Online Public Relations Thoughts

Chinese control of news flow from Tibet has once again created an alternative universe of rumors, facts and purported facts. Depending on whose side you are on, the story changes. One would think the Chinese government would understand that information of some kind will get out no matter how hard the government tries to stop it. Apparently, bureaucrats in Beijing haven't yet lost the behavior of old-time communism. It is unfortunate for the country at large and for its reputation on the world scene. This incident highlights that China is not yet ready politically to trust its people and at heart is not a stable government. By that, I mean its leaders do not feel they can allow dissent without damaging the political machinery.

Given China's modern history, it is understandable that its leadership does not want to stare turmoil in the face again for generations. Tens of millions of died in the country in the 20th Century from conflicts of various kinds. On the other hand, there will come a time when China's inability to liberalize speech will harm the country and even possibly, destroy it. Today, with its accelerated growth and growing personal income, its citizens are too busy pulling themselves out of poverty to become overly concerned about personal expression. So there will more incidents like Tibet that will occur and more conflicting stories about what happened. We on the outside can only watch and guess what the facts are and ponder the implications.