35 Comments Add your own

• 1. Morgan O'Hara  |  December 18th, 2008 at 10:26 pm

  Aside from the sobering images and the haunting narration of the Tiananmen Square tragedy, the documentary really brought to light the plight of China’s floating population – the hundreds of millions of migrant workers who have sustained China’s economic boom. This is the biggest migration in human history – I had heard that statement many times over, and it ways always intangible, whereas now it’s palpable. Those images of train stations packed with rural people carrying all their possessions. I now feel that I have a better understanding of their predicament.

  These workers do not receive health or welfare benefits – no social services to speak of. They’re not allowed to live in the cities unless they’re employed in the factories or the construction sites. No job and they’re not allowed to stick around, as they don’t have residency cards, and the authorities do not want slums popping up. What a marginal existence. It’s also why the regime is worried – what happens if the economy slows and these people have no work? According to a 2006 national survey on migrant workers, 64 percent were males, and half of migrants were aged between 16 and 30. Where do these young men go?

  The Chinese regime is stern, and at times brutal, but it doesn’t lack foresight. They are thinking 20, 30, 40 years down the road. What is their grand plan? What plans do they have for their migrant workforce? I found a list of the top 50 Chinese cities, population wise. They’re all well over two million inhabitants, and, needless to say, most of them we have never heard of. Will the more underdeveloped cities be filling up with more migrant workers, and will they be allowed to establish permanent residency there? How long will it be before these people start standing up for their rights? It seems their lives as migrant workers might be better than it is back on the farm, but not by a whole lot.

• 2. Jason Larocco  |  December 29th, 2008 at 12:18 pm

  The ability of the Chinese government to erase knowledge is scary. I was surprised by the stories Fareed Zakaria told to this effect in the The Post American World, and I was shocked when the three students did not recognize the photo of Tank Man. Prior to watching the video when I read Dr. Carr’s million dollar question “Would China be where it is today if Ti**anm** Sq*#r^ had not happened”, I felt the answer was clearly NO. The protest was such an important step in China’s cultural revolution how could China be where it is today without it. I would also assume that these protests provided crucial support that leaders like Deng Xiaoping would need to promote economic reform. But if thirty years later three educated students don’t even recognize a photo a Tank Man, I have to believe that the significance of these protests within China is diminished. I would be saddened to think that any American at the college level would not be able to recognize Martin Luther King’s have a dream speech and at a minimum be able to associate it with our civil rights movement. China’s ability to erase the memory of complete events definitely impedes the ability for change to happen from the bottom up.

  However, whether these students recognize the symbols of the protests or not China has made huge economic changes. The symbol of Tank Man to the rest of the world caused changed in the global environment which affected China. The video mentioned that the symbol of Tank Man helped strengthen revolutionary movements within Russia. The fall of communism in Russia changed the political and economic landscape of the whole world, and China has definitely been affected by that. Even if you completely discount the affect of Ti**anm** Sq*#r^ within China, the protests had an effect on the rest of the world which would eventually affect China. So my answer to the million dollar question is still no, China would not be where it is today if Ti**anm** Sq*#r^ had not happened. However, as the world shrinks, the ability of the Chinese government to erase knowledge amongst its people will diminish and they will have to find new ways to maintain “stability” within their society.

• 3. Chris Carr  |  December 29th, 2008 at 12:43 pm

  Re: Jason’s comment, I realize my question was poorly framed and worded.

  Let me state it differently ….

  Economically, would China be even close to where it is today (much to the benefit of the USA, by the way — e.g., low interest rates), had the CCP not crushed the protests in T-square?

  And why do you think the T-square protests and demonstrations where such a threat to stability in China? And perhaps even more importantly — why do you think ’stability’ is such a big deal and sensitive issue in China to so many people, not just the CCP folks?

• 4. Jason Larocco  |  December 30th, 2008 at 11:24 am

  Unfortunately, I don’t think China would be in the same economic state if they did not crush the protest at T-square. From what I have studied so far their stunning economic growth rate has depended heavily on the CCP’s ability to provide stability, and stability still resides in an authoritarian style of government. If you open the doors of civil rights to over a billion people all at once there would be chaos. Through their authoritarian approach the CCP has been able to pour significant resources into economic growth projects while sidelining many social issues which may impede economic progress. Look at India. The inefficiencies of democracy and legislation have in many ways hampered their economic growth especially in comparison to China.

  Through these readings I am learning more about the patience and tolerance of the Chinese culture. While these virtues are admirable I think many are wondering how much longer the people of China will be tolerant to what we see as a lack of civil rights. Thirty years of growth has bought the CCP a lot of civil patience, but let’s see what happens when the world economy can no longer support this type of growth. Hopefully the CCP is right and reforms to the judicial system like what we saw in “the people’s court” will start to nurture civil rights in a harmonious way.

• 5. Oscar Merlin  |  January 16th, 2009 at 9:32 am

  The Tank Man

  It was a horrible thing to see many innocent civilians get killed by the military. Having said that, the documentary makers put a lot on emphasis on making things seem like the idea of communism was the culprit in this horrible massacre. In reality to me it was tyrants like the party’s president that made the whole massacre happen. Decisions are made by individuals and those ‘individuals’ in that day made a poor choice of shooting at the people instead having the patience to try to resolve things differently.

  So what about the Tank Man? I always had thought that he had been put aside and shot in the head. But going back now and seeing the documentary again it seems to me that he lived to see another day. Luckily for him none of the people that must have recognized him on television did not rat him out. And it would not surprise me to know that he does not know that he has international fame if he still alive. He is probably so information starved that besides seeing himself on T.V. that day he has no idea that the actions that he did inspired so many to ask for change.

• 6. David McKinnon  |  January 23rd, 2009 at 3:13 pm

  I think after watching this video it would be a great exercise for each of us to review what we wrote in our application essays regarding our feelings toward Yahoo’’s compliance with censorship regulation. Our final stances may not be different, but we sure do have a lot more information.

