China Facing Popular Revolt?

Whoa! Talk about overselling a story with a hyperbolic headline! I'm starting to get why the media uses headlines to really rev up the bias and slant -- because it's fun! And easy!

The headline is too much, really, but the story does softly support it:

China is preparing to "strike hard" against rising public unrest, a senior police official said according to state media on Thursday, highlighting the government's fears for stability even as the economy booms.

Prosperity tends to undermine the government's power, not enhance it. The more rich people there are, the more loci of power, the more they struggle against each other and the government. Resulting in the middle and lower classes being left alone more.

An unnamed top official of China's Ministry of Public Security told a Wednesday meeting that China faced a long period of dangerous social discontent, Xinhua news agency said.

"For a considerable time to come, our country will be in a period of pronounced contradictions within the people, high crime rates, and complex struggle against enemies," the official said.

"Contradictions within the people" is a Maoist term used to describe domestic social unrest.

China was suffering many "major sudden incidents" -- a term Chinese officials use to cover riots, protests and accidents -- the official added.

"Unpredictable factors affecting social stability will increase, and trends in protecting social stability don't allow for optimism," said the official.

...

Last week, China's Ministry of Public Security put the total number of "mass incidents" -- riots, demonstrations and smaller protests -- at a total 87,000 last year, up 6.6 percent from 2004.

A major reason for these "mass incidents"? They're seizing farmers' lands without adequate compensation.

That's the trouble with private property. Once someone has something, he has something to fight for.

Keep it up. I likes it.

posted by Ace at 01:36 PM

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