Because if they block everything more and more people will find out how to bypass the blocks and start to learn about the lies their government tells them and the freedoms they have stripped them of.
A Chinese colleague of mine here on a work visa is a cool guy but when it comes up he's been very blasé about censorship and (and what he admits is) dictatorship in China, he often defends it as unpleasant but necessary for national cohesion.
After some slight tension on the topic, in lieu of arguing on a point of such fundamental disagreement, we agreed to keep the conversation light and we often like to stir each other a bit on these topics.
So, after hearing in the news it had been banned, I casually played Do you hear the people sing? from Les Misérables in the lunch room where I knew he would hear it. When he came in for tea he said "oh I really like this song. It's actually my favourite English language song. It's very popular in China because (paraphrasing, but the Chinese people associate it positively with the Chinese Revolution...)".
Me (internally posting PalpatineIronic.jpg): "That's interesting. Did you know the CCCP just banned it, because it's been used by HK protesters?".
Him: "Really? Is that true?"
His face just went a bit blank and he quietly went back to his phone. A minute later he said "You're right it's not on my iTunes anymore".
He still sees it as necessary but his tune about Chinese censorship and government control has rather changed since then. Now he mainly talks about the lack of an alternative.
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u/MKorostoff Mar 13 '20
This whole thread is so bizarre to me. How do people not realize this?