the world.
Great One China, One Wet Dream !!!
To kai:
Can you name some detail sample that chinese government or pubulic reportors criticized other country’s base on fated or inaccurate information? or just like what Mr.jack Cafferty did call people goons and thugs? Pls show me fact within 10 years from any government voice or public media and let’s have some sense of criticism and find some fact around us.
10,000 people reportedly out in Paris today, less in London and not sure about the other cities. Here in China, tens of thousands spread across the country. More here. From what I can tell, webmasters are working overtime to clean Carrefour off the internet…I just wonder if that will do anything to stop the real protests set for May 1.
People relax, I wouldnt call what chinese is showing nationalism, its merely collective anger, it has yet to transform to actions . And dont act like nationalism is something so dark and evil that we have no part ov it, if it werent for the lovely nationlism we wouldnt have gone to Iraq, and we wouldnt be staying there asof now.
There’s no doubt old Jack hates chinese gov, AND their people. I know some of us want to believe we can seperate a government with its people, so we can elect Dubya at one hand, and pretend you and me personally have nothing to do with what’s happening in Iraq at the other hand, this is called having ur cake and eat it too … seriouly fellas, we need new trick to fool the world.
To the chinese posters here, Cafferty acts like an ahole because he gets paid to do that, he can say whatever he wants, you can protest however you want. If you could get him canned like Imus, good for you, if you couldnt, find the next thing to protest, you see we Americans protest and condemn for fun, dont let it affect ur life. writing 5000 word essay is so not cool.
@ Eric Hu: I’m not sure I understood your post due to how it was written. What does “other country’s base on fated or inaccurated information” mean?
If you’re looking for examples of the Chinese government or its media calling people “goons and thugs” you can start with the repetitive editorials and articles found on XinHua or China Daily regarding “the Dalai clique.”
Of course, some might find such examples to without merit, but only because they believe that such allegations and smears to be true, as the CCP government and media insists. This is exactly the same as some people in the West insisting that everything the Dalai Lama says is true too. So either you believe the Dalai Lama or you believe the CCP government and everything “the other side” says “MUST” be false. It is an intellectually dishonest situation.
Let me give you a specific example: http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2008-04/12/content_6612165.htm
“What happened in Paris just revealed the true face of Tibetan separatists to more people and showed what kind of freedom and rights the Dalai clique want, the commentary concluded.”
This was published by the People’s Daily. The basic point of this article is to suggest that “the Dalai clique” believes it is a “human right” to attack a handicapped woman. They associated “the Dalai clique” with a random protester in Paris, who may support Tibetan independence, but likely has ZERO official relationship with the Dalai Lama other than a possible common goal. How does ONE idiot’s actions in Paris suddenly REPRESENT “the Dalai cliques” views on human rights? How does ONE idiot’s actions in Paris suddenly mean that “the Dalai clique” advocates attacking handicapped women?
It is a ridiculous implication and an even more pathetic exercise in LOGIC. More importantly, if we want to compare this with Jack Cafferty, at least it was REASONABLE to conclude that Jack Cafferty was referring to the Chinese CCP government (as one poster above highlighted with the “last 50 years” comment). We can highlight that idiot’s actions to the pro-Tibet supporters as being violent and wrong (just like many of us are highlighting actions of certain Chinese people to be violent and wrong), but it is unreasonable and illogical to say that one man’s actions represents “the Dalai cliques” human rights politics.
Should I take every individual Chinese person who has threatened the Chinese Duke University student and say that represents the official CCP government’s human rights policies? Do the disrespectful and violent actions of a few hypernationalistic Chinese mean the CCP government endorses normal Chinese people to accuse other Chinese people of being “race traitors” and then go hunt them down?
I’m amused that you tried to use the “let’s have some facts” approach when responding to my post.
@ Jack Kennedy: Maybe the harmon!zing of online Carrefour protests is because they’ve begun to negatively affect the CCP government, similar to what happened with anti-Japanese protests years before. Whatever the case is, though, I don’t think the government should stop the protests or “real” protests set for May 1st at all. As long as the protests are non-violent, the people should be free to express their disappointment or disapproval, even if it is misdirected.
@ notcool: Respectfully, if you don’t think that “collective anger” has transformed into “actions,” you’re probably not following up on the news enough. Even if there were no “actions” against foreigners, the “actions” against other Chinese people are disturbing enough.
Being proud of your country is one thing. Nationalism tends to border quite clearly into the “negative.” So yes, it can be pretty dark and evil. You’re right, not many people (much less entire countries) are innocent of nationalism. I’m not sure if nationalism is the direct cause for Iraq, but yes, many Americans have the blood of vomit-inducing nationalism on their hands.
I agree with you entirely with your ending point, even if it wasn’t communicated in the clearest fashion (then again, I’m not sure I’m one to talk). There is always an audience for extreme punditry, especially in America. While the Chinese demand that others “understand them,” it would be nice if more Chinese “understood” that opinions expressed by Jack Cafferty, even on the media, are fairly routine. It would be nice if my fellow Chinese “understood” that while American media may reflect Americans, it is NOT the “official line” of the American people…
…perhaps UNLIKE how the Chinese media is presented.
@Kai
Thank you for your contribution, I wish there were more voices like yours in cyberspace. This whole anti-Western tide in China is thoroughly depressing, as I watch the demonstrations going on in China my heart sinks.
Kai,
I don’t think the fact you provided is good enough. First of all, the accusation is not wrong. Head of the Tibetan Youth Congress (TYC was permitted to be organized by Dalai Lama himself) has just told Italian newspapers they would consider using suicide attacks. Second, as you said, the evidence China Daily cites (the attack at Jin Jing) is not enough to support this accusation, but it’s at the same level of interviewing an exiled monk in India and suggest the human right condition in Lhasa is horrible, which is the common practice of western media. It’s not in the same league with what the western media have been doing recently.