Date of 4 June remains one of China’s strictest taboos, with government using increasingly sophisticated tools to censor its discussion

There is no official death toll but activists believe hundreds, possibly thousands, were killed by China’s People’s Liberation Army in the streets around Tiananmen Square, Beijing’s central plaza, on 4 June 1989.

The date of 4 June remains one of China’s strictest taboos, and the Chinese government employs extensive and increasingly sophisticated resources to censor any discussion or acknowledgment of it inside China. Internet censors scrub even the most obscure references to the date from online spaces, and activists in China are often put under increased surveillance or sent on enforced “holidays” away from Beijing.

New research from human rights workers has found that the sensitive date also sees heightened transnational repression of Chinese government critics overseas by the government and its proxies.

      • grte@lemmy.ca
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        3 days ago

        US history is a little more than unblemished, though. Hell, not even history. They are literally arming a genocidal state as we speak.

        • taladar@sh.itjust.works
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          3 days ago

          Don’t forget that they are literally being lead by a political movement named after the history denying idea that they were “great” at some point and want to get back to that (never mind the other lie that the leaders of the movement don’t actually want to get back to any particular point in history despite the name)

      • InternetCitizen2@lemmy.world
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        3 days ago

        Every now and then I follow up and ask tankies what their actionable alternative is. They just never have one. Just making perfect the enemies of good. Tankies are deeply un-serious.

        • neidu3@sh.itjust.works
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          3 days ago

          Best resource distribution (economic) model according to tankies: “Trust me bro”

          • InternetCitizen2@lemmy.world
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            3 days ago

            I’d still rather have a more socialist society. Distribution based on markets means depriving those in need. Unfortunately tankies would rather leave vulnerable people to suffer the brutality of capitalism.

        • kittenzrulz123@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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          3 days ago

          Shocking idea (this will blow your mind), but what if we dont fund a genocidal apartheid state? I mean not cut military aid by 30% or delay it three weeks, what if we just dont? What if we dont compromise with fascism?

          • InternetCitizen2@lemmy.world
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            3 days ago

            If you abstain then you won’t have influence to stop funding genocide.

            If you are serious please comment a real and actionable alternative.

            • kittenzrulz123@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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              3 days ago

              The fact that voting inherently requires accepting fascism does not make fascism ok, it inherently makes liberal democracy fascist. As for a real and actionable alternative, building dual power through unions. Build communities from the bottom up to resist fascism and arm workers to prepare for eventual revolution.

              • InternetCitizen2@lemmy.world
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                3 days ago

                The fact that voting inherently requires accepting fascism does not make fascism ok, it inherently makes liberal democracy fascist

                I don’t see how that follows

                Build communities from the bottom up to resist fascism and arm workers to prepare for eventual revolution.

                I agree, but don’t you want to see some incremental progress for it in the mean time? We need political influence and tankies are just not good allies for it. Genocide is happening today. People are hungry and without medicine today. We can’t wait for a perfect revolution (those who wait are really just showing their privilege). Waiting for that also means leaving those you intended to help to die in the trenches. That in short is why I consider tankies un-serious.

                I support the community building from the bottom up, but tankies are not doing that either. They are no shows on all fronts, and demoralizing our movements when we do try to do other things.

                • kittenzrulz123@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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                  3 days ago

                  Agreed people are dying today, thats why we cant make these compromises. Compromising the lives of milliones of people based on what makes a bunch of privileged white liberals feel comfortable. Because right now only liberals are trying to equate the Palestinian Genocide with Palestinian resistance, thats what actural both sideism looks like.

                  • InternetCitizen2@lemmy.world
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                    3 days ago

                    Look I can tell you are semi tankie and just don’t want to help, but I will leave you with a semi personal and unrelated note. As a teen I first heard of UBI. I thought it was a bad idea. I sounded as if it was some sort of bribe. Like there is an understanding that capitalism sucks and instead of doing anything to fix society here is some cash to get you to shut up. I wanted a more permanent solution. I still do. But getting that cash in peoples hands today still helps our overall movement and provides relief to those suffering. Incremental progress to our goals matters. If we worked on growing the progressive wing in the dem party we would have more tools to limit the funding we give to Israel. You know what else? That gives us more space to build worker communities from the ground up as well.

                    And I mean this on all levels. From local elections to federal. We need more progressive policies to help us if we are going to move left. And so speak with you a bit directly Lenin ultimately did move to have political power to further his goals. Tankies not working to build a progressive moment where we can means we never move forward. I have not disagreed with you on anything, but you are not showing solidarity with me and leaving others like me alone to die without support.

    • Gorilladrums@lemmy.world
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      3 days ago

      Lol you’re the type of imbecile who would cry about Palestine and American imperialism, but then turn around and say shit like this. Marxists are a joke.

        • Gorilladrums@lemmy.world
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          1 day ago

          I’m saying you have no moral consistency. Think about it, what purpose does your comment serve besides defending this massacre? You’re simply mad that are people are recognizing it as such, and you want to shut down the criticism by screaming hypocrisy, but that in of itself is hypocritical because if China came out and recognized the trail of tears for example, you would be ecstatic with joy. You wouldn’t be crying about how China shouldn’t preach about human rights due to their extensive record of human rights abuses.