  The Shi Tao case from the video was very interesting.

  Shi Tao is a Chinese journalist who was sentenced to 10 years in prison for releasing a sensitive document to a Chinese pro-democracy website. Yahoo was asked to provide the information of who sent the document. They willingly complied without asking questions.

  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shi_Tao

  Rep Christopher Smith confronted Yahoo about the situation:
  “Women and men are going to the gulag and being tortured as a direct result of information handed over to Chinese officials. When Yahoo was asked to explain its actions Yahoo said it must adhere to local laws in all countries where it operates.”

  A Yahoo official then defended the company by saying they didn’t know anything about the situation.

  Smith then said “my response to that is if the secret police a half century ago asked where Anne Frank was hiding would the correct answer be to hand over the information in order to comply with local laws?”

  Makes you think, doesn’t it?

• 7. Chris Carr  |  January 23rd, 2009 at 9:37 pm

  My heart be still. I was beginning to fear this day would never come.

  Kudos to David McKinnon. He is the very first student out of more than 140 who have gone to China with us on this trip that made the connection between this post and video to one of very questions we ask you in the application process.

  Good job.

  After reading this post, watching this video and reading the recent human rights assignment and post I made, would any of you change your answer in your application essay, and if so why (or why not)?

• 8. Eric White  |  February 12th, 2009 at 8:35 pm

  There are so many shades of gray on this issue its starting to sound like accounting! (okay bad joke)

  Does anyone else think the Chinese government handled the uprising at Tiananmen Square fairly? From the video, I am beginning to think they did. Though the protesters were quite peaceful, the government waited a very long time to respond. Before watching the video, I would have thought the government would have forcibly squelched a protest of 1,000 to demonstrate its power. Instead, the government let the protests continue until 1 out of every 10 citizens were protesting including the army and navy! This completely shocked me. The armed services protesting communist China and the government allowing it?? Wow.

  When the government finally did respond, it was peaceful. Not a shot was fired (I think) when protesters blocked the roads and did not allow soldiers to pass. For four entire days, the government held to their peaceful attempts to break up the protests when they finally retreated - completely embarrassed.

  For a country were honor and saving face means so much, I expected a response from the government to be so strong as to wipe out all who oppose them. Again, I was wrong. Though armed this time with live ammunition, soldiers were still given the order to try to clear the square peacefully. It was only at last resort did they open fire on the crowd.

  My initial perception of Communist government in China was drastically changed by this video. I imagined a rule with an iron fist. Though I agree they are no push over, I can conclude the government has a softer side than I imagined. And, in retrospect, the result of Tiananmen Square was more power to the government (which they wanted) in exchange for financial prosperity (which the people wanted). It seems the government handled the situation quite well.

  Ha. I also have to say that I would have never imagined myself arguing for the government of Communist China. Amazing.

• 9. Nick Chamness  |  February 13th, 2009 at 8:52 am

  That was pretty intense to watch the actual even taking place. I have never seen it before. Most of us were only 4 years old when this happened. I kept putting myself in the same situation as all of those people, and it was scary. I would have to be pretty angry and emotional to do what the tank man did…quite amazing. So many people died that day. The men in the army must have been more afraid of the what the government would do to each of them if they did not clear everybody out by the next morning, than they were of killing their own people.

  It just goes back to the ability of a government to control its people with fear Much like our government and media has done over the past 8 years. The only thing I can think of in our recent history that could compare is the Kent state shooting of all of the students. Although nowhere near the magnitude of this massacre, it still had profound effects on our country.

  I cannot believe that guy was able to smuggle that footage out by placing it inside the toilet!! Had he not done that, would the world not have seen what was going on?

• 10. Mark Wegemer  |  February 16th, 2009 at 3:00 pm

  Tank Man
  Wow. Seeing documentaries about tragedies is always a mind boggling thing. I personally have never heard of the events that happened in 1989 or the tank man for that matter. I have never seen the images until the video and it seems evident that not many people in America have. Images from events in history like this or from the Holocaust for that matter, demonstrate the need for power from those that are hungry about it. Why? What did it solve? Was this the proper way to solve the problem? I think it was just a tactic to scare the people but in instances like this, it will just make the unity stronger. I couldn’t imagine standing against the army of my own nation to fight for something that I believe in. It reminds me of civil rights movements that occurred.

  The issue with the Tank Man may not have changed China but I do believe from the readings and blogs that the new China economic expansion does have a lot to do with events that happened on that day. Will the same go for other events in history? Something that comes to my mind is the events of 9/11. I personally, will not forget it, but what about the generation behind me that was too young to remember anything about it. Although it did happen almost 8 years ago, the images of that day are still very clear. Will we still remember? The students at the end that had to identify the Tank Man image had no idea. They must have gotten a different account of what really happened that day. The only thing I can add to this is, I hope Americans will still remember 9/11.

• 11. Jimmy Spann  |  February 17th, 2009 at 3:25 pm

  This video was very interesting. I first saw it about a year ago during my Cross Cultural Communications class during my undergrad degree. At the time I thought that it was very interesting and the comparisons were staggering between America and China. Seeing the events that happened and the changes after it, are very amazing. China has grown at a staggering pace economically. However, it has not changed too much politically. This can be good and bad at the same time. The economical change is great because it helps them develop and compete on a global market. They citizens of China are improving their quality of life every year. Farmers now own their land and can sell their crop at a fair market value, thus making profits. However it can be bad because we see that the quality of education and healthcare had gone down drastically. Children in the farmlands cannot afford all of the fees to go to school or to pay for healthcare.

  Another positive is that the government can look at a project in a long-term sense. They can make decisions that may look bad now, but are made so that they will pay off in the future. They do not have to answer to some of the same problems that our politicians face like view in the eyes of the public and reelection.

