A while back I happened upon a TV program that followed a group of Chinese tourists on a boat somewhere near the Taiwanese island of Kinmen. The Chinese, when asked about Taiwan, explained something to the fact that they know that the people of Taiwan are just dying to re-unify with the P.R.C., but were being kept from it by the Taiwan president Chen Shui-bien, who is trying to drag all Taiwanese kicking and screaming away from China and into independence. Now, we know that this is complete B.S.--the spin spoon-fed to these tourists day after day from the P.R.C.'s government news agency Xinhua. It is quite disturbing to see the effects of such long term brainwashing, though I don't know the level to which this pervades. Some more worldly Chinese must know that that's complete hogwash, but I suspect that out in the country, it is hard to get that alternative view.
Reflecting on my recent trip to the U.S., I felt a little of that same disturbing feeling. Someone close to me would occasionally pop out with some little tidbit of information about politics and media in the U.S. that was so shockingly dead wrong (things like events they think happened, but didn't), or an opinion that was so unnervingly ill-formed, when placed on a world stage of ideas.
It was in my doctor's waiting office, too, that I noticed with appall that we were watching the Fox News Channel. And in the airport, too. Fox "News"? I talked with a Canadian friend of mine here, who remarked:
"I couldn't believe it the first time I watched Fox News in the Phillippines. I was like, whoa, can you even SAY that on a NEWS network?"
His point was that it was so clearly a heavily biased report masquerading as an unbiased "news" source. And what chance do I have suggesting watching an alternative news source--hey, BBC is a pretty well-regarded news source, you know--when people already believe that what they are seeing is the unspun truth. Despite how many right wing media sources tell you about the "liberal media" in order to make themselves sound centrist, Fox News is still way conservative on the world stage. It is, in this guise, truly dangerous. A form of message control. While I was in the U.S., I got the impression that that was where the country is heading. It is, after all, the most efficient form of government.
Fox News isn't just conservative. It's plainly misleading/false. :-( That said, it's still one notch up from what we get in Taiwan. :-(
Posted by: Jen | 2005/9/7 at 上午 8:16
I just avoid cable news and mainland Chinese tourists as much as I can -- they sputter too much nonsense.
Posted by: Michelin L. W. Y. | 2005/9/10 at 上午 5:40
:) Actually, I haven't met many Chinese tourists here. One group in Kenting, I think. I suppose they are all over the place in their buses, but maybe they are sequestered in the evenings, as I never see them wandering about town.
Posted by: tiger | 2005/9/10 at 上午 11:12
Since the United Nations is supposed to provide a voice for all nations, I see no basis other than China's objections as to why Taiwan is locked out of the U.N. I also think it is time for the U.S. to recognize Taiwan as independent and self-governing nation.
Over the years, American foreign policy has taken several unrealistic approaches in regard to China and Taiwan. For more than 20 years following the communist revolution in China, we had a "one China" policy pretending that the nationalist exile leadership based in Taiwan was the legitimate government of the Chinese mainland. In the early 70's, the U.S. adopted the asurdity of a "Two China" policy and then soon shifted to another "One China" approach favoring the mainland Chinese government.
The U.S. should recognize that while there is only one China that Taiwan is a soverign nation which has been separate from mainland China for over 50 years. Americans across the political spectrum should support the human rights of the people of Taiwan by supporting their continued independence despite the threats from mainland China.
Japan should be encouraged to re-militarize to help balance the power of China in Asia. At some point, the rest of the world is going to have to stand up to China's growing economic and military might.
http://www.rightdemocrat.blogspot.com
Posted by: Right Democrat | 2005/9/12 at 上午 1:08
Right Democrat: that's all very well but as long as Mr. GWB is there to (mis)handle the funds, not much is going to change in Asia.
Posted by: Jen | 2005/9/21 at 上午 8:21
I agree with your observations of how Chinese propaganda has completely brainwashed its people over the decades, but I strongly disagree with your view on Fox News and U.S. media.
It's safe to say the major news networks have their own political leaning, but none so irresponsible and embarrassing as CBS (can you say Rather-gate?). Fox News gets a lot of flak for supporting the conservative views, but if all you get is the liberal alliance made up of the networks+CNN+BBC, where is the balance in that? What you find so *shocking* about Fox News can be said about the liberal alliance as well from a conservative point of view. Do you question BBC's or CNN's reports -- as well-regarded as they may be -- when you watch them, or do you take them as irrefutable facts?
The beauty of free speech and free press is everybody has a say, whether you like it or not. I believe the important thing to remember when watching these news reports is to analyze what's being said and come to your own conclusion later, instead of watching with a confirmatory bias and believing everything that's fed to you.
Posted by: JD | 2005/10/1 at 上午 6:06
Nonsense. There's a limit to free speech. Especially when you can reach millions of people - such media need to be accountable for exercising the rights to 'free speech'.
If you insist on turning black into a questionable shade of white, you may be enjoying your brand of free speech but you'd probably need a stint at a local lunatic asylum.
Posted by: Jen | 2005/10/5 at 下午 1:53
"It was in my doctor's waiting office, too, that I noticed with appall that we were watching the Fox News Channel."
I can beat that hands down. My doctor in Cali made me swear I would vote for Gore before giving me a prescription. How’s that for appalling. Needless to say that was my last visit to that office.
Anyone that takes ANY media outlet as 100% truth is a fool. There will always be biased of some sort. Just look at this blog entry, it would make you think that fox news eats black babies. I'm sure, depending on your point of view and desire to take something apart you could find bias at FOX or BBC just as easy as any other media outlet.
Posted by: Jenni Nickerson | 2005/10/8 at 上午 5:29
No one is disputing that there exists bias in every medium. However, Hitler himself had his own brand of bias, too. Fox News is no different. Hitler managed to convince millions of people to follow his ideas. Fox News's reach is even more far-reaching. There threfore must be a limit to free speech. Of course, in any democracy the onus lies on the speaker/medium. But since when has Rupert Murdoch ever did anything for the common good?
Posted by: Jen | 2005/10/9 at 上午 9:14
Geeee... excuse the typos.
Posted by: Jen | 2005/10/9 at 上午 9:15
hello,
i just happened to be surfing the net, and, erm.. "surfed" by your website. What part of taiwan are you in?
im from taiwan, although i live in america now. what are you doing there? and how do you like it (^_^)?
Posted by: garrett | 2005/11/9 at 下午 12:00
Jackson! Where you been hidin'?
Posted by: Michael Turton | 2006/1/13 at 下午 9:48
protect the tiger , we all should do that
Posted by: Tiger en Osmose | 2006/2/3 at 上午 2:48