Apple Hides Taiwan Flag in Hong Kong

In a way it's a good thing that China is revealing its petulant nature to the world. Not that they hid it all that well, but until recently everybody was too busy enjoying cheap electronics to notice the monster they were feeding.

China—the people and country—are spectacular. China—the Party—is an malevolent force obsessed with self-preservation. Such is the nature of autocratic regimes.

A quote from Czech dissident Václav Havel bears repeating:

> The post-totalitarian system touches people at every step, but it does so with its ideological gloves on. This is why life in the system is so thoroughly permeated with hypocrisy and lies. Depriving people of information is called making it available...the lack of free expression becomes the highest form of freedom. Because the regime is captive to its own lies, it must falsify everything. It falsifies the past. It falsifies the present, and it falsifies the future. It falsifies statistics. It pretends not to possess an omnipotent and unprincipled police apparatus. It pretends to respect human rights. It pretends to persecute no one. It pretends to fear nothing. It pretends to pretend nothing.

> In a way it's a good thing that China is revealing its petulant nature to the world.

It's probably somewhat risky strategically, but they likely realize they're now strong enough to do such things with absolute impunity, and it will make their eventual victory that much sweeter.

The two top priorities for any institution are first to hold on to the power they have, and second to expand those powers. This is as true for the neighbourhood gardening club as it is for the Communist party of China.

Okey.. But the gardening club won't try to censorship all information out there that it views displeasing? I'm not sure what you are suggesting with your rhetoric, but there are differences when the organization at hand is either authoritarian or non-authoritarian. And I'd argue that some gardening clubs aren't even seeking for any "expansion of their power" at all. They are simply clubs to hang out and talk about gardening. You suggesting that they both share the same, ominous intent is kinda dishonest.

I think they are tired of playing crouching tiger hidden dragon. Its good for China, but not so much for the rest of the world.