  To answer the question of would China be where it is today if the Tianamen square incidents were not handled in the same way that they did? I am not sure. It is always hard to speculate on these types of questions, but I do not think that they would be where they are today if the government had not handled the event the way they did. The growth would have not been the same.

  I also think that it is depressing that the college students do not even know anything about the picture of the Tank Man. Any event of this magnitude is taught to all of us American college students. You are considered uneducated if you do not know about these types of major historical events. It also is a way of keeping the public in check and not giving them too much power. As to the question of should companies like Google, Yahoo, and Cisco be changing their business models to operate in China, I think that it is all right. It is part of business. If a Chinese company were to operate in America, would we not want it to comply with all of our rules and regulations? Why is it not okay for them to expect the same from us? Let’s remember that we, as Americans, are not always correct.

• 12. Jessica Harris  |  February 18th, 2009 at 2:39 pm

  In the documentaries first segment I was inspired by the images I saw. The Tank Man was standing up for what many had died for. Then as the documentary continued I was saddened. The efforts that so many people went to in order to fight for their freedom are amazing and the fact that so many of them lost their lives in that effort is frightening. When I think about situations like this taking place, in my mind I place them happening centuries ago. Seeing that a massacre like this has happened in my lifetime makes me cringe. How could a government possible do this and think that they are doing the right thing?

  This was a defining moment for China economically. I have no doubt that without Tiananmen Square and The Tank Man, the astronomical economic growth that has been seen would not have taken place, or at least would not have happened so rapidly.

  An interesting point was brought up that there are two Chinas: China A, and China B which seem to be worlds apart. When Tiananmen Square took place there was only one, and they banded together in order to get to where they are today. I still have a hard time fathoming how courageous all the students and workers involved were. They knew that this was a way to get their story out to world, and it surely did that.

  Though this was a great leap forward, the Chinese government still suppresses the people and as I was watching the first thing that came to mind was the admittance essay that we wrote to get into the program, just as David brought up. China has been a must have market for companies in the US, but the ethical issue arises. It is my opinion that Cisco is being unethical by how they are portraying that it is up to the people who they sell their products to on how they decide to use them. A line must be drawn. There is no doubt in anyone’s mind what the Cisco products are being used for. Like Eric brought up, this is a very grey area though. Managers must decide if the profit they can make is worth the guilt they will feel on their conscious.

  In closing, I think that fact the Tank Man is still a mystery only makes what he did even more extraordinary. If he was executed, he died inspiring millions. If he lives, I commend him for staying anonymous because I didn’t stand in front of that tank for the glory, but because he did what he thought was right.

• 13. Mark Polydoris  |  February 20th, 2009 at 11:24 am

  I really enjoyed this video a lot, and I think it framed a lot of the “contradictions” about China that Dr. Carr has been trying to explain to us. It’s amazing to think that a country can open its doors to economic prosperity while still vehemently censoring all information within the state. THAT is a contradiction.

  I think it’s hard to say what affect Tank Man had on the economy, since on one side, the Chinese system of isolationism was failing for a long time and I feel like it was inevitable that China would need to open its doors to the rest of the world. On the other hand, the powerful images of the Tank Man created international outrage, turning the spotlight onto the country. China would have to play nice with the rest of the world to move forward in any capacity. Tank Man iconically represented the power of the Chinese state and the anger of the Chinese people at their government. To stand alone in front of a row of tanks isn’t just an act of bravery…it’s an act of defiance and anger.

  As for Cisco, Yahoo and the others, I had no idea that was really happening. On my application, I think I wrote something benign about how you’d have to obey the laws of the country, but you also have to look at the negative externalities of doing business in China. I think Yahoo and Cisco’s presence in China IS an act of oppression. A very greedy one, too.

  But beyond context of The Tank Man, I have to say that this video made me REALLY excited for China. I’m looking forward to seeing this country up-close and personal, and getting a chance to talk to people about their country and their history.

• 14. Andrea Muntzel  |  February 22nd, 2009 at 9:15 pm

  “Unlike in the West, we don’t stand on a higher plane and spot problems with democracy and human rights in other places,” he says. “You have your values, we have ours.”

  I wonder if Mr. Wang would be saying this if he knew that less than 20 years ago, the equivalency of him and his peers were being massacred for asking their government to give them the freedom to report the truth and voice their opinions, the freedom to pick their own jobs with a market-base wage, the freedom to pick their own leaders and state policies, and the freedom to welcome international companies and international jobs into their country. Perhaps I’m so brainwashed by my own country and my own idealized sense of democracy that I get up on my soapbox and preach about how people who are willing to give their lives for freedom should get it. I felt like this comment was a huge stab in the heart after seeing the film on the T Square massacre. How could this generation grow up without knowing about what happened? What’s more, if they don’t know about 1989, what else don’t they know about? To me, forceful ignorance is the worst form of tyranny.

  More than the clearing of the square, I think the worst part of the movie for me was the next day when the parents of the murdered students went to the square to try to find their children. The narrator said that the head soldier said “on the count of five we will start firing.” The parents and citizens started running and the soldiers shot into the crowd at the backs of the innocent people in retreat. It’s no wonder the people reacted in anger and charged again. Maybe there was more to this story but either way, I was not only devastated by this event, but sickened by the fact that it happened at all.

  Before reading the rest of the post, I too was struck with the “deal with the devil” segment. In exchange for upward mobility and economic prosperity, a whole generation of affluent and educated individuals has allowed themselves to forget about T Square and the ideals it stood for. That’s a deal with the devil if I ever heard of one. There’s no way China would be where it is today without it. They allowed economic freedoms in exchange for political silence. I have no doubt that without the event they wouldn’t have invited such a paradigm shift. International expansion and the welcome arms of a capital economy were foreign and power-losing changes for China’s government, despite the fact that they ultimately proved successful. Moreover, the movie didn’t tread gently around the fact that those individuals who aren’t getting the “deal” aren’t going to be quiet for much longer. We’ve all heard the adage that ‘history repeats itself.’ I fear the day when the rural and migrant China decides it’s sick of getting the short end of the deal. As the college-educated grow up into the next party leaders of China, I think remembering T Square would do them some good. Democracy isn’t always the answer but I think allowing people to voice their opinions, to have all of the information at their fingertips, and to be listened to when they demand change is something that should always be part of a solution.

