On the Ground with Nicholas D. Kristof - Protest 101 - NYTimes.com

[dojochuck]

what good is a protest when you apply for a permit first? asking for permission to show defiance is ridiculous.

[butnotlost]

From my experience, I'd say the Chinese who say they are content reflects their desire to show solidarity with China. They feel that if they speak against their political leaders and how they govern, they are betraying their country.

[mfbball516]

He applied to demonstrate for the preservation of historic homes in Beijing. He deliberately chose the least controversial issue he could think of.

[kauffmanr]

I dont think freedom is something that can be granted, it must be something demanded and eventually taken from those with power.

[cooperdesign]

Fabulous line - "Freedom has accrued without actually being granted." Opens the mind to rethink how we sometimes travel between points of view.

But really .. what did you want to protest??

[ameshimay]

Thank you Nicholas Kristof for your balanced journalism - your perceptive understanding of the state of China is truly refreshing. Your analysis is spot on!

[behdadbor]

Why don't you make documentary a b out democracy in Georgia? What a bout Kuwait?

Do you know who is Edward Said?

[dengzhi]

becuz he's another white guy who married a poor girl from china, he couldn't get any white girls in america

[wwwalker2001]

Very interesting... thanks from Portland OR, your home town?!

[quaker00]

I should clarify on the last sentence. Do the Chinese people understand that it is near-impossible for a state news agency to report news objectively? And if so, do they have any level of skepticism when digesting the news from such a source?

[quaker00]

While America has a limited understanding of China, the corresponding question is, "Do the people of China understand the right afforded to Americans (and other Western democracies)?" Is there any part of the Chinese citizenship that questions (in a healthy way) the way it is being governed? I understand that China is in an era of rising national pride, but do the people have 100% faith in its government? e.g., Do they have confidence that Xinhua news is news as it happens, versus propoganda?