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1444 points feross | 5 comments | | HN request time: 0.896s | source
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TazeTSchnitzel ◴[] No.32641381[source]
It's really interesting that such a bland, un-subversive show whose only mentions of sensitive topics are in bad throwaway jokes is so heavily censored. I guess a more interesting show would just not get aired at all.
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swayvil ◴[] No.32641593[source]
It's a deeper level of censorship. Not only will you refrain from thinking about these things in a tolerant light, you will refrain from thinking about these things at all.

It chops pieces off reality when you do that.

Censorship is amazing. So popular (downvotes anyone?), so casually employed, yet so incredibly destructive.

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Sin2x ◴[] No.32641783[source]
This idea can be easily reversed:

It's a deeper level of indoctrination. When these things are covertly inserted in an innocuous sounding show, not only will you start thinking about them, you will subconsiously think of them in a tolerant light.

China has its own culture and mores, why should it allow that kind of soft projection of Western power.

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cutemonster ◴[] No.32642042[source]
> China has its own culture and mores

Correction: Xi and the CCP have their own culture and mores

The people, though, want to see The Big Bang Theory uncensored.

The people are different from Xi. They don't want the same things as he (except for the ones Xi has successfully brainwashed, or those who have a highly tribal brain).

> why should it allow that kind of soft projection

That sounds paranoid, I hope you don't mind. Reasoning in that way, almost all movies in the world wold be a "soft projection" and Nation State attack. But sometimes it's just jokes or reality and a good movie ... or would have been.

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1. okasaki ◴[] No.32642158[source]
Good thing we have HN user cutemonster to tell us what the Chinese people want.
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2. cowtools ◴[] No.32642198[source]
If the chinese people had the option between the censored and uncensored version, which one do you think they would prefer?

On an individual level it is obvious that almost no one advocates for self-censorship. Most people are only enthusiastic about censorship when they are the censor and not the censored.

The communist dictatorship is a parasitic form of governance, but most cannot escape because they're stuck at a local maxima.

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3. davemp ◴[] No.32642407[source]
Please don't post insubstantial comments like this on HN: https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html
4. notahacker ◴[] No.32642518[source]
I strongly suspect many if not most Chinese people would choose to see the censored version, especially if the stated reason for the censorship was "we have removed some things which may be insulting to Chinese people".

Most people don't like being censored themselves, but don't confuse that for a moment with believing that most people want everything uncensored. For all public discourse in America constantly talks about free speech absolutism and the horrors of censorship, US TV has "decency" regulations and there's absolutely no mass movement to ensure that TV companies are not penalised for 'wardrobe malfunctions' and expletives are broadcast without bleeps. Why would people from a much more conservative culture where public discourse attaches no value to free speech but stresses paternalism and patriotism instead be so keen on hearing alleged rudeness about their country?

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5. LawTalkingGuy ◴[] No.32652698{3}[source]
I imagine that if the choice was to watch a movie with the family, free of annoying propaganda, that you'd be right. But if the choice was to never be able to see the "propaganda" you're being protected against, that fewer people would take the deal.

These discussions conflate voluntary censorship like age-gating with willingness to actually let someone lie to you, even in cases where you know the truth directly, and accepting it - ostensibly for the good of the group.