• 15. Jenna Healy  |  March 1st, 2009 at 11:37 am

  This video is incredible. In marketing, we speak about viral marketing. Like Jason said, the government wanted to erase the knowledge, but it’s hard to believe those who were in Tiananmen square on that day have not spread word of the event to others.

  All I could think about during the first half of this video was the strength of the human spirit: the parents who time after time ran back to try and find their children, risking their lives; those who were brave and proud enough to stand up for their city… and then the compassion, those feeding the entrapped soldiers, and the one man who stares in the face of a line of tanks. What I found even more amazing is what the tanks did. They turned off their motors! Also, the fact that no one knows what happened to him, were authorities awestruck by his act and let him go? Or did the civilians swoop him up and he disappeared? Incredible.

  Also, the fact that the Red Cross was pressured into recalling the statement of 1500 dead. And then the whole event swept under the rug. Wow. The influence Tank Man had on the rest of the world was inspiring. He was the source of much strength, I’m sure.

  I wonder what happened to the driver of this tank? Was he killed? Was it the compassion shown by the civilians earlier that persuaded this soldier to show his own compassion?

  You’re right David. Now is the time to look back at those admission essays.

• 16. Josh Hickman  |  March 3rd, 2009 at 3:32 pm

  When seeing the first attempt of the army to get into the city, I was glad to see the hope in the citizens when they asked the soldiers not to harm them. This was a chance for ordinary citizens to negotiate with the soldiers and to explain to them their greater cause that the young militants may not have realized. I was also shocked that the soldiers still fired when people were retreating from the square multiple times. It seems that the government has forced people to forget about the whole mess by limiting media exposure and restricting access to searches on the internet. Obviously the U.S. has access to everything good, bad or ugly and we are doing fine, but would things be the way they are in China if people were allowed to protest more and demand apology for what happened at Tiananmen? Somehow with all of China’s progress the massacre has been swept under the rug and the government is keeping it there pretty well. I enjoyed listening to the one academic who talked about China choosing two ‘door’, one being economic reform to help them and their families, and the other being government where they would have to face the communist party and its difficulties. Things have worked out well so far, but the incident still remains like a ticking time bomb always in the back of people’s minds who experienced it firsthand.

  Also, it is a good contrast seeing the footage from the textile factories as PBS displays them as tough 12 hour shifts that people are not being given good working conditions compared to the NY Times journalist who explained that these young women are eager to work here and are lucky to be sending money back home unlike the other millions of people still looking for work. I also wonder what the three girls interviewed in the video would say if they were not being watched by government officials and managers of the factory right next to them.

  Wow, not one of four university students knows what the picture of the Tank Man is? Now there is some serious control of the media going on here. As we come up on the 20th anniversary of the incident, the event seems lost to this generation of Chinese. I hope the future generations of this country never forget the image of the 9/11 attack, because this was an event that defined the state of the country at that time, just as the Tank Man represents China.

  Regarding Google and China, I will say the same thing I said when writing my application to Cal Poly, that although I disagree with the fact that people are not able to have access to all information about this event and others, the benefits that Google and Yahoo give the Chinese people is better than the alternative…nothing. Maybe someday government reforms will take place, but until then dealing with these restrictions will have to be part of the Chinese life.

• 17. Patrick Johansing  |  March 5th, 2009 at 9:47 am

  First about the “deal with the devil.” I believe that at this point the pros outweigh the cons for China’s people in the cities. The government has done a remarkable job of moving towards more wealth spread to more people. The people in the rural areas are not benefiting from this deal. They need a government that will pay attention to their health care and educational needs. They are not benefiting by allowing the government to stay in power.

  As far as the Tiananmen Square incident goes, I don’t think the government was targeting either one of those groups in particular (although this is entirely my uneducated speculation). I believe that they were just afraid of losing power. They were afraid that if enough angry people get together, they may not be allowed to run the country anymore. Since the size of the angry mobs appeared to be getting larger and larger, the government decided that they needed to do whatever it takes to stop these gatherings.

  I believe if the government hadn’t quelled the growing unrest as it did in Tiananmen Square, the government may have been over thrown. If that happened then they probably wouldn’t have their current growth because a new governing body isn’t something that can be created in a short period.

• 18. James McMillan  |  March 8th, 2009 at 6:49 pm

  Wow the question posed by Dr. Carr to Jason about whether economically China would be the same and more specifically would interest rates have gotten as low as they did, is crazy when you think about it. You could almost tie in the tank man to our current economic mess if you connect all the dots. Interest rate got low, credit/liquidity became much more available, homeownership began to rise, looser standards on lending criteria, subprime….boom! Of course there’s a whole heck of a lot else that went on and I’m not saying the tank man caused our economic problems but it interesting to think that had the Tiananmen Square incident not occurred we may actually not be in the position we are now. I am going to have to ask Dr. Carr or another professor to help me better describe how this sequence of events are all linked.
  RE: the repression of history on the Tiananmen Square incident. This bothers me at the core. I really was amazed at those students who had no idea what that picture was or what the events were surrounding it. I find it so disturbing how successful the government has been in erasing this history from the minds of recent generations. It is no shock to me that the students of today in China are strongly supportive of the government. I strongly believe that if the government was not as successful in repressing information from its citizens that the student of today would be MUCH MUCH more suspicious and apprehensive towards the government. I feel that they are strongly supportive because most of the students see the government as the reason why the standard of living in China is increasing so rapidly. They see the government as the hero that is launching China onto the international stage. Yet it is sad to think that most don’t know what events spurred the dramatic economic reform China.

