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Censorship Between China And Russia

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A famous phrase attributed to Deng Xiaoping is the following: “If you open a window for fresh air for longer than 10 hours, you have to expect some flies to blow in” (Minzer). This saying aptly illustrates China’s stance on openness. Both Russia and China have their roots in authoritarian regimes that did not tolerate a single opposing voice; the death count of such people says it all. They strictly limited the entry of any foreign idea. Today, liberal reforms have softened the sharpest edges of these past regimes but the governments still retain enormous power over the people. Russia and China limit popular sovereignty in a variety of ways. Both see political freedom and liberty as threats to government sovereignty. Internet regulation,…show more content…
Similarly, China has employed censorship since the time of Mao Zedong. In 1966, the communists embarked on a campaign to eradicate the “Four Olds”, which included old customs, culture, habits, and ideas that conflicted with communist ideology. The works of many writers that criticized Mao’s ways were expunged. Television was censored, as Mao required media outlets to remove foreign or opposing ideas and highlight the glories of the Communist party. For example, sensitive parts of aired British telecasts were omitted and were replaced with captions extoling Mao. Millions were killed for opposing Mao’s plans, such as the Great Leap Forward and the Cultural Revolution. Clearly, China in the past also employed widespread censorship to snuff out opposition (Stauffacher). Admittedly, the Internet did not exist during these times, but both past regimes recognized outlets that had the greatest influence on the people and quickly moved to censor them, whether it was television, literature, movies, or art. Similarly, the Internet today has enormous influence over the countries’ respective populations. Furthermore, neither Russia nor China has transitioned to a fully functioning liberal democracy. Therefore, it is not surprising that the both governments have moved to censor, or regulate, the Internet. Following the collapse of the Soviet Union, Boris Yeltsin made dramatic strides to a liberal
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