• 19. Andre Ourthiague  |  March 11th, 2009 at 1:15 am

  Would China be where it is today economically had it not crushed the protests at Tiananmen Square? To put it simply, no. Social unrest would have eventually forced the government to bend eventually. I can only guess which demonstrators would gain ground first, pro-democracy or anti-economic-reform, but either one would have hampered the governments ability to grow. If the pro-democracy side gained ground and the people’s voice was heard more clearly, the government would be forced to appease the masses. Even on a tiny scale, democratic rights would slow down the economic growth in China as opposing opinions demanded to be heard. If the government had allowed the anti-reform faction to continue, government desire for economic reform would have faced direct opposition from further protests. In crushing the protests at Tiananmen Square, China was able to maintain one party rule and push economic reforms. I have a hard time believing both government goals would have been realized without a crushing blow to the protesters of each.

  In regards to the “deal with the devil,” I cant get around the thought of where China would be if the economic reforms failed. The Chinese citizens have put the past behind them, and one party rule has continued. However, where would China be today, politically and socially, if the government failed to hold up their end of the deal?

• 20. Amy Cook  |  March 11th, 2009 at 6:11 pm

  Wow! This video was an incredible and heart-wrenching video to watch and gave me a far better understanding of what happened at Tiananmen Square and what has been happening with the Chinese government in subsequent years. It was so sad to see that 20 years after the incident young people have no idea who the tank man is; Of course, according the documentary, he was only shown once on Chinese television.

  The worst part of it all is the “deal with the devil” that Dr. Carr highlighted. There must be many Beijing business men and women working today who were in Tiananmen Square that night. Have they put aside their anger and distrust of the government in exchange for some of the “perks” of democracy? Aren’t they outraged that their children aren’t able to get ahold of information on what really happened? Is the economic trade-off worth it? In light of additional information from Dr. Carr describing the nature of the protestors and the fact that many were there to protest fast economic change, it seems very possible that China would not have experienced the economic growth it has without the events of Tiananmen Square. I can’t pretend to understand the CCP enough to say whether that was the motive, but we know it has been the outcome. China could not have experienced such growth while subsequently overhauling their government.

  In response to Eric’s post that the government handled Tiananmen Square appropriately, I have to disagree. Maybe I’m too set in my American mindset of human rights, but it isn’t ok to kill your own unarmed and peaceful people. Can you imagine if there were outrageous protests in Los Angeles and the government handled it by mobilizing the military and then opening fire on crowds? The number of people killed in Beijing that night is comparable to the number of people killed on September 11th. That seems like an act of terrorism by their own government to me. Yes, I know this is not the United States and that it is perhaps unfair to make a comparison, but I think what happened is tragic and inexcusable.

  As for my admissions essay, I immediately paused the video to check what I wrote after the piece on American companies and censorship thinking, “I hope I didn’t sound like an idiot”. Luckily, I had condemned the companies’ shameful actions and even talked about the arrest of Shi Tao after the government was supplied information by Yahoo. I didn’t believe it was the place of American companies to enter the Chinese market and agree to censor its media, even going so far as to assist in prosecuting people for offenses as simple as writing a sensitive email. I have the same opinion now.

• 21. Raquel Rusing  |  March 13th, 2009 at 5:54 pm

  I watched Tank Man a couple days ago and actually had to let the event sink into my head for awhile before commenting because I had never even heard of this tragedy.

  What strikes me as phenomenal about the retrospect of this occurrence is the refusal of people involved to revisit the incident. Obviously the government wishes to turn a blind eye, but it seems as if the only people who care to remember the massacre are the ones who lost a loved one. The others have either repressed their memories and do not speak of it or are the generation of younger people who believe that the incident was fabricated by the U.S. media - why, whoever would have given them that ideaI? The government? Never!

  I find this incredible because in the United States, our citizens would be up in arms about a government attack on our people - not to mention we would be capitalizing on its nostalgia by selling buttons and commemorative plates. This sort of disregard or ignorance to history magnifies the power of the Chinese government more than I care to admit. I understand that the government wishes to be viewed positively by its people in order to encourage loyalty and has thus leveraged its power to do so, but this may also show that the Chinese government might not be as cruel to its people as Westerners believe. I say this because allowing people to see the effects of Tiananmen Square would serve as a fear tactic - “Protest and these are the consequences!” Yet they refrain from exposing their people to it. Maybe it isn’t an attempt to censor based on power and maintain goodwill, but an attempt to forget a mistake whose remembrance can only tear the state apart. In turn, by in a sense “forgetting” the incident, the country can continue to expand without resentment or resistance and provide better living standards for its people. Maybe the censorship is an indirect apology. A cowardly apology. But an apology nonetheless.

  Then again, I could be just another hopeful hippie and have forgotten that absolute power corrupts absolutely.

  And here’s my two cents (you know I just have to give it) on businesses aiding in the government’s censorship controls:

  Overall, I think that it is not the job of any business to politically reform China. If China is reformed politically, it will be done by the Chinese themselves, and not an American corporation. Companies, such as Google, are not hurting any progress towards a more open Chinese society and the level of attention given to these situations by the American people is further discouraging international focus on more important ethical issues, such as torturing of prisoners. I think Google and other internet companies are making decisions based on profit, but since their decisions are not negatively impacting the Chinese society, it is irrelevant to criticize their ethical stand. Let Google continue to provide information for the Chinese people until their service negatively impacts the Chinese people. Google is not a political martyr; Google is merely a business. And what’s the bottom line of any business: profit.

• 22. Michael Mossman  |  March 14th, 2009 at 2:54 pm

  The rise of China to the economic powerhouse it is today would not be as significant without the CCP. The CCP is able to control everything and pave a path for economic reform without facing any opposition. They do not face opposition because they physically move them out of the way and threaten opposition groups. The CCP is always concerned with keeping control and hiding embarrassing and unethical events such as the Tiananmen Square massacre in 1989.

  I watched the Frontline documentary on the Tiananmen Square massacre in 1989 and found it very sobering. I heard about the event before but never really looked into it to find out exactly what happened. I could not believe the violence the army used on the protestors and students; shooting people in their back as they run away is unbelievable and truly sad. The level of violence used shows how concerned the CCP is about controlling their citizens and smashing any supporters of democracy. I believe the massacre and army aggressiveness can be directly attributed to the CCP goal of staying in control because they are power hungry and believe in communism. The economic reform was probably not the primary driver behind wiping out protesters, but it might have played a back-burner role.

  One scene in the documentary which really stood out to me was the four students who did not recognize the picture of the Tank Man. The students could have intentionally lied and acted like they did not know the story out of fear of being harassed or punished for talking about the event with western media. If they truly did not know the story behind the Tank Man then the CCP government has done its job of brainwashing its people about the event.

• 23. Alex vanDalen  |  March 15th, 2009 at 2:26 pm

  So I’m assuming that the use of “Ti**anm** Sq*#r^” is to facilitate this blogs accessibility through the “Great Chinese Firewall”.?.
  We had to watch this same docu-drama in a Modern Chinese history class that I took at Cal Poly. The story behind Tee-enna-myn [Sqr] is quite complex and is not really captured in the Western Media’s simplification of : 1) students protesting peacefully for democracy. 2) CCP sending tanks to crush a nation’s hopes for the future.
  I am not legitimizing the actions of the Chinese government, however the information that western children are taught about the fateful day in June of 1989 (if they are at all) is really only half of the story. I remember the news images that were on TV quite well as my mom was in China when it happened and my father and I were glued to the set. They really only consisted of the hunger protests of the students and the “liberty statue” at the center of the square. There was no analysis at all of true situation within china.
  The TS events were a culmination of a much greater trend in reforms and openness that had been evolving in the PRC for the previous decade. Since 1979 the government had systematically eased restrictions on private property, economic, development, and freedom of expression and religion. This last wave of reform in fact had sympathy from many high level CCP member including, Zhao Ziyang, who at one point became a mediator between the students and the government and urged for a peaceful end to the protest, telling the students that they had a bright future and should not sacrifice themselves so easily. However hard-line elements in the party were afraid of what was happing concurrently in the former Soviet Union and Eastern Europe. They felt that if reform moved to far too fast, social stability (no stranger to china) and the prosperity of the entire nation were at stake. This was not unreasonable in retrospect considering was has happened to Russia in the past 20 years.
  This was not simply a one day peaceful pro-democracy march that was immediately crushed. China tried for weeks to mediate the situation and to return the operation of the city to normal. The use of tanks was a last (and ill fated) resort and is something that the government of the United States would not hesitate to do in the same situation. Read the recent US sanctioned War College report here if you don’t believe me.
  The Chinese government seems to have been willing to do anything to prevent what it perceived of as yet another incursion into the sovereignty of Chinese affairs by foreign influence. They are still uneasy about the west wanting to control them as is evident by Wen Jiabao’s recent comments that the China “will never” accept Western style democracy. The CCP wants to reform China, but there is the requirement that it must be done the Chinese way, the fiercely nationalistic and prideful spirit of Chinese youth is in some ways reflective of the government’s position and I think is only partially caused by brainwashing. China does not want to return to revolution or foreign domination. For thousands of years they were independent and in their own mind the “center of the world”. The imperialism of the 1800s and the neo-colonialist capitulations of the KMT regime were an embarrassment that the government and Chinese government will not return to at any cost, least of all the rights of a few thousand “rabble rousers”.

• 24. Alex vanDalen  |  March 15th, 2009 at 2:28 pm

  link to the US report on social upheaval and “strategic shocks” …i dont think it pasted properly …..
  http://www.strategicstudiesinstitute.army.mil/pubs/display.cfm?pubID=890

• 25. Andrew Welborn  |  March 16th, 2009 at 5:32 pm

  The symbolism of the Tank Man, though lost in China, is very powerful. To have the courage to do what he did in the face of that regime at that particular point in time is unimaginable. I had little idea of the full scope of the events that surrounded T-Square. Even though the country doesn’t know of their contribution toward economic and personal freedoms, the government still knows of what the people are capable of and knows that in this day and age they will be extremely hard pressed to keep a lid on anything of this magnitude. I believe the Tank Man lives on, his symbolism strikes fear into any government.

  I find it especially worrisome that the government has the ability to control information so well, that no one has been able to find the Tank Man’s identity or even his fate. If I had to choose one thing about any government to be critical about, the freedom of information would be it. I know that I am spoiled in this information age in comparison to the older generations, but it scares me that things like this could happen anywhere to anyone, and with the technology available today, it essentially never happened. How many others like him were out there that we have never known of? How do we truly know the same thing doesn’t happen in the U.S.?

  The WSJ article leaves me feeling uneasy on the inside. From my perspective, which is imperfect to say the least, they have been provided biased information, will never have a chance to see the entire picture, and therefore can’t ever come to a conclusion that objects to the government. That being said, I may just as well be in that same situation, where all I see are those opinions that denounce performance of the Chinese government in specific situations. However, the last line says it all, “You have your values, we have ours.” I just hope we all know what our values really are and are ready to defend our country’s actions.

  In response to Dr. Carr’s question: No, the country would be much different. We may never know for better or worse, but at this point at least they have a flourishing business sector that will at some point spill over into the rest of the country. Stability is important in China for more than just the obvious CCP motives, but with that many people anything that tips the stability could lead to a full on shut down of the entire economy. If the working class just up and protested, it would completely halt all efforts of forward progress. Capital would move elsewhere, the momentum gained in the last decade could be lost, and the country may revert to poverty. This is obviously a complete worst case scenario, but that is the effect I think stability has on the country.

• 26. Xiaofei Song  |  March 18th, 2009 at 1:13 pm

  Recently I read an article about China won’t follow western’s style, have two parties in charge in the government and compete with each other. I think for Chinese government, the superior control the whole country is the only way they to successfully control everything. The T-Square event is the results of disagreement between the two groups within the one big party and the CCP crushing of these protests is conflicts we see in the video, is doesn’t really matter about democracy or not. The way that Chinese government control the control is highly centralized. Therefore, I think the t-square event is not avoidable in China history.

• 27. David Caldwell  |  March 19th, 2009 at 8:24 am

  Wow - fantastically well done documentary; I really appreciate how it’s brought me full circle in my business education: when we were applying to t he EMP, we were asked how we felt about Google and Microsoft censoring information in China, and here in this video we revisit that topic (albiet a bit more informed now).

  When I wrote my original essay, I argued that Google and Microsoft had a responsibility to portray the truth as accurately as possible, and that they were failing at it by acquiescing to the Chinese requirement for censorship. Now that I’ve watched this video, I can see why they felt immense pressure to be over there (as most members of industry do), and the devastating consequences of them not conforming to the Chinese M.O.; however, that doesn’t change my original opinion. It might be idealistic to think that one or two US companies can make a difference in a country with an unstoppable economic and political might, but then again…there was only one tank man.

  As to who the crackdown was directed towards, it’s difficult to say. From the video, it appeared that the military was responding to reporters who wanted to be free to “print the truth” and other people who wanted a voice in the government; that’s why it struck me as so strange when the concession from the Chinese government was an economic one. The riots in 1989 caused the Chinese government to lose face, thus inhibiting reporting the aftermath of the situation. If the crackdown had been aimed purely at people protesting the economy, I think that there would have been a lot more celebration when the government opened up the country to trade, and there would have been acknowledgments that the protest had been successful in the Chinese media. Because that did not happen, it leads me to believe that the crackdown was aimed more at pro-democracy demonstrators, which matches up with opening of the economic door and keeping the political door shut.

  If the “Ti**anm** Sq*#r^” incident had not occurred, specifically the incident with “Tank Man,” I believe that many people world-wide would not have been emboldened by his example to throw off the shackles of communism. Economic reform might have still come, but it would probably have taken a little longer. The “Tank Man” was an icon not just for a generation, but for the courage of the individual.

• 28. Ashley Breneman  |  March 20th, 2009 at 8:20 am

  Do I think it was right how the CCP handled Tiananmen Square? Not at all! I definitely think it was necessary to stop the protests, otherwise China probably would have continued to exhibit the chaos noted that horrible night. A few of the things I was absolutely appalled by were the weaponry and way the soldiers responded. It does seem ridiculous at this point that the soldiers were using guns and ammunition used in war. Yes, I agree that something needed to be done to prevent further political unrest and risk the government being overthrown, but not in the way it happened. I also thought it was ridiculous that the soldiers were just firing in all directions, even after the revolts have subsided. The parents who lost their children were obviously distraught and angry, but shooting into the crowd at them is not the answer.

  As for the tank man, I do believe his simple gesture changed history for China. By simple, I do not mean that standing in front of a long line of tanks is an easy task, however, there was no part of his display that exhibited violence. The events of Tiananmen Square are beyond tragic, but have produced results that will hopefully continue to change China.

  At the moment, the political change still seems to be on hold. Hopefully the influence from foreign countries doing business in China will continue to influence the government. I am not saying that our way is the right way and therefore China should implement democracy, but I do think that China will continue to prosper the more they move away from the old ways of the government.

• 29. Victoria Rodriguez  |  March 20th, 2009 at 9:05 am

  I was touched and tears came to eyes when I learned that the one Man gave courage to people all over the world, and more specifically gave courage to people in the Soviet Union to protest (before Berlin Wall came down).

  Then more touching moments came when the people convinced army troops to withdraw - they fed them, spoke to them calling them brothers and uncles. The people (not speaking of the soldiers) on that day showed true love and compassion for one another.

  Following the Beijing Massacre that occurred as a charge by the government leaders, Deng changed the government’s focus to economics but still there can be no opposition to their rule.

  The two China’s - rural and metropolitan areas. The rural people do not get the same basic needs or opportunities as the metropolitan people. Further, as in the Billion of Entrepreneurs and in the video, China limits the movement of the rural migrant workers to the city - only the worker (no dependents) can move there in certain residential areas. Therefore, many rural Chinese citizens (matter of fact) cannot make the same wages that their metropolitan counterparts can.

  What I find strange is that agriculture is the lowest on many countries’ list of priority - including India and China. Many farmers struggle to make ends meet, and yet without them the rest of us would not survive.

  For the migrants working in the city plants, the problem I see with working 12-13 hours a day without a day off is the long-term effects on these people. They choose young people who can work these hours, and then while still young by our standards those people will not be able to work due to illness and tiredness. A couple of chinese people (no longer in China) said that the workers do not have rights and often work in unsafe conditions. The unsafe conditions result from long hours, no PPE (personal protection equipment) and not enough emission control devices used.

  School and healthcare is not free, and the rural people cannot afford these basic needs. The money these migrants workers goes towards school for their siblings and does not cover anymore - what?!; and sometimes the workers are not paid until the end of the year or at all. The issue I see is that China’s government has the power to make changes. I am sure the products would still be less pricey even if the wages went up. The US businesses need to make the right decisions when they go over there.

  No need to worry Dr. Carr, my goal in visiting China is to understand MNEs and how businesses are run because much of the global economy is in China and India. I truly respect hard working people.

• 30. Matthew Neal  |  March 20th, 2009 at 10:38 am

  It is amazing to see the ambition, strength and bravery of this one man that became a symbol to the rest of the world. Sadly it seems that the Chinese public is in the dark with what this man has actually done. This video series serves as good summary of every other topic on China on this site. It does an amazing job of summarizing the political, economical, and social problems that china has had. In addition, it has done a wonderful job showing the progress and struggles that China has been able to weather to make the substantial economic gains we see today. Tank man an inspiration to the entire world including those in China. I was amazed to see that his influence stretched to Russia and was used by them as inspiration during their protests against a similar communist government. What happened after the protest of the two countries is vastly different however.

  It’s amazing to see what positive things were able to happen to China after the tragedy. It is amazing that China was able to come out and start is economic revolution, yes china still needs to improve much, but I believe that sadly they are much better off staying as the communist political type that they are. This type of system allows for rapid growth with little red tape. One example of this is simply to look at the differences between modern day China and India. India in comparison has made huge leaps and bounds for its people economically, but not necessarily because of it, but instead in spite of it. Because of the red tape caused by this its development has been rather slow in comparison. China on the other hand has been able to attain amazing increases in all of the economy. It does however have a long tumultuous path to becoming a full capitalist and even democratic society. It seems a long way away, but at the same time almost a certain future if it keeps going down the same path it is now. and as reiterated in most of the posts on this side still long way to go, still much better than could be or was. The “Tank Man” was truly in inspiration of the human spirit and will serve as an example that “Human freedom courage dignity will stay and prevail”

• 31. Logan J Travis  |  March 20th, 2009 at 1:18 pm

  Dr. Carr, to answer your question I would not change my response to the U.S. technology companies compliance with the Chinese government. My response focused on the possibility of equitable outcome sans opinionated interference. I wrote of how it takes times but that benefits of cooperation will gradually assuage the ethical discrepancies between U.S. corporations and the Communist Party.

  Interference from non-invested parties can derail this process. We are part of the non or marginally-invested group whose shouted opinions upset the dialogue between the Chinese government and its people. I applaud our efforts to garner greater understanding. Yet, we will always speak freely with little care for the impact of our words. We simply have little to gain/lose from changes in the their situation.

  The title given to the post-Tienanmen agreement by PBS crystallizes the problem with opinion without investment. What impact does “Deal with the Devil” have when translated for Chinese viewers? We can’t even imagine.

• 32. Jamie Hastings  |  March 20th, 2009 at 1:53 pm

  I too am amazed at the CCP’s ability to erase history. How could they be so good at wiping away one of the most monumental moments in its own countries history? I too don’t believe that China would be where it is today without the occurrences of T-Square. It was a shift whether the protestors got what they wanted or not. The CCP obviously realized that to stay in power, massive reform was needed and they got enough done to pacify China’s people for the near future. Will they be able to sustain this pacification? I have my serious doubts. I have a feeling that unrest will once again surpass the governments ability to keep control. I believe that the economy will outgrow the limitations the government has laid out for the citizens of China and I don;’t think it will monumental. I think it will be a slow dilution of communism to capitalism. It has already taken place. I am not sure, but I think it is a possibility that we will wake up one day and it will quietly be gone.

  I just can’t see a country so full of success be constrained by a government that can intern somebody for sending an email. Human nature and freedom, I hope will reign supreme. Maybe I am wrong and for now it seems like nothing is going to change in the near future.

• 33. Cece Reyes  |  March 20th, 2009 at 1:59 pm

  I recall seeing this when it happened and, while I recall the impact of the images, I was not nearly as aware of the circumstance surrounding the Tank Man event, and the state of China at the time. I just recall that it was some sort of student protest. The bravery of that student is just incredible. Did it give faith to more people to stand up to the government for their rights? Maybe. But only the generation that was able to witness the event.

  The fact that a scene like that at Tiananmen Square can be essentially erased for all future generations shows the power of the Chinese government. It seems they are masters at providing the best view of any event and not surprising was the discussion of the false by-line by John Passmore, an addition to give the article authenticity.

  The Chinese government is very concerned with perception and their stronghold on the media and the people’s access to media seems impenetrable. My belief in the responsibility held by companies such as Google and Yahoo remains the same. They have to decide for themselves if they are willing to trade support of oppression for profits. Do they consider themselves to be compromising their integrity by providing user information and cooperating with the censorship of information? The only reason they have to comply with the Chinese rules is in order to do business in China, and each company has to make that judgment for themselves.

• 34. Matt Eves  |  March 20th, 2009 at 3:47 pm

  One segment of the population defending tradition, the security they feel protects them: life must have been bearable for the group in the square that night protesting China was moving too fast too soon. The other segment, most probably younger, more educated citizens pushing toward democracy (more likely the unleashing of restraints and instituting regard for human rights): it must have become an unbearable situation – their minds and hearts could not take it any more. My guess is that the CCP attack was both an attempt to squash the move toward democracy, but at the same time protect the government’s move toward becoming a global force. Not sure it was calculated this way, but it was brilliant. They kept the old guard appeased, yet gave the new generation hope. The article Dr. Carr added from the Wall Street Journal shows how this pivotal show of force by government made an indelible impression on the next generation steering them toward what they perceived as Western success, but with Chinese structure.

• 35. Justin Miller  |  March 20th, 2009 at 3:58 pm

  Wow. You think you know about an important event, and then you realize that you really have no idea. Ever since learning about this incident, I thought the tank man was run over. I thought the famous picture was of the man right before the tank smashed him. Needless to say I was wrong, and I have no idea where the idea came from. It’s funny too, because I would argue the the picture of the man and the tank is beautiful. A large, hunk of steel who’s sole purpose is to destroy and kill, and then an average person with shopping bags. The symbolism of his lone act of defiance is incredible. It truly shows that impact that one man can have.

  The other thing that I really like about this video is that it talked about the effect this event had on many different people, and the events that lead up to the tank man’s actions. I had no idea what had happened there before the incident, and how people were shot in the back as they ran away from the soldiers. The entire event is extremely sad, and yet some good came from it. The tank man’s actions inspired people around the globe. It’s just sad that the censorship of the Chinese government prevents China’s own citizens from knowing about the historic event. Hopefully someday they will be able to appreciate it the way that we do.

  It’s just such an incredible event in history. Just think what would have happened if someone had flushed the toilet that the film was hidden